Fitness to Fit Your Lifestyle
Our bodies were designed to be in motion. We must strive to make fitness fit our lifestyle. Numerous studies have shown how dangerous a sedentary lifestyle can be to our overall health. No one can dispute the benefits of exercise for our bodies and minds. We all know how exhilarating it can feel after a brisk outdoor walk. The way our whole system seems to flow with energy after a tough cardio workout. The power we feel after a strength training session, even as our legs are shaking! Exercise has a great power to influence our confidence, sense of accomplishment, and pride. We create energy by being active.
A Mountain of Excuses
Yet humans can be strange creatures. The excuses and the avoidance of such a great force in our lives are mind-blowing. Why do we fight something that we know is good for us and that feels so good? It’s hard. It requires energy and effort. We give too much in other areas of our lives, so we don’t have time to fit it in. We know we NEED to make activity a priority. How can fitness fit your lifestyle?
Set a Schedule that Fits Your Life and Works for You
Find the best time of day that you know will bring consistent results. While I know that many people thrive on working out first thing in the morning, I have never been able to bring myself to do it. I’m a night owl, and never manage to allow myself enough time in the mornings. This doesn’t mean it’s not a goal I will ever work towards, but for the moment with my kids’ late evening schedules, it’s not realistic.
I know that my best time is right after work since I finish while it’s still early in the day. I can start my walk or workout by 3:30 pm. There is absolutely no excuse for me not to fit it in. If you work much later in the evening, then maybe the morning routine is going to be better for you. Or maybe it’s later once the kids are in bed. If you work from home maybe it’s the middle of the day. Make fitness fit your lifestyle.
Keep Trying to Find the Ideal Time
Experiment with different times and schedules, until you come up with what works best for you. This won’t be the same as what everyone else is doing, but it has to work for you and fit in with your other commitments if you are going to stick with it. Maybe you will try the evening workouts but realize you just don’t have the energy at the end of your day. Maybe you will strive to get up earlier and develop a morning routine that allows time for fitness. Check out Mel Robbins’ The Five-Second Rule for a great strategy to get this going. Maybe one big 45-minute chunk of time isn’t realistic for you. Instead, maybe you will look for two twenty-minute blocks throughout the day. Whatever works for you, is the ideal time. This is how you ensure you will stick with it.
Find Something that Works for You
The next challenge is what to do. Sometimes we think we have to do what our friends or acquaintances do. They run or go to Crossfit. They play on a sports team or lift weights in their basement. Ask yourself if this activity works for YOU. Is it something that you actually will enjoy? Will you look forward to it? For years I wasted money on gym memberships. It was only when I discovered Beachbody (a collection of online workout programs), that I realized I could create my own space in my basement, and use my free weights to complete various programs that they offered. This was a game-changer. Gone were the excuses of having to get to the gym. That took extra time driving there, changing, etc. This way, I could just go downstairs and be ready to go.
Take Bits and Pieces to Create Your Own Program
I enjoyed aspects of them, but not the programs in their entirety. I realized that I do not enjoy structured cardio, with complicated moves and I would rather get my cardio from brisk walking. So I took the parts that I did enjoy (the strength training moves), and developed my own form of hybrid workout calendar, based on a combination of these moves. I have practiced them enough times that I am familiar with the moves. This way I can record them, then listen to my own music, which I know is a huge motivator for me, rather than listening to the program itself. I know people who also use TV shows as their motivator. They will only allow themselves to watch a certain show that they love while they are walking on the treadmill or stationary bike.
Get Outside for Added Benefits
I have also loved rollerblading in the past, and now I enjoy outdoor power walks. The investment of AirPods was another game-changer. Being able to listen to music without the burden of cords, made me go so much more. I realized that being outdoors is something I strive for every day, so combining exercise and getting in my steps, accomplishes two things. In a similar fashion, I have developed a love of kayaking and will include this as part of my summer fitness routine as often as possible. I will pair the outdoor activity with a few strength training sessions in a week to make the ideal fitness routine for myself. I’m not going to be a runner again, and I won’t go to the gym, or play on a sports team. Power walking and strength training are two things I can stick with. Fitness has to fit your lifestyle.
Push Yourself with Mini Goals
Use a fitness watch to motivate you. Find a tracking app that visually shows your progress for the week. The Habit app works well for this, or just the Health app on your phone. Apps like Participaction offer virtual challenges that you can take on with a group. You can even compete for real prizes. Challenge yourself to be just a little bit better than the day before. Have a goal for steps. Push yourself to reach it every day. Enlist the help of a friend or family member to compete with. Maybe it’s a goal to increase your weights or the number of reps you complete. Play your favorite music while you get active. This will make the time go by and by the time you realize how far in you are, there will be no turning back. Start small and realistic. Something is always better than nothing.
Don’t Think About It
It may be a cliche, but as Nike says, “Just do it.” There is no magic potion that is ever going to make you feel like getting active. Put the change of clothing and shoes out where you can access them easily. This creates one less excuse for having to get things ready. Have this in your car, in the area where you enter the house, or right by your bed the night before. Have your phone and AirPods charged so you can play the pump-up music playlist that you need to get going. Get started, and once you start, you will most likely feel compelled to keep going. Fitness of some sort should be an important priority in all of our lives, even if it’s only 20 or 30 minutes a day to start. It will change your physical state, but more importantly, it will change your mind.
