If fitness were like painting a room or completing a paper, you could muscle through it. However, it’s a commitment that requires daily attention for the rest of your life. Dreading your workout or resenting healthy eating over the long haul will take its toll. In order to be successful for the rest of your life, you need to fall in love with fitness, so it’s something you look forward to achieving. That requires taking a close look at both the benefits and why you hate doing it so much.
Are you doing the same routine you’ve been at for years?
If you haven’t changed your fitness program for years, it’s no wonder you hate it. It’s also probably why you aren’t seeing the best possible results. While there’s something reassuring about a familiar program, it’s not only boring after a while, it’s also ineffective. Your body becomes too efficient at doing it and doesn’t burn as many calories. You also may not be working every muscle group. Change it up a bit and find out whether it’s working out that you hate or just doing the same old thing every time.
Try new equipment.
Have you ever tried kettlebells or other unique workout equipment? If you’ve been using the same old machines or same type of exercise for year, it’s no wonder you’re bored. It’s like eating just one type of food when there’s a buffet of other foods available. Kettlebells happen to be one of my favorites. They’re fun and they give a full body workout. It’s all about technique with kettlebells. Once you learn the technique, you can do kettlebells almost anywhere and enjoy every minute of it. Did I mention it burns calories fast?
Exercise and fitness doesn’t mean just a workout.
A walk in the park, riding a bike, playing basketball with the kids or even a game of tennis are all forms of exercise. Too often people think that they only can get fit if they’re lifting weights, using an exercise machine or going to the gym and doing their exercise routine. Getting fit comes from staying active. While working out in the gym ensures you work all the muscles and have a scheduled program, staying active with sports you enjoy or projects that get you moving is all part of it. So go paint your house and smile all the time, knowing you’re getting a great workout while making your environment better.
- Find a workout partner. Going it alone makes it too easy to skip workouts and also isn’t nearly the fun of scheduling a workout with a friend.
- Join a group session. You’ll be amazed at the friendships you make and the motivation you get from joining a group workout. Make sure it’s one led by a personal trainer, so you’ll always have a personalized program.
- Track your progress. Tracking the amount you do, the weight you lift, the number of reps and etc., gives you a good idea of how you’re progressing. Just for fun, after three months, go back and do the workout you did on day one. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is.
- Take lots of selfies. Track your progress with selfies. If you want to share them on social media, it can be even more motivating, but most of my clients just store them and periodically look back on their progress.