Happy New Year! As we have said goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012 the outlook for the year is bright.This is the time to reflect on the past and prepare for the future. Along with preparing most of us are busy settling into new resolutions and many of those include giving up something or adding something new in to our routines. For alot this new resolution will be about getting back into a fitness routine. This particular topic has come up quite a bit lately in conversations with friends and clients and I feel some people have the wrong idea about when to get started on a fitness program.
If you are someone who is waiting for the perfect time to start a fitness plan, I’ve got news for you…
There will never be a perfect time for you to start a workout routine.
I am not saying this to rob you of your motivation, so let me explain.
Even when you think your starting your exercise routine at the most perfect time and Nothing can get in your way, something always happens, its Murphy’s Law
It is inevitable.
Here is the common scenario:
You signed up for a 3 month personal training program thinking that this time you will have no scheduling conflicts. You have bought new workout clothes, marked the calendar with the days of your appointments for 4 days a week and even have your meals planned out through the month. You are ready to lose the 20 lbs you put on this past year and know that because you have no trips planned, etc for the next 3 months, nothing is going to stop you.
So you start your plan on a Monday and for the first 2 weeks, everything is going great, just as planned. You are attending all of your appointments just as you scheduled, are starting to have more energy, are getting over the muscle soreness, you even dropped a couple of lbs and are starting to feel like yourself again.
And then it happens: Your boss ask you to stay late at work due to a project deadline and you have to miss your Monday’s workout session. You are bummed because you don’t want to lose the momentum but the work has to get done, so you cut your losses.
Tuesday rolls around and you are not feeling so hot (probably because you stayed late at work the night before). You are feeling sick and low on energy so you decided that maybe you should come home early and sleep which means you are missing two workouts this week.
Now its Wednesday and you are feeling better but your boss throws an unexpected business trip on your calendar for the following week for client meetings and you have to be there. You are disappointed in yourself for missing Monday and Tuesday, especially now that you know you will be gone the following week. So now you are thinking “well, I already missed Monday and Tuesday and will have to miss next week. So this week and next week are shot. I guess I will get back into it the week after my work trip.” … And on and on..
I’m going to stop the story her so I can ask you a question:
Don’t you think it is better to work out once a week than no times at all?
Of course it is! Any of you would tell your friends and family the same. So why don’t we say this to ourselves?
In a perfect world, life would not get in the way of our plans to better ourselves but since it does, the best thing you can do is mentally prepare for the situations and weeks where you can’t get to the gym 4 to 5 days a week by letting yourself know that its okay. If 1 time is better than nothing, then be okay with working out 1 time!
Here are a few tips on how to give yourself a break when starting a new fitness program:
1 – Plan on being okay with getting to the gym at least 1 time a week. This way if something does come up you will not feel that all your efforts are lost. If you know you are doing everything in your power to get your workout in but you cannot make it, don’t stress yourself out about it. This will further inhibit your weight loss efforts
2 – Pre-Cook healthy food items so you can keep your diet on track if you get busy. This is a huge par of the weight loss battle.
3 – Have a short at home workout prepared ready to do in case you have to miss your class. Body weight exercises like squats, pushups, back extensions, planks and lunges can all be designed into a 10 minute circuit to help you get some type of workout in.
4 – Sleep. You will never have the energy to get through your workouts safely if you are overtired, let alone get to the gym in the first place. Sleep is one of the least expensive gifts you can give yourself.
If you are someone who wants to get started on your 1 Time this Week, please sign-up for your no-obligation, no-charge consultation to discuss your goals and how Dialed-in Fitness can work for you.



