The importance of exercise and how to stick with it!
Post by Derrick Shoffner, Nutrition coach and BodyLab Instructor
“Keep investing in yourself and continue to reach your goals! “
Let’s face it- exercising regularly can be more difficult at times than others. With all of the things that we have to juggle- work, kids, a social life and the various unique interests that we each have, it’s easy for exercising to be the first thing that is nixed from our daily to-do list. In this blog post, I will be covering four practical tips to help keep exercise in your schedule.
Variety
Variety is the spice of life! The same applies to your exercise routine. Mix things up and try various modalities to keep things interesting. Fortunately for you, various modalities are offered in-house at Mecka including yoga, bootcamp, bodylab, crossfit and rowfit (just to name a few). Try different classes! Who knows, bootcamp could become your new favorite class. Additionally, many forms of exercise do not require a gym membership. Walking, running, cycling and hiking can all be done in the great outdoors- no gym membership necessary. By keeping your exercise routine fresh, you’ll go into each class with a renewed sense of excitement. Give a new or different class a try this week!
Accountability
Find an accountability partner. Whether it’s your spouse, significant other, or a friend, hold each other accountable to exercise each week. I find that some days I don’t want to workout and then I’ll receive a text saying “are you planning to go to the 5:00 or 6:00 class?” and then I’ll commit to working out. We’re much more likely to do things when we know someone is waiting for or counting on us. It’s said that you are twice as likely to meet your goals if you establish an accountability buddy. Don’t underestimate the power that your peers have to motivate you to reach your goal. Establishing and holding yourself accountable is important as you strive to reach your goals.
Focus
Throughout your journey, focus on the benefits of exercising. As you’re sweating and challenging yourself, focus on what you will be getting from your sweat equity as opposed to what you’re giving up to prioritize your exercise regimen.It’s easy for negativity to consume us from time to time. Fight that by focusing on the positives. A few benefits of exercising include improved mood, sleep quality, increased energy and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Focusing on the outcomes that can be yielded as a result exercise can help you stay committed to your goals.
Make it a Habit
Establishing habits requires intentional planning. Schedule out your week and be sure to block times in your schedule for physical activity. Sometimes this requires cutting some things out of your schedule. It’s all about prioritizing your goals- you have to give to get sometimes. Go ahead and reserve your spot in classes ahead of time or dedicate a certain time each day to workout. Additionally, you can rework some of your down time or responsibilities and incorporate exercise into them. Whether it’s taking an evening walk with a friend, doing yoga or stretching during commercial breaks while watching television or cutting screen time by 10-15 minutes each day and dedicating that time to exercising at home. Before you know it, exercise will be ingrained into your daily routine.
By adding variety to your regimen, holding yourself accountable, focusing on the positives and working to make exercising a habit, your odds of reaching your goals exponentially increase. Keep investing in yourself and continue to reach your goals!