Woo hoo, we are on the other side of winter. Spring is in the air which naturally takes us back outside and motivated once again to workout after a winter hiatus.
Well, for some of us…
A lot of the time we end plans or thoughts of working out before they even have a chance. Humans are pretty bloody good at making up excuses and convincing ourselves we should be doing more important things. But let the truth be known, you CAN fit in that stuff and get in a workout in as well.
Forget the days of needing at least an hour to get in an effective workout – all you need is 30 mins of some huff and puff and you’re on your way. If huff and puff isn’t your thing then 30 mins of toning can leave you sore enough to warrant feeling that sore butt tomorrow.
Write down what you love doing – what sort of movement makes you happy. Yoga, Pilates, Spin, Zumba, Swimming, Running, Gym – Everyone is unique and has their own individualised lock to creating a lasting fitness plan if it suits your style. There really is no point taking on something your friend has had results with if it doesn’t fit with you. You just won’t last and again you will be left feeling down and out and like a fitness dropout. (This is an important part of my Naked Habits Ebook which taps into helping you find your way around fitness and developing what works best for you).
It’s time to show your mind who is the boss – you know that evil twin that sits on your shoulder and always wants you to take the easy option? Yeh? We all have one but we all react differently to how loud we allow this voice. Seriously, who is controlling who in the situations where we just back down from even giving something a shot. It all comes down to habits.
Habits create us but our ultimately habits also control us.
Awareness is a great virtue around our habits so here are a few ways you can ready your mind for welcoming fitness into/back into your life
6 Ways to Kick-start Your MIND so You’re Back on Track and Ready For Fitness
1. Don’t rely on feeling motivated
Yep, you heard it right. If you are waiting to feel a magical feeling of motivation before you begin a fitness kickstart then you are shot before you start. Imagine not showing up to work every time you didn’t feel motivated to? Yes, you would be fired. That evil twin we spoke about earlier will always, always win and want to return to what it knows best – not exercising. So be ready to challenge this feeling.
2. Tell yourself it is only for a couple of minutes
Research has shown that if we give ourselves small goals then we are more likely to follow through. Tell yourself you’ll only walk/run/swim/stretch for a couple of minutes. Odds are you will find your groove and want to keep going. The hardest part really is starting something so follow through with a few minutes and then make up your mind. This is a trick I use with awesome success with my kids.
3. Tell yourself you’re NOT feeling tired.
Change your thought patterns. We get so bogged down in life that we forget the difference between mental and physical tiredness. Sure, you might have had a stressful day but usually, this is not enough to put a halt on getting active. Talk yourself into feeling like you have the energy to work out for a change. Change your habits around why you may be tired and do something to change that such as going to bed earlier.
4. Stop telling yourself you don’t have enough time.
Good golly gosh – what do you have time for? When you are saying you don’t have enough for something, you are really telling yourself that you don’t have time that particular thing. Makes sense? Make time for what matters to you and if feeling fit and healthy matters to you then make it happen!
5. Be persistent enough for a habit to form
It’s human nature that once the going gets a little tough then we return to our old ways. Most newly formed habits are just days off taking hold when we give up and say it’s all too hard. Don’t throw the towel in too early – if something isn’t gelling for you then try something else. Not enjoying the pump class you signed up for? Take another class. Getting bored with your morning walk? Try a different route or throw some stairs into the mix. It is better to make a change then to give up totally on something. Keep the momentum going and be proactive in giving yourself your best chance.
6. Use the words non-negotiable
Get on top of the evil twin voice that wants you to take the low road. Learn to muffle the voice by throwing it out the car window, give it a flick off your shoulder or put it in a cupboard. Whatever makes you feel like you have control over your mind. See the evil twin as nothing than a two-year-old trying to tell you what to do. Yep, we do know what is best for us and listening to a two-year-old for direction is a non-negotiable! See your fitness as a non-negotiable that you are NOT going to get into a mind fit about!
