"Lay plans for something big by starting something small."
– Lao Tzu
The side effects of optimism and positivity are overall life happiness, which leads to a desire to take better care of ourselves, move and exercise more. When you think about it, it all makes sense. The better you feel about your current situation, the more willing you become to invest in your best future self. By bringing more positivity into your world, you naturally support a motivation to live a higher quality of physical, mental, and emotional life, improving health and reducing your risk of illness and disease.
Lisbeth Darsh, a former fitness executive and author of several books, says, "the act of getting strong doesn't start in the gym. It starts in your head."
Science tells us there's a lot of truth to this quote. The power of how you think about exercise will affect your willingness and ability to include LEAN habits into your everyday activities. Everything starts in mind then filters how we view various aspects of life.
For example, suppose you think of exercise as something you "have to do" and begrudgingly meet your trainer at the gym with a sour attitude about exercise. In that case, you will be less likely to build a consistent practice of daily movement.
On the flip side, if you think of exercise as something you are physically fortunate to do and focus on the benefits of how good you will feel mentally and physically after your workout, the energy and motivation through this mindset is far more motivating, enjoyable, and positive.
With a more positive attitude toward exercise and movement, you are more likely to build a consistent habit of daily activity, which is the key to successfully meeting any fitness goal.
You may think a positive attitude toward exercise is something you either have or you don't, but that couldn't be further from the truth. We all have the power to change how we feel about exercise and, in turn, flip a switch from hating every moment to enjoying and celebrating how movement makes you feel and think.
Flipping the switch can start with something as small as rethinking what exercise should or shouldn't be. For example, you do not need to exercise for an hour at a gym but can sprinkle small increments of movement throughout the day. Use this month's newsletter's movement challenge, WIN THE DAY, to see how easy it is to include more exercise through everyday activities.
Don't like to play games or meet challenges? Here are a few additional ways to help you change your attitude, flip the switch, and willingly include daily exercise into your daily schedule.
Start with something you enjoy doing.
As a certified personal trainer, I get asked "what is the best exercise to do" all the time. Clients ask as if there is a secret formula or magical equation to getting fit and losing weight, but the truth is there is no such thing. The secret to getting stronger, improving endurance, and relieving aches and pains associated with immobile joints and tight muscles is a consistent practice of daily movement. My answer to these clients is always, "the one you will do is the best one to do."
What physical activities do you like to do? Do you like gardening, walking, dancing, swimming? Whatever it is that you enjoy most, let's start there! The crucial first step for the "E" in LEAN is to incorporate more movement and activity into an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, and the best place to start is with something you enjoy doing. We plant the seed and let it grow from there.
No matter where you start, here are a few truths about exercise and improving fitness:
You have to fight through the hard part.
A major roadblock to building a consistent daily exercise practice is managing the client's perspective about results. For some reason, many clients become frustrated after a mere couple of weeks of exercise. They just started an exercise program, are spotty with their consistency at best, yet expect speedy results. Unfortunately, the health and fitness industry has made a practice of promising unrealistic fast results. I find myself constantly correcting these ideological beliefs and misguided ideas with a dose of hard truths and reality.
I have always promised my clients to be truthful and honest about what to expect, ask them to trust the process, and not focus on results in the first several weeks to allow their bodies to adjust to these new behaviors. The ones who have trusted me and walked through the process, turning a blind eye to results, and focusing on individual steps have experienced success like my friend Carlos! This mindset about exercise is crucially important to prevent you from quitting before you ever get started. Physical change takes time, and you will need to get over the hard part (starting) and prevent yourself from stopping before seeing the results of your efforts.
Tips to keep you motivated
Like Nike says…." Just Do It!"
Schedule time for exercise every day, even if it's only 10 minutes at a time or sprinkled throughout the day. To build consistency and create an automatic habit, sometimes you have to force yourself regardless of your feelings. Try these motivation tools to keep you moving:
Build a positivity playlist - It is amazing how music affects mood. Use the uplifting and motivating effects to your advantage and create a workout playlist of your favorite music and get moving.
Pick an audiobook or podcast that you ONLY listen to while exercising. Make a promise to yourself to only listen to it while you are moving.
Find an upbeat workout buddy - Exercising with others, especially those you like hanging out with, is a great motivator! I started in the fitness industry as a group exercise instructor, and it continues to be my favorite because of the community-building aspect that working out with friends brings. Whether in a group class, meeting a friend for a walk, or strength training with a buddy, make friends with that annoying upbeat person and let their happy mood rub off on you. Have friends but need a coach? Let us help you by starting your very own small group training club!
Laughter is the most excellent medicine and strengthens abs, too - My measure of happiness is observing how much I have laughed. More laughter adds up to more joy, positivity, and optimism. Find friends that make you laugh, watch a funny show, listen to a funny podcast or book, and find the funny in everything you see. All this laughing will boost joy and help you want to move more.
Celebrate what your body can do and be grateful.
Take a moment to think of everything your body can do and become grateful for your abilities. As a certified personal trainer, I have worked with various clients of numerous ability levels and a few who cannot stand up independently. When you take the time to look around you and see how fortunate you are to walk, dance and live life on your terms, you gain a new appreciation for your ability to move. If you have a physical limitation, do what you can and work with what you have. It's far easier to maintain what you have than to regain what you have lost.
Whatever your physical ability, start where you are and grow from there. We all tend to focus on negatives rather than highlight the positives, but with practice, you can begin to cultivate a habit of seeing more positives without much effort. Viewing exercise in a positive way is an essential component to building a consistent practice of daily exercise. A slight mindset shift and a few purposeful intentions will begin to lay the foundation of improved health through everyday movement and exercise.
If you found this post beneficial, share it on social media, friends, and family. Please help us make the world a healthier and happier place through simple improvements in how we live, move, think and eat!
Join us next Sunday when we talk about how happiness encourages us to eat better!
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