Today I want to discuss one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of getting and staying in shape: motivation. It seems to me that this is one of the hardest things that we need to overcome in order to maintain this wonderful organic machine that we know as the human body.
By now, if you are not aware of the benefits of regular exercise, you must not have turned on a TV, read a magazine, or fired up your internet browser in over three decades. We all know that regular exercise can decrease the likelihood of many ailments that come from carrying too much weight on your frame. It also improves lung capacity and function and can aid in maintaining bone health, to name just a few. So why aren’t’ we a nation of extremely healthy individuals? We have ready access to proper nutritionally balanced foods, advanced exercise techniques, and gym access. You can belong to a gym where you can exercise virtually twenty-four-seven for the paltry sum of ten dollars a month. If you have a TV in your home, you can turn it on and get at least thirty minutes of quality instruction daily, if not hourly.
I am convinced that the issue is a mental hurdle that many fail to overcome. The simple fact that our lives are so packed with work, home, school, or familial concerns in our modern era is foregone. We are so adept at packing in so many things in the course of a day that we easily justify our lack of physical expenditure with claims of mental fatigue or exhaustion.
In comparison to times past, many of us in fact expend a mere fraction of the energy that our forefathers did in the course of a day .We for the most part don’t have to raise or harvest our own foods or make a living by the sweat of our brow. I would proffer in fact that our lives are exponentially more sedentary than even just a few generations ago, and our national obesity figures would almost certainly back that claim up.
Now that I have your attention, I hope to get you to take a realistic look at the hindrances that you encounter on a daily basis and how you can overcome them in order that you may ingrain in your psyche not only the desire, but the habit of regular physical conditioning.
Believe me, if I had this mastered, I’d be writing a book and raking in lots of dough. I certainly struggle with the issue of successfully motivating myself to get a workout in at least twice a week. I’m guessing that you and I encounter similar thought patterns when we begin pondering the issue of going to the gym, running in the park, or simply taking a walk after dinner with our families. I don’t pretend to offer a magic formula that will get you up and out the door or at least off the couch every time, but I do however think that I’ve learned a few things over the past fifteen years of hitting the gym at least a few times a week that can and will begin conditioning your mind towards that end.
Let’s start with the facts:
One, we know that exercising is good for us.
Two, we know that it requires a physical expenditure of energy.
Three, we know that we always feel better after we actually work out.
Four, we know that there is at least 30 minutes in every day that we could devote to getting a quick workout in.
Five: Any activity that elevates the heart rate or challenges the muscles over a twenty to thirty minutes time frame is a GOOD workout!
Let’s now look at some perceptions: One, “I don’t have enough time to workout.”
How much TV do you watch in a day? An hour, two hours, thirty minutes? If we were to replace just one thirty minute show with the same amount of time exercising three times a week, we would be a long way toward reaching our fitness goals. Heck, you could even exercise while watching your favorite television program! I know this is a foreign concept to many younger folks today, but how much time do we spend reading? Yes, people still open paper books and read them. How much time do we spend plugged in to the internet weekly? Talking on the phone? The point is, we will make time in our lives weekly and daily to do what we deem important.
Perception number Two: “I don’t belong to a gym, so I won’t get the best results.”
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Many top level gymnasts train with nothing but their body weight and a pull-up bar. There are several new fitness videos out there that require nothing more than a set of cheap dumbbells or resistance bands. If you have a local park nearby, there are certainly trails, hills, and some even have fitness tracks complete with workout stations and even instructions! Push-ups, squats, or running require nothing more than a pair of tennis shoes.
There main challenge for most everyone, myself included, is how do we make exercise a priority for us? I’ve gotten some good feedback from some of you here as well as some folks that I know, and I am seeing a recurring theme. People either lack the drive or dedication to get up and participate in something beyond their favorite recreational pastime, whether it be tennis, running, cycling, or water polo. Most folks resort to the standpoint that they just don’t have enough time to exercise. That or they don’t feel the drive is pressing enough to get them up and out and doing.
Over the years I have seen many people in and out of the gym and in various degrees of fitness level and dedication. Some folks get in the groove for a while, see some results and decide that is enough for them. They then proceed to follow their old habits and negate all the work that they previously invested. There are those that take some fitness components to the extreme, getting into bodybuilding and building massive amounts of muscle, or finding other gymnastic pursuits including cardio, spinning, boxing, or other focused disciplines.
Making exercise a regular part of your weekly routine is going to take work. Early on in the process it may come easy as the muscle soreness and fast gains in strength may be enough to keep you going. As the days, weeks, and months wear on however, our resolve may weaken and you may find yourself slipping into those old, not-active habits. So what are some ways we can keep our drive to exercise fresh?
One: Find a fitness partner.
This is perhaps the single best (and most difficult) steps to being consistent in your efforts. If you can find a like minded person that can join you in your fitness journey, it will be harder to say ‘no’ to getting a workout in with them. Accountability counts for a lot, and having another individual who is on the same page with your goals is an invaluable way to stay on track. This may be a difficult task, but if you can develop that relationship, it will be invaluable for you both.
Two: Keep a fitness journal.
What is written and recorded is accomplished. If you can begin journaling your efforts, you can not only ‘keep score’ and feel good about the regularity or your efforts, you can start to recognize trends in your regimen that could allow you to plan your workouts around your life. Gains and milestones will be recorded and serve to motivate you towards the next hurdle.
Three: Make short term goals.
If you set the bar too high, it may seem unattainable and your drive may peter out before the goal is reached. By setting short term, achievable goals, you will begin ingraining feelings of accomplishment and success that will serve to keep the fire lit and fan the flames when turning towards the next challenge. Make the goal one more pull-up than last time, running one more tenth of a mile, making it to the gym one more day a month, or something similar that you KNOW you can do. Don’t be afraid to push yourself (within reason) to the next level, even if is it only a little farther! These small successes will keep you motivated to accomplish something new, and before you know it, you’ll be so far down the path of fitness that you won’t even be able to see where you started!
In closing, we want to make fitness part of our lifestyle; something that is one of our attributes; something that helps define us as a person. You will be healthier, happier, have more energy, and hopefully live a longer, higher quality life when you are in shape or at least getting there. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer form yourself and don’t be satisfied with the status quo. Make the decision to make positive changes in your life that will constantly challenge you. Trust me, your results and victories will fuel themselves and you’ll be amazed at what you can do!
