Generally, I’m real motivated. I like to think I have a lot of ambition and drive, and am always looking for the next project to keep me busy. My motivation though, seems to end when it comes to fitness and exercise.
I just get real lazy, and I know I’m not the only one.
If I don’t have someone telling me to work out, I probably won’t.
This can be problematic considering how much I LOVE to eat, lol!
With it being a new year (new you!), I thought it would be timely to blog about how to stick with your fitness goals, whether you’ve set it as a 2018 resolution, or whether you just regularly contemplate incorporating more exercise into your life, and then give up—as I have done countless times.
But why would you want fitness advice from lazy me? I figured it would be better to get some insights from the pros. Thanks to personal fitness trainer Nicole Lark, of Breathe Fitness, I’ve been on probably my longest fitness stretch ever (since August!) I am proud to say that I’ve been consistently going for a workout once a week.
Now, that might not sound like much, but remember, I’m a lazy human so committing to even one workout a week is actually something I am really proud of. This is realistic for me (and as you’ll read below, is a good way for the unmotivated to get started and stick with it!)
Disclosure: my once-a-week workouts at Breathe Fitness are complimentary in exchange for sharing about my fitness journey on social media.
Below are four tips Nicole shared with me, to share with you, on ways to motivate the unmotivated!
- Accountability Factor. People tend to stay more on track and committed to a pre-planned workout if they know someone else is relying on them to ‘show-up’. Whether you have planned a workout at home with your spouse, are meeting your friend outside for a ski or walk, or having a set day and time with a personal trainer – you are more likely to follow through with your intentions if you have someone you feel accountable to.
- Do Something You Enjoy. Clients often ask, what is better: using a treadmill or an elliptical? My answer: whatever you are going to use more! If the treadmill is more effective at burning energy, but you are never going to set foot on it, then the obvious choice is to use the elliptical. If you love being outside on the trails and in nature, purchase the correct gear to exercise comfortably in the elements and pursue activities such as hiking, trail running, and cross-country skiing. You are much more likely to stick with an activity that you consider fun, rather than something that you view as a chore.
- Be Realistic. When people are new to exercising, or trying to get back into a more regular routine after a fitness hiatus, I always recommend to take it slow at first and not to place an unrealistic demand on themselves. Starting off with one or two workouts per week, and over time, slowly adding more exercise into your weekly routine, is much more likely to set you up for success rather than trying to do too much too soon, getting overwhelmed with the time commitment and energy involved, and quitting altogether. The ultimate aspiration is to build a sustainable habit whereby regular physical activity is an integral part of your life. Remember that pursuing fitness is not a race, rather it is a lifelong journey with a natural ebb and flow of ups and downs.
- Accrual Over Time Is What Counts: People often cite a ‘lack of time’ as a major barrier to fitting in exercise into their daily lives. My recommendation is to add in exercise wherever and whenever you can, regardless of the length of time. For example, walking to the grocery store rather than driving, taking the stairs at work instead of hopping on the elevator, or adding in some extra core exercises or stretches while watching television. Don’t worry if you cannot fit in a 30 or 60-minute workout all of the time – it is still effective to allocate three, 10-minute blocks of time throughout your day (e.g. when you first wake up, during your lunch break, and in the evening before winding down for bed) to accrue the same amount of exercise as you would in one, 30-minute workout. Imagine you incorporated 10 squats into your daily routine every time you had a drink of water. Now, let’s estimate you drink eight cups per day, that would lead to a total of 80 squats per day! If we extrapolate the numbers, you would be doing approximately 560 squats per week (7 days x 80 squats/per day), 2,240 per month, and over 29,120 squats per year! Remember, adding in small doses of physical activity into your daily routine will result in a substantial amount of exercise over the long-term!
Honestly my goal is to just not give up on my once-a-week routine, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll even start incorporating more fitness throughout the week.
I’d love to hear how you keep fit! Leave me a comment below, or send me a message on social media.
Feel free to follow along with my fitness posts at the hashtag #lindorkgetsfit.
And be sure to check out Breathe Fitness if you’re interested in seeing if a personal fitness trainer is a good way to keep you motivated + fit! Learn more about the training services Nicole and her husband Len (also a personal fitness trainer) offer at Breathe Fitness.
Linda
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Disclaimer: I will always provide my 100% honest opinion on this blog. Breathe Fitness invited me to try their personal training services. My once-a-week training session is complimentary in exchange for sharing my fitness journey on social media. This does not impact the opinions stated in this post. I think Nicole is a pure pro, and has done a great job keeping me accountable and making me sweat!
2 Comments
Wow, going once a week for that long is a great accomplishment! Great job, Linda. I don’t love working out so I have to be creative. I walk during my lunch hour downtown most days, and I count the dog park visits with Lexi as a workout as well. I love some of the group fitness classes in YEG, like spin class. I am all about frugal fitness, so I try and go for the deals some studios put on, or their once a week community classes that are usually a $10 drop in fee. I’m going to sign up for that new CHAMPS boxing class close to your work, just to change it up for a couple of weeks.
Thanks Amelia!!! I also count dog park visits and dog walks, that’s great! (But in the winter our walks tend to be a lot shorter). I have been looking at CHAMPS and wondering if I should give it a try too! (if just for the Instagrammable photo in boxing gloves LOL!) Keep it UP!!!!