How many times have you started being active, stuck with it for a while, and then fallen off the wagon? What were your reasons for not sticking with it? You don’t have the time? You don’t have the money? You’re not seeing the progress you wanted to, so why keep going?
I get all of that…
Life gets in the way of things that you don’t make a priority in your life. So what are your top priorities if your health isn’t one of them? Family, friends, traveling, socializing, school, work, money?
I get all of that also…
The problem that I see with people using a lack of time as an excuse is that we CAN make time. Even if that just means waking up 15 minutes earlier to do a really quick work out in the morning – make the damn time. This is your body and your health we’re talking about. Without those two things being in decent shape, your life isn’t going to be as fulfilling as it could be.
How about the issue of money. “I just can’t afford it.” That’s totally understandable, BUT there are so many free ways to get a workout in. Go for walk, go for a run, go for hike, go to a park and play on a jungle gym – pull-ups, rows, push-ups, step-ups, etc can all be done on playgrounds-, do some body weight exercises at home. The options really are endless as long as you stop making excuses. The internet is an amazing tool when it comes to looking up workouts that don’t require a single piece of equipment. (So are trainers like me but my services do cost something!)
What about the excuse of ‘you’re not seeing the progress that you wanted to see, so why not just stop now’? Well how can you possibly get to the point of seeing the progress you want to if you don’t stick with it. You absolutely have to trust the process, however cliche as that sounds. Our bodies all react differently to a change in activity levels. We just have to believe that, as long as our programs are decent programs that have our goals in mind, we will get to where we want to be.
Do I have a magic formula on how to stick with a program or stick with an active lifestyle? No, but I can give you a few tips…
1. Set goals, and I mean realistic goals. Goals that you can obtain and can see yourself obtaining. Set short term goals, set long term goals, and reward yourself for reaching them every little step along the way.
2. Believe in yourself. I realize that this sounds a little ridiculous, but if you don’t believe that you will get to where you want to be, you won’t get there.
3. Maintain balance in your life. Don’t make working out the one and only thing that you do. Don’t count your calories so intensely that it’s obnoxious to go out to dinner with your friends. Find that balance of exercise, nutrition, work, you time, friend time, family time, whatever time you need – find that!
4. Ask for help. Ouch… that one can be hard for a lot of people. I can’t make you ask for help, nobody can. But I can tell you that as long as you go looking for help in the right places, you will progress in one way or another.
5. Have an accountability partner of some kind. This could be a trainer, a friend, a partner, a stranger on the internet (please don’t be creepy though). Find someone who will ask you “hey, have you worked out today?” or “hey, maybe you shouldn’t eat the WHOLE cake – just have one piece instead”. You know… somebody who’s there for you and who you can lean on when you’re struggling.
6. If you’re looking to apply to a program or find a trainer in your area – find one that works for you. Everyone needs something different in a coach or a trainer – that’s the person who listens to you and your needs and gives you the kind of coaching you need. Do you need someone who’s stand-off-ish? Do you need someone who’s on your ass about working out every day? Do you need someone in between? Find that person whatever your answer may be.
7. This is a big one… incorporate things that you actually like to do into your workouts. If you like to hike or rock climb or dance, do one of those things as your workout for the day. If you’re the type of person who likes to lift weights and you really like to work on upper body or arms, then incorporate that into your most or all of your workouts – just be sure to not neglect other muscles and be sure to keep a balance going on between your antagonistic muscle pairs (an example of an antagonistic pair is biceps and triceps because one relaxes while the other contracts). What if you have a dog (in my case I have 3 pups that I love more than life itself)? Take them for a run a couple days a week instead of a walk or walk them every day if walking is your thing. Just do things that you actually enjoy doing because if you don’t find ways to enjoy working out, you’ll find ways to stop working out.
The list could go on… maybe I will make another one down the road but I think that that is a good start for now.
Now GET STARTED and STICK WITH IT, friends!
❤ Chelsea
CKB Coaching, LLC 