After being a fitness instructor for the past 28 years I find the first of the year as a fascinating view of human resolve...or the lack thereof.
Year after year virtually every health club is swamped with people determined to get into shape, lose weight, or, in most cases, both. They are sincere in their attempt, their motives are valid...but all too often they will give up and fall back into their old ways.
What I have learned is that the most important part of any attempt to begin a regular physical fitness program is finding the time that will fit into your existing schedule. We all have multiple demands on our time and any new demand will quickly fall to the bottom of the list if it competes with your current schedule.
Finding the right time to workout is much more important than what type of workout you want to do. The ability to plan a workout when you know you have some time free will go a long way to insuring you follow through. Virtually all health and fitness clubs offer many types of programs, both for group exercise or individual instruction. This will also make it easier to find a program you will enjoy and look forward to doing.
Take a few minutes and write down your schedule. Be sure to put in the time you spend with family and friends. You then want to find at least two times a week, though three or four will be much better, that you have at least 90 minutes of free time.
Be realistic and include travel time, changing into your workout clothes, and showering after you are done, into your time slot. The feeling of being rushed will quickly lead to putting your new resolve on the back burner.
We are all creatures of habit, and what you are primarily trying to do is 'create' a new habit. One that will not only improve your physical health, but will also help you deal with the stress we seem to have too much of these days. Creating this new habit will be much easier if you give it a space to develop in.
Fortunately we also have the abilty to acquire new habits quickly, and especially when those new habits are in our best interests. Meeting new people and making some new friends in the process is also another often overlooked benefit of going to the gym on a regular basis.
Finding the time is the secret to getting over the hump of staying with any fitness program. It is the critical component that will allow you to go and workout when you may not feel like it...and we all sometimes don't feel like it.
The days when you don't feel like exercising are always the most satisfying when you do it anyways. They reinforce your confidence and give you the incentive to strive for even higher levels of fitness. It becomes a self-fulfilling and very rewarding use of your precious time.
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