Inspiration

Now that winter is once again upon us, it is often a much more attractive choice to enjoy the warmth of home instead of going to that exercise class. Here are some things to think about when you’re deciding whether to get up or stay put:


• Inspiration. Who do you admire when it comes to exercise and health? Think of that person and what they're doing to stay healthy right now. If they can do it, you can do it. Remember also that you always feel better after you complete your workout.

• Try the “15-minute plan”. Tell yourself you will commit just 15 minutes. Set a timer if you need to or set an alarm on your watch or cell phone (preferably on vibrate!). At the end of 15 minutes, give yourself permission to switch to something else. Interestingly, you will most likely find that you’re not feeling so bad after all and may even want to continue for longer than the scheduled 15 minutes. By the way, this method works for lots of other things, too. Like housework! Try it.

• Don’t try to master everything at once. Rather than telling yourself that you need to learn it all in one day or one session, give yourself permission to break it down into a series of learning steps. Take time to master one step at a time. Then move on to the next.

• Set and remember your goals. What are your goals? Do you want to lose weight? Improve your stamina? Increase your ability to perform everyday tasks - like carrying in those groceries or reaching upper/lower shelves or climbing a hill or getting up easily from a seated or reclining position? In my opinion, the single most important factor in achieving your exercise goals is consistency. You have to make that commitment and stick with it. If you exercise regularly, you’ll be able to do more and more each time. If you’re tempted to skip your workout, try instead opting for a shorter or less intense version (see above). Every little bit helps and something is better than nothing. When you’re trying to establish good habits, just maintaining that consistency is beneficial.

• And speaking of goals . . . How about setting some specific goals. Then you have a way to measure your progress. Remember – it is never too late to improve!

• Don’t give up because you think you are not making progress. Improvements are often subtle. One of the goals of exercise is to build body awareness. Try noticing during the day any improvements in strength and endurance that you have gained. Do your clothes fit better? Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better at night?

So, before you skip your workout, try these little mantras to get yourself moving:

• I'll feel good about myself if I finish my workout

• I'll just warm up and, if I want to stop, I can

• This workout will give me more energy for the rest of my day or help me to sleep better tonight

• If I finish this workout, I relax and do something I’ve been wanting to do

Further Inspiration - Preparation

Once you've decided to exercise, make it as easy as possible to follow through. That means having what you need and getting it all ready in advance. Find a space where you can keep all your gear so that you don’t have to waste time looking for things. This can be as simple as a couple of those covered plastic bins that can be stacked in an out of the way but convenient corner. Organize them in any way that will make it easy for you to find what you need when you need it.

For example, put summer things in one bin, winter in another, outdoor accessories in another like hats, gloves, heavy socks. Then remember to put everything back in the bin when you are finished for the day. That way you will always know where everything is.

I try to keep all of my workout clothes and accessories in the same place every day. That way I don’t have to think when I get up – just jump in my clothes and get out there. It is not always possible, but it is helpful if you can have some gear that’s exclusively for your workouts. If you don’t need it for other purposes, you can just leave it in your stash place when you’re not using it. Bottom line is find ways you can be ready for your workout well before it happens.

A few other demons to banish -

I've dealt with most of these in previous posts, but it never hurts to repeat them:

It’s Too Hard. Anticipation is often worse than the actual event. Remind yourself that if anything really feels bad, you can always stop! We are often our own most demanding task masters. No one but you is monitoring your performance. You don’t have to live up to anyone else’s expectations. Just do what you can.

Fear of Failure. As Albert Einstein once said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Revisit item (1) above. No one can be expected to do everything perfectly every time. Some skills are easier to master than others. Take your time. There’s no hurray.

Perfectionism. When you do finally master new skills, the need to repeat this success can create anxiety. Everyone has good days and bad days. Some things will be easier on some days than others. Listen to your body and go with the flow. Again – just do what you can.

Time Management. Schedule your exercise time into your life. There is always room even in the busiest life. It may mean getting up a bit earlier in the morning, or substituting exercise time for some other leisure activity (like watching TV or updating your Facebook page). Once again – commitment is important. Make exercise a priority. Work your other activities around your exercise program. Break it up if you need to (example: 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch time, 10 minutes in the evening). Look at your weekly and see where you can realistically fit in exercise time. Then schedule it and stick to it!

Check back through some of my other blog posts on staying motivated. Finally, as you take back your power over procrastination, be aware that occasionally you will backslide. That’s okay. It happens to everyone and is not a signal that you should give up. There are days when the best laid plans simply do not work out. Accept setbacks and start again. Every day is a new opportunity. You can do it!!