02/24/2017
I post this with a heavy heart. I just found out my cousin Carolyn lost her life partner today. Our prayers are with Carolyn and her family. We love you!
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Well, here it is. The finale to my trilogy of why we freakin’ well hate to exercise! For a recap on Parts I & II please see the following http://www.46sportandfitness.com/hating-exercise-and-other-reasons-why-we-miss-workouts-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-part-ii/ and http://www.46sportandfitness.com/hating-exercise-and-other-reasons-why-we-miss-workouts-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-part-i/.
Previously, we looked at some strategies to get you back on track when dealing with injuries or depression. Now we will have a look at some of the other reasons holding us back from keeping a consistent and progressive fitness, exercise, and health program.
Fact--What we do in our daily lives is a function of priorities. Regardless of what these priorities are based upon, our everyday actions and behaviours are governed by these priorities. As I heard stated on many an occasion by a man I respect and admire greatly, John Phelan, “Life is a choice.” It really doesn’t get any simpler than that.
In no particular order, and not an exhaustive list, here is a quick list of some of the more common priorities of most people:
Work/career/school
Family
Friends
Money/standard of living
Your personal health or well-being
Extra-curricular life
Spiritual being
Having been in the health, fitness and lifestyle business for the greater part of thirty years I would like to believe that I have a pretty good understanding of how people prioritize the different aspects of their lives. Normally I would say that most people have 2 or three top priorities which tend to dominate their lives. My anecdotal opinion is #1, #2, and #4 appear to come up more frequently as top priorities for most people with #3 coming in on the heels of #4.
Your priorities will, without a doubt, provide you with the motivation to adopt or remain consistent in a fitness program. These same priorities will also provide you with every excuse in the world to miss a workout(s) and more than likely procrastinate on implementing or re-engaging yourself in a fitness/activity plan. The one common thread which relates all the above mentioned priorities is, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da (my weak effort at representing a drum roll), TIME!
How often have you either said to someone or to yourself “I just don’t have stinkin’ time to go to the gym this week!” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…! Now, I am going to be a little tough here. Many people will be pi**ed at me when I say that “this is one of the lamest excuses for missing a workout!!!”
Here is an exercise for you. Take a spreadsheet and lay it out like a calendar showing Monday through Sunday. Every cell below the days of the week represents a 30-min block of time. If my math is correct then there should be 48 blocks under each day. So everyday has 48 blocks of 30 mins.
Are you going to tell me that you can’t find a 30-min block of time in each or every other day of the week to do some type of workout or activity? Knowing all the benefits attributed to regular exercise and activity which are scientifically proven beyond a shadow of a doubt may I add, you still can’t justify or find the time to incorporate this into your schedule? Nonsense.
Yes you are busy and yes your other priorities use up those precious 30-mins blocks of time rapidly. Especially these days, the demands on your time are greater than ever. The priorities you have set and following through on these priorities can be exhausting. Getting kids to sports or activities, extracurricular work functions or meetings, groceries, social activities with friends and family, laundry, cleaning, financial planning for your future, visiting sick friends or relatives, church activities, home renovations, parent-teacher interviews, professional association meetings, art class, book club, watching the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup, the list can go on and on.
Contrary to popular belief you cannot “make time” to do something. But you can use the time you have to fit in regular exercise or activities. Negotiate with your better half for time to be involved in a recreational sport or other fitness related activity especially if you have young children. The possibilities are boundless, as Mr. Spock fondly would say “There are always alternatives.”
Get up earlier and find an early morning swim club or get your butt to the gym before work. Hire a professional who can create a fitness program which will be effective for you no matter how much time you may have. Not only will you get great bang for your buck but you will also have to answer to someone thereby providing the all important ACCOUNTABILITY which is extremely effective in maintaining regular exercise. Find something you love to do. This will definitely make it easier and more palatable to make the effort in finding time for exercise and fitness related activities.
The bottom line is your priorities require time. In order to effectively handle everything you put on your plate, you need to rank your health and fitness upwards and move that to the top of your list, not the bottom. The benefits you will receive will more than outweigh the time required and you will be amazed at how effective and productive you will be at satisfying the rest of the priority ladder.
Do you stride into the gym confident in what you will be doing and how you are doing it or do you go to the gym and wander aimlessly around wondering what the hell to do? Do you try to decipher the instructions on the latest machine and feel like you need a degree to understand how to use it? Do you quizzically watch Hercules power clean 285 lbs with ease yet when you try to do the same with a 2.5 lbs wooden stick the only thing you get is a sore back and a nose bleed from flinging the stick up and into your grill.
You are not alone. Everybody has different strengths. You might be an academic, a financial whiz, or super mechanically inclined. You might not be interested in how to understand the intricacies of resistance and fitness training, and you may not care or have the time to put together a sensible and productive plan.
Just as we hire mechanics to fix our cars, tech geeks to fix our computer devices, and fashion designers to decorate our homes, a fitness coach or personal trainer can help with the most important aspect of your life, your personal health and well-being.
Trainers and coaches will take all the guess work out of developing and implementing a progressive and successful health and lifestyle plan designed personally for you. No more wasted workouts, no more fitness pitfalls and plateaus, no more feeling nervous or intimidated, or unsure of yourself. Not only will you maximize your progress but if you choose to, your trainer should be happy to empower you with as much pertinent info as possible. The more you are empowered the better your accountability and ultimately the greater your results.
All this info is great, right? But what if, like Bones, you hate hate hate hate to exercise? Well, I could say once you start you will be so thrilled with your progress and how you feel that you won't be able to wait to get to the gym. Unfortunately, this euphoria or "honeymoon phase" normally only lasts a short period of time.
To increase the likelihood of adherence and consistency find a work-out buddy or join a team or group where people expect to see you or are counting on your attendance. The accountability of not wanting to let others down is a powerful motivator for many folks.
As mentioned earlier hiring a trainer or coach also increases the accountability factor ten-fold especially when you think of how much you are paying and what you will be throwing into the wind $ wise if you do not show up. I know that I will do anything to make my doctor’s or dentist’s appointment rather than paying a $75 no show fee. This form of negative accountability while not ideal, is effective. Let’s face it when you get right down to it, do you really care what keeps you consistent in your training regime?
I hope that this last entry, the third part of “Hating exercise and other reasons why we miss workouts and what we can do about it,” has given you some food for thought. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how I can help you implement a successful health and fitness blueprint designed solely for you then please drop me a line or request a completely free personal consultation. What have you got to lose?
Have a great weekend folks!
