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by Michelle Sutton-Kerchner
Before you give up on that kettlebell workout or throw in the gloves on kickboxing class, consider this …
It’s easy to let the days between workouts lapse. Excuses are always available to skip a class or postpone exercise. The best way to make your fitness program stick is to make it hard to quit.
Keep It Fun
This seems obvious. However, many mistakenly associate exercise with drudgery. The belief: If it is not dreadful—all that sweat, exertion, and occasional soreness—you must not be doing it right. Wrong!
If it is not fun, you probably will not be doing it at all. You can only motivate yourself to do an unlikable workout for so long. This also applies to a boring one. Experiment and find your favorites.
Try Group Fitness classes, fitness equipment, free weights, aquatics, and Pilates and personal training. Note your preferences. Cycle through them to assure a full-body workout that consistently delivers ongoing fun.
Get with a Group
Group workouts are a growing trend, especially ones that provide opportunities to partner with classmates. Aside from the ever-popular Group Fitness classes, Small Group Training is increasing in demand. Both involve a teamwork approach to fitness, often offering a competitive edge as you monitor your progress against your fitness comrades. They also provide accountability. Miss a class or session and be prepared to answer to these steadfast buddies. Your absence will not go unnoticed.
Go Techy
The latest apps and wearable gadgets allow us to track steps (literally and figuratively) to accomplishing fitness goals. You cannot deny the numbers on your screen, which declare everything from miles walked, heart rate, workout length, sleep-time, and hydration.
Use technology for further benefit. Invite other conscientious trackers to join you in a challenge. Will you be the group’s top-scorer, the one all others strive to surpass? Sometimes, simple awareness – your own and others—can take you to the next level. Nobody wants to end the day with only 10 cardio minutes and 2,033 steps out of a 10,000-step goal on record.
Personalize
Trying to complete an inappropriate workout is frustrating. Exercise can be challenging enough when it meets your skill level and preferences. Be sure your workouts accommodate your capabilities. A fitness program should challenge you without putting too much stress on your body or mind. You should be able to execute each exercise, using enough effort to be effective while remaining safe.
Meet with a personal trainer to edit any aspects of your program that are uncomfortable or just downright unpleasant. Maybe you are a fish and belong in the pool! Perhaps you overestimated your abilities or underestimated your stamina. Tweak to perfection.
Talk with your instructor before classes. Learn the class’s terminology and ask for any necessary modifications. If you have a stiff shoulder, mention it. A good instructor will monitor you, providing feedback and guidance throughout class.
You would not work out in poorly fitting shoes. Do not work out using a poorly fitted program.
Don’t Judge
Healthy competition can motivate you to meet, and even exceed, your fitness goals. Amazingly, you may pull from deep within to run an extra mile or lift another rep you didn’t realize you had in you—just to keep up with your neighbor. Simultaneously, comparing yourself to surrounding exercisers can be detrimental when you deem yourself as falling short.
It happens to all of us, including the bodybuilder on the machine next to you. There always will be a stronger, more flexible, faster body. Judging yourself against others does not consider the entire person. You are only getting a glimpse of another individual, revealing a more sculpted calf or better warrior pose.
Stop worrying about where you should be along your journey. Focus on where you are in the present moment. Shine light on all your goodness to guide your way as you improve. Negative self-talk is defeating. Be mindful of your own progress and celebrate yourself.
