Committing to Your Exercise Plan

Somewhere around January 2^nd, fitness centers all over the nation are inundated by well intentioned folks who, armed with their new years resolutions and brand new cross trainers, enthusiastically sign up for their gym memberships. Then somewhere around March, most of the same people have stopped coming to the gym. 

They all have really good reasons for dropping out: Not enough time, have to take the kids to soccer, too tired, have to put in more hours at work, have to watch American Idol. Most often, though, they just aren’t seeing the results they want fast enough. They are just discouraged.

Exercise drop-outs are very common. But what about those folks who don’t drop out? Those people who faithfully stick to their plan month after month. Do they have perfectly simple lives with nothing more important to do than go to the gym? Do they have better genes? Do they have no trouble losing weight? Do they never get frustrated or discouraged? How do they become the exception to the rule?

I can assure you that nobody is superhuman. Everyone has their own set of obstacles. To get closer to your fitness goals, it just takes a little more thought, planning and focus.

Schedule yourself first
You are very important and that includes your health and fitness. For some people, this isn’t a hard concept to understand and believe. But for those of us used to putting others first, this takes a pretty major paradigm shift in our psyche. Take the time to make that shift. Believe it.

Take out your calendar and for 90 days schedule the dates and times that you are going to spend in the gym. Make sure these dates fit into your current schedule as comfortably as possible. It’s great to have ambitious goals, but don’t go overboard. You can get results with 1 hour sessions, 2-4 times per week at the gym.

Once you’ve written your gym dates in your calendar, make any necessary arrangements to facilitate your exercise time. Schedule a babysitter for those dates, carve out an hour during your work day, set your TiVo to record your show, etc. Stick to your gym dates no matter what. Do not be distracted by friends, family or work. The only time you should stray from you schedule is in the event of an emergency. (That’s life or death).

Sign up with a personal trainer
Personal trainers provide not only motivation, but also expertise. Especially if you’re a beginner, you will benefit greatly from a trainer who will introduce you to the gym equipment and proper technique. A trainer will also develop a plan for you, no matter what your current fitness level, to get the maximum results in a minimal amount of time.

Make an announcement!
Tell everyone you know and love that you are on a program to get in shape. Broadcast this news! Put it out there and you will find that 1) you’ll get a lot of great encouragement and support. 2) You will be even more motivated to keep at it when you know everyone is paying attention.

Have answers ready for your excuses

There will always be a reason not to go to the gym today. Think about your common excuses; make a list of them, then try to answer them from a positive mind set. Consider these examples:

Excuse: I’ve had a stressful day at work. I just want to go home and do nothing.
Answer: The best way to reduce stress is to exercise. I’ll feel so much better after a workout, even if it’s just for 30 minutes.

Excuse: I just don’t feel like it today. I’ll go tomorrow instead.
Answer: I’ll just go in for a warm-up. If I still don’t feel like working out after that, I’ll stop.

Excuse: My exercise routine is boring.
Answer: I think I’ll mix it up today and pop into that Zumba class or ____ (find two or three other exercise activities you think you might like and have them handy)

Excuse: Who cares? I haven’t lost a single pound yet!
Answer: I’m going to keep at it anyway. Maybe I’ll make some adjustments to my routine and/or my diet. What if I’m on the verge of seeing results soon? If I don’t try, I’ll never know.

Excuse: But _so & so_ (fill in the blank with family member, friend, coworker, etc) needs me! I can’t go to the gym today.
Answer: They can live without me for one hour.

Excuse: I worked out really hard last Tuesday. I can take today off.
Answer: It doesn’t work like that. I may take it slower at the gym today, but I AM going to workout.

Continue this exercise until you’ve defined and answered all of your self-sabotaging excuses. It will be a huge weight off of your shoulders when you are confronted with your excuses in real life.

Get inspired!
For inspiration, some people tape up magazine photos of their favorite athletes or models on their full length mirror. Others listen to inspiring stories or podcasts on their Ipods. Some of us look at our children and get a deep desire to be their positive role model. Whatever inspires you the most to eat right and exercise, get that inspiration into the forefront of your mind now.

Personally, I’m inspired by Sister Madonna Buder, a 79 year old nun who has finished over 20 Hawaii Ironman triathlons as well as 300 others around the world. And she continues to compete in marathons and triathlons, hoping to open the 80 year age group category. Wow. If she can do that…I can run on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Right??

Be patient with yourself
Maybe you’re not seeing results fast enough. Or perhaps you have fallen off the wagon completely. Don’t beat yourself up and do NOT give up!

Check in with yourself. Do you need to make adjustments to your exercise routine? Your diet? Your schedule? Your thinking? Make the necessary adjustments and get back on track. 

Statistics show that people quit then restart their fitness plans an average of seven times before they find success and get into a life-long groove. Keep at it. You can’t fail unless you quit!