Fitness can get all tangled up with emotions and create a visceral reaction for some women. Have you ever felt anxious about working out? Or fearful that you will walk into a gym and not know what to do? Or worried that you are TOO out-of-shape?
Stop right now, take a deep breath, and know that it’s all OK and you have ALL THE CONTROL to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle!
We want to help you find ways to weave fitness into everyday and make it SIMPLE, SUSTAINABLE & FUN. Fitness should NOT be about pressure to be perfect or to perform like an athlete. Fitness should NOT be about how you look or how coordinated you are. Fitness should be about MOVING YOUR BODY so that you feel good! Fitness is about your health and wellness and making a conscious decision to be active in whatever way feels good to you!
Whether today is Day 1 of your current fitness journey OR Day 1 of the return to your fitness journey after a short break OR you have worked out everyday for the past 20 years, we want to give you some practical tools to be consistent and keep it up!
START SMALL
We have talked about goal setting and consistency. So in order to make your fitness journey sustainable, set realistic goals for yourself. For instance, if you are starting today for the very first time ever, perhaps a goal of 3 days per week is ideal. You can always increase your frequency once you build a habit. Decide right now what is a realistic goal for your lifestyle. Write that down in your journal or on a piece of paper. Now take 5 minutes to pull out your calendar and schedule the times you are committing to your fitness and put it on repeat!
DECIDE WHAT YOU LIKE
Fitness can be so many things. It can be working out with a personal trainer. It can be taking a class. It can be playing with your kids or your dog. It can be walking with your bestie. Think about what is FUN for you! You don’t have to do the same thing every day…in fact, we encourage you to change it up so it stays interesting and engaging! Your next exercise is to make a list of ALL THE ACTIVE THINGS you like to do. Write that down next to your commitment of how often you will be active each week.
MAKE A REWARD SYSTEM
We all need praise and rewards for a job well-done. Sometimes we need to offer this to ourselves versus relying on external recognition. When it comes to your fitness journey, it may be beneficial to have a workout buddy or partner, but the bottom line is that it is YOUR journey. You need to be able to self-motivate and also, self-congratulate! Instead of looking toward food rewards, think about self-care treats that motivate you. Maybe it’s downloading a new music album or getting a mani/pedi. Maybe it’s a massage or treating yourself to a movie. Write down a list of at least 5 things that motivate you and feel like a worthwhile reward. Depending on how big the reward is should determine how much work it will take to get there. For example:
- 1 week of consistent fitness = a new downloaded music album
- 2 weeks of consistent fitness = a mani/pedi
- 3 months of consistent fitness = a spa day
Write this down too! Now you will have a reward to look forward to and a goal to achieve to get there.
HAVE GRACE WITH YOURSELF
Fitness as a lifestyle means just that…it’s part of your life. It’s not a short-term event or an activity with an end-game. It’s about being healthy for your lifetime! Remember that life is going to throw you curve-balls. You are going to get sick. You are going to have deadlines at work. You are going to have family obligations. Not everyday is going to be perfect! THAT IS OK! Don’t let small hurdles derail your process and make you feel inferior or as though you should give up. The beauty is focusing on progress versus perfection. Having a plan in place, with rewards built in, will help you stay on target and continue on your journey.
Remember, if you want to live a long life and enjoy all of it, you MUST figure out a way to live an active lifestyle. Use these tips to start right now and enjoy how amazing your body feels each and every day!
