The benefits of exercise are endless, but among the BEST of these benefits is greater energy and productivity.
Who doesn’t want that?!?
A good workout can leave you feeling energetic (almost euphoric) all day and put you in a great frame of mind for getting stuff done. But while so many of us want to get in better shape and live healthier lifestyles it can be such an uphill battle for so many people that they often give up in disappointment and frustration, or don’t even try in the first place.
I definitely don’t want that to happen to you!!
The recipe for getting lean and fit is pretty simple and everyone knows it. Eat healthy (although “healthy” can sometimes be a subjective term) and exercise regularly. But while those basics are well known, how to actually implement them, with all the difficulties and distractions we face in our everyday lives, is waaaaaaaaay more complicated!
But I have good news…
It doesn’t need to complicated! 🙂
It’s not an easy journey but I’m striving to be the Queen of Simplicity in many areas of my life. I like to tell people that I’m a recovering perfectionist (perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order) and a minimalist in training (identify the essential and eliminate the unnecessary to de-clutter both your environment and your mind).
I love to use Super Salads as a way to ease myself and others back on the healthy eating train when we veer off course. They are also a simple way to maintain healthy eating habits. But nutrition is only one piece of the puzzle…we need to exercise too! But sticking to an exercise plan can be just as difficult when we have soooooo many things competing for our time.
Here are some of the reasons why you may have trouble with exercise:
- you start out with a program or schedule that is too challenging and you quickly burn out or get injured.
- you don’t see or experience results quickly and you lose motivation
- you pick a program or schedule that someone else used to get great results but it’s not the best fit for you
- life happens, you miss a day or two and you’re so ashamed of yourself for veering off track that you quit
If any of the above statement sounds familiar to you no worries…you’re normal! You didn’t draw the short straw when it comes to health and fitness, you’re simply holding onto an ideal that doesn’t exist!!
Please take four minutes to watch this very important video and you’ll see what I mean. Bo Eason is an ex-football player, a motivational speaker, and one of my favorite sources for personal development.
You see, forming the exercise habit doesn’t have to be a monumental task. It’s just like forming any other habit–like brushing your teeth or stopping for coffee on your way to work. You just need to be consistent about it.
So how do you do it?
Keep it Super Simple…of course! 😉
Here are 7 tips you can use to make exercise a daily habit.
1. Start light. A few years ago when I first embarked upon my fitness journey I was so inspired by my husband who had just finished his first round of P90X. He got great results so I decided I was going to do P90X too! I did my first workout and the next day I hurt in places I didn’t even know existed. So much for that! I was a little discouraged but instead of completely giving up I decided to pick up a jump rope (something I hadn’t done since I was a kid) and for about 2-3 weeks I did this silly routine where I jumped rope for about 10 minutes every day while listening to some of my favorite music. It was enough to wake up my sleepy muscle fibers and get me into a daily exercise routine without going too crazy. After about a month or so I decided to start P90X again and guess what…I ended up completing the entire 90 days!
This is important and probably goes against conventional wisdom, but start your workout plan as easy as possible until you’ve learned to stick to it. You can gradually increase your exercise and add more intensity later, but at first it’s vitally important that you hold yourself back. Start with doing something simple and easy for 5-10 minutes a day and gradually increase the length and intensity until you’ve formed the habit. Once it becomes a habit you can do more. But focus on forming the habit first.
2. Schedule your workout time. As the mom of an unpredictable toddler I know this is easier said than done. But when your workout is only 5-10 minutes each day this will be easier to do compared to something like 30-45 minutes. Choose the time of day that works best for YOU and create space in your schedule for exercise.
3. Don’t miss a day. OMG…don’t miss a day?!? Don’t worry…these workouts are so light and easy in the beginning that they shouldn’t be tiring you out too much or overtaxing your muscles (rest days are super-important for high-intensity workout programs). If you’re simply tired after an exhausting day just do your exercise for 5 minutes–you’ll be glad you did! If you start skipping workouts right at the get-go you will soon make a habit of NOT exercising which is the opposite of what we want. When forming a habit it’s very important that you be consistent. Remember, it’s just like brushing your teeth or drinking water–do it for your health, do it regularly, and just do it.
4. Keep going. Who cares if you end up missing a day or two? Keep going! Like Bo Eason says this is just a normal part of the process. Right the ship and get back to the program. No shame!! Failure is an event, not a person. And failure is not as important as starting again after you fail, and sticking with it for the long term. The only way to fail is if you QUIT!
5. Be accountable to others. No one wants to let other people down, so if other people know your intentions you’re more likely to stick with the program. This can have an even more profound effect if you join forces with people who are following the same program as you. If you’re having a bad day chances are someone else is having a good day and vice versa. In this way you can be inspired by other people who are going through the same struggles as you. This is a big reason why challenge groups like my monthly Healthy Habits support and accountability group have become so popular. You can also keep a workout and eating journal or blog and make it public. I think my blog played a major role in motivating me to stick with P90X the first time I did it because at that time not a lot of women had completed the program and I knew a lot of people were following my blog so they could see my results. Talk about pressure!!
6. Find a workout buddy. If you can find a reliable partner (either online or in-person) to check in with each day you will be more likely to keep your workout appointment. All it takes is a simple text to say FINISHED MY WORKOUT! HOW BOUT U?!? to kick your butt in gear. Or even better, if you make an appointment to meet in person for your workout, you’re more likely stick to the appointment rather than wimp out.
7. Have fun!! This is very mandatory! Life is too short to spend time doing something you don’t enjoy doing just because someone else thinks it’s great. You might have to try a bunch of different things to find something you love and that’s all a part of the journey and the process. Perhaps you need to revisit something you enjoyed doing as a kid like my jump roping experiment? If you don’t enjoy yourself, you’ll never stick with it. So try to have as much fun as possible and enjoy the process of getting healthy and fit!! Be thankful that you have this opportunity to take care of yourself. Enjoy burning off your fat! Enjoy the sweat dripping in your eyes! Enjoy the endorphins and the relaxation that comes after burning off stress! Exercise should be FUN, not viewed as torture or punishment for eating too many cookies.
YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Set a new fitness goal (doable but scary and exciting enough to keep you motivated) and put a plan in place to achieve that goal. Try to avoid goals like LOSE 20 POUNDS and work towards performance-based goals such as DO 10 PULL-UPS, RUN MY FIRST 5K, or DO A HANDSTAND etc. Or you can simply tell yourself that you’re going to go for at least a 15-minute walk every day this week and who knows…it might turn into something more!
Focus on the BEHAVIOR it will take for you to achieve your goal (ex. exercise at least 10 minutes every day), not so much the results. Share your new goal with friends and family and who knows, someone else may want to join in on the fun.
I would LOVE to hear what goals you’re working towards so I can cheer you on!! Please share them in the group and/or let me know if you have any questions about achieving a specific goal or establishing a daily workout habit.
Here’s the link to our daily post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/657486854452159/permalink/665498620317649/
