How to easily get fit and healthy. January was always my favourite month as a trainer because there were so many fresh faces coming in. I always felt like it was my job to help them get started on a new path to health and fitness. The sad reality was that most would get discouraged and fall off the wagon, but there were those who stuck to it and discovered the joy of getting healthy.

Even now, I’m part of a number of different fitness groups on Facebook and I see the same comments over and over again.

Things like:

“I’m just not motivated to workout. It’s dark outside and I can’t go”

“So I’m thinking about doing this (fill in the blank) training program, has anyone tried it? I just don’t know if it’s right for me”

“I’ve been so bad lately. I’m just so busy and I don’t have the time”

And the list just goes on….

HOW TO EASILY GET FIT AND HEALTHY

As we embark on this new year, I wanted to take a closer look at some of our objections to working out regularly. What gets in our way? Is it that we don’t see results fast enough? Is it just a matter of not forming a habit? Why isn’t being fit a bigger priority in our lives and why is it so inconvenient?
I think that when we answer these questions, we will open the door to an overall healthier life.

I believe that it’s all about your approach to fitness. If you are already working out regularly, that’s fabulous, keep doing whatever you are doing. This is for everyone who constantly finds themselves making excuses and struggling to find a good balance of vegging out on the couch and being active.

COMMON OBJECTIONS

I’M TOO BUSY

In a perfect world none of us would have office jobs, we would farm our food and spend our days being mobile. The reality is that as a society we sit too much and it has become trendy to complain about just how busy we are. If we are truly that busy then, of course, there may be no time to fit in a workout. But just saying that you’re busy helps with the guilt we feel when we don’t go to the gym. Ask your self, how busy are you really? In my experience as a trainer, the most reliable clients were actually the ones with the most demanding careers.

THE BREAK DOWN

Okay fine, you don’t have time to set aside an hour to workout. So don’t. Instead of stressing yourself out to the point where you don’t do anything, take 10 minute increments out of your day to move.

• Walk and Talk. Every time you are on the phone, you are moving.
• Walk & Walk. Walk as much as possible everywhere. It will add up over time.
• Morning and Night you will do the 6 minute workout which you can find in detail right here: WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO WORKOUT
• Create new habits. By this I mean, do you have a weekly lunch date with a friend, partner or even your kids? Why not make it into a weekly bike ride or even a walk? There you go, another excuse to move without really needing to change your schedule.

I’M TOO TIRED

See the above point? 6 minutes, no one is so incredibly tired that they can’t sneak in a few minutes into their day. The fact is that the less you move, the more out of shape you’ll get and the more tired you’ll feel. One of the great benefits of exercise is that it will give you the energy that you so desperately need.

Also, take a moment to decide when you prefer working out. Maybe you are a morning person (yes we exist) then don’t force yourself to workout in the evening because you’ll be too tired. If, however, you can’t see straight first thing in the am then try setting aside some time in the evening for a longer sweat session.

If you can’t get to the gym then start your day with this workout: AT HOME QUICKSTART WORKOUT

I’M TOO LAZY

If this is your excuse then I think it’s because you find that you are constantly forcing yourself to do something that you think you should be doing. Sure, it might take some time to find an activity that you actually like (or don’t hate) and you may find yourself fighting with your inner procrastinator, but you can do it.

• Set realistic expectations. Don’t say that you will go to the gym everyday if you know you won’t because then you are setting yourself up for failure.
• Work with your body. Don’t plan on working out after a long day when you know you’ll be exhausted because it doesn’t take a genius to know that’s never going to happen. Do you feel your best in the morning? Schedule a workout session then. Do you feel like nothing can stop you in the afternoon? That’s your workout time. Do you come into your own at night? Workout then.
• Start right now. Yup, that’s right, put your phone down, step away from your computer, get off your butt and do something for the next 5 minutes.
• Get A Trainer. I know that it can add up, but working with a trainer, or even checking in with one every now and again, will go a long way to making you accountable.

I’LL GO TOMORROW

This is a classic and I find myself falling for this excuse every now and again. It’s easy to say, “oh I’m tired, it’s okay I’ll just make it up tomorrow”. Here’s the thing, you won’t.

• The solution for this excuse is to write down your workouts. It’s easy to give yourself more credit than is due. Keep yourself honest by actually tracking how much you are moving.
• If you really, really, really can’t go then do something in place of a full workout. Take a walk after dinner, do some sit-ups or pushups or anything to move, even if it’s for a few minutes.

I HATE THE GYM

Full disclosure here, although I’ve worked in them for years, I’m not the biggest fan of going to a gym either. First of all they can be intimidating, half the time my favourite treadmill is broken and there are times when I can’t go because I know that it will be super busy and just annoying.

• The Gym. I’m an adult so I just tell myself to get over it. I have a playlist I love, I jam my headphones on and ignore everyone around me. Also, I get up earlier to avoid the big rush.
• Different Activity. The rational part of me knows that I won’t workout at home so I started dancing again. One of the hardest things I had to do was walking back into a dance studio after 12 years but I remembered how much I loved it. Since then I’ve gone regularly. Think back to what you love doing and do that.
• Stay At Home. There are about a million online workouts out there and most are free (here’s my YouTube Channel), spend the next few weeks trying out different workouts. There will be zero pressure and you’ll have so much fun trying different workouts that you won’t realize you are exercising.

I HATE THE WAY I LOOK

You are not alone here. I’m willing to bet that if we put 100 women in a room, not a single one would stand up and say that she loves every single bit of her body. I may not have met all of you, but I’m still going to say that there’s nothing wrong with the way you look!

Go During Down Time. Aim for gym times when there are fewer people around. You’ll feel comfortable, you won’t have to wait for equipment to free up and you’ll be in and out faster.

Wear Something Nice. Just like a new outfit will make you feel great, so will some stylish workout clothes. There are so many amazing brands out there in all price ranges that there’s no excuse for wearing a ratty t-shirt.

The key is to not let being healthy become a herculean task that you have no hope of achieving. We aren’t talking about becoming professional athletes or about having to display our abs on Instagram (that’s a whole different discussion).

Track all of your accomplishments, no matter how small. You couldn’t touch your toes and now you can? Good for you, celebrate it! You walked a little bit further? Yay, you! These milestones may seem small, but they are significant because they prove that you are getting stronger and fitter. Who cares how long it takes? This isn’t a competition, it’s just about feeling good.

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images courtesy of PhotoDollarClub
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