Health and Fitness Tip #35 - Excuse - I've tried that already

Exercise Excuse No. 6: 'I've Tried Before.'

What did you try before? Why didn't it work? Did you stick with it? Did you have help? Did you have accountability? Did you set goals for yourself? Did you keep track weekly? Did you eat right?

 

GOALS

Set THEM!! Set goals that are small and realistic. Don't set goals that are huge and going to take a long time to reach. Have a long term goal but break it down, into smaller goals. Why? Because you're more likely to feel like a success, not a failure, when you reach those small goals.

LOG THEM

Also keep a log and post it somewhere public -- even on Facebook. Make a "wall of encouragement." Why? So Friends and family can then say, "Hey, you did 15 minutes yesterday. Great job," or they can motivate you when you are down and looking for an excuse to fall off track. The log will also help you to see if and when you're falling off the wagon (or the track).

SUPPORT GROUP

Having an exercise buddy or a support group keeps you accountable as well. You may be more likely to show up for your workout if you know someone is expecting you to be there, or a group is counting on your posts!

Health and Fitness Tip #34 - Excuse - I just don't like it!!

Exercise Excuse No. 5: 'I Just Don't Like to Move.'

Say what?!? You don't like it? You don't like to move?!?

 

Guess what?!? You aren't alone!! There are many people out there that don't like to move or workout.

 

So how do you fix it?

 

First, figure out why. Why don't you like to move? What kinds of movement do you like?

 

Is it that you don't like getting sweaty? Well there is a solution to that - You can work out indoors where it's air conditioned. You can also swim so you won't notice any perspiration. Or try a low-sweat activity, like yoga or Pilates.

Is it hard on your joints? Head for the pool. Exercising in water is easier on your joints.The stronger your muscles get, the more they can support your joints and the less you'll hurt. If your physical limitations are more serious, check with your doctor, or find an athletic trainer who can help you figure out exercises that are still safe and easy to do. Yoga and Pilates are good for your joints too. They will help you stretch them and work on your flexibility at the same time and is not hard on your joints!

If you’re self-conscious about your weight, you could start by walking with friends, working out in the privacy of your home, or exercising with a trainer who's supportive. Wear clothes that feel comfortable. Be you and only worry about your journey, no one else's.

How to Get Back on Trak after the Holiday Weekend!

How to get back on track:

 

7 Strategies to Help You Bounce Back After Slipping Up

 

1. Schedule your habits into your life.

Give your habits a specific space in your life. There are two main options for making this happen…
Option 1: Put it on your calendar. or Option 2: Tie it to your current behavior.

2. Stick to your schedule, even in small ways.

It’s not the individual impact of missing your schedule that’s a big deal. It’s the cumulative impact of never getting back on track. If you miss one workout, you don’t suddenly feel more out of shape than you were before. Find a way to stick to the schedule, no matter how small it is.

3. Have someone who expects something of you.

I’ve been on many teams throughout my athletic career and you know what happens when you have friends, teammates, and coaches expecting you to be at practice? You show up.
The good news is that you don’t have to be on a team to make this work. Talk to strangers and make friends in the gym or join an online fitness group where people are expecting you to post about your workout. Simply knowing that a familiar face expects to see you can be enough to get you to show up.

4. Focus on what you can work with.

We waste so much time focusing on what is withheld from us.

This is especially true after we slip up and get off track from our goals. Anytime we don’t do the things we want to do — start a business, eat healthy, go to the gym — we come up with excuses…
“I don’t have enough money. I don’t have enough time. I don’t have the right contacts. I don’t have enough experience. I need to learn more. I’m not sure what to do. I feel uncomfortable and stupid.”'

Here’s what I want you to think instead:
“I can work with this.”

Because you can. The truth is that most of us start in the same place — no money, no resources, no contacts, no experience — but some people (the winners) choose to get started anyway.
It’s not easy, but I promise you that your life will be better if you choose to feel uncomfortable and make progress, rather than complain and make excuses. Shift your focus from what is withheld from you to what is available to you.

It’s rare that your circumstances prevent you from making any progress. You might not like where you have to start. Your progress might be slow and unsexy. But you can work with this.

5. Just because it’s not optimal, doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial.

It’s so easy to get hung up on doing things the optimal way and end up preventing yourself from doing them at all.
Here’s an example…
“I really want to eat Paleo, but I go to Chipotle every Friday with my friends and I like to get sour cream and cheese on my burrito and I know that’s not Paleo. Plus, I have a book club meeting every Tuesday and we always have ice cream and I don’t want to be the only one not joining the group. Maybe I should try something else?”

Seriously? Is eating clean five days per week better than not eating clean at all?
Yes, I believe it is.

In fact, eating healthy one day per week is better than none at all. Make that your goal to start: eat clean every Monday.

Just because you can’t stick to the optimal schedule, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stick to it at all. Good habits are built gradually. Start slow, live your life, and get better along the way. Progress is a spectrum, not a specific place.

Furthermore, if you haven’t mastered the basics, then why make things harder for yourself by fretting about the details?

The optimal strategies will make the last 10% of difference. Meanwhile, 90% of your results will hinge on you simply sticking to the basics: don’t miss workouts, eat real food, do the most important thing first each day. Master the fundamentals now. You can optimize the details later.

6. Design your environment for success.

If you think that you need more motivation or more willpower to stick to your goals, then I have good news. You don’t.

Motivation is a fickle beast. Some days you feel inspired. Some days you don’t. If you want consistent change the last thing you want to rely on is something inconsistent.

7. Care.

It sounds so simple, but make sure that the habits that you’re trying to stick to are actually important to you.

Sometimes forgetting your habit is a sign that it’s not that important to you. Most of the time this isn’t true, but it happens often enough that I want to mention it.

It’s remarkable how much time people spend chasing things that they don’t really care about. Then, when they don’t achieve them, they beat themselves up and feel like a failure for not achieving something that wasn’t important to them all along.

You only have so much energy to put towards the next 24 hours. Pick a habit that you care about. If it really matters to you, then you’ll find a way to make it work.



Health and Fitness Tip #33 - Excuse - Exercise is boring!

Exercise Excuse No. 4: 'Exercise Is Boring.'

UM YES it is, BUT only if you are doing something that doesn't interest you! Yes going to the gym can be VERY boring every day, especially if the only thing you are doing is the cardio machines. What do you love to do? If you like to dance, take a dancing class, do Zumba, or check out Shaun T's latest in home workout program, Cize. (Release this July) If you like to ride bike, then get outside, find some trails and get riding and if the weather is bad, find a cycling class to take that day!

 

Try inline skating, dancing, or gardening. Join a sports league. Or go dancing. There's an exercise for everyone. . It doesn't have to be unpleasant and / or boring!!!

If it makes exercise more enjoyable for you, it's OK to watch TV or read while you're on the exercise bike or treadmill, as long as your workout is still challenging.

Get some friends to go with you, or join a group. And every once in a while, try something totally new. Mix it up so you don't get bored.

Whatever you do, don't let boring be an excuse. Get out there and try new things. Find that activity you fall in love with or multiple activities that you enjoy so you are always keeping it spicy!

Health and Fitness Tip #32 - Excuse 3 - I don't get a break from my kids

Exercise Excuse No. 3: 'I Don't Get a Break From the Kids.'

Have your kids workout with you. Take them with you if you are going to the gym or to a park! Be a role model to your kids. When they see you working out they want to workout too!  If you go to the park, have them playing and as you watch them you can walk around the playground, or jump rope nearby. During their games or sports practices, walk briskly around the field. If you are working out at home, set up a play area for them or give them something fun to do.

Some other great ideas are to go biking riding, put up a badminton net in your yard, sign up as a family for "fun runs," or just walk around the neighborhood with your children. When the weather's bad, try active video games like "Dance Dance Revolution," "Wii Sport," and "Wii Fit." Or through in your video and have your kids join you! They will thank you!

 

Remember when you are fit, you have more energy, you are healthier, happier, and your WHOLE family benefits from it!!! Do not feel selfish that you are taking "ME" time. Me time benefits you all and your me time is showing your kids that its okay to take it too when they grow up and have kids!

Health and Fitness Tip #31 - How to rid the excuse - "I'm too Tired"

Exercise Excuse: 'I'm Too Tired.'

Working out actually gives you more energy. Your body makes feel-good hormones (endorphins), and you're getting the circulation going, through out your entire body.

Working out in the morning, tends to help those that work all day. Once you get that work out in, in the morning, I doesn't just give you energy, it makes your whole day better, and you don't have to waste energy or time thinking of an excuse to NOT workout. You are done for the day!

And if you aren't a morning person, that is okay!!! You need to work out when you FEEL the best. There is no perfect time to workout, only when you are ready and able to give your 100% time and dedication to that workout.

 

I am a morning workout person. I now work from home and can workout whenever I want, but I still choose to get up in the morning and get my workout in, because I will use the excuse, I'm too tired and did when I was working full time in the schools as a teacher.  Morning just suited me best and now it has become a part of my daily morning routine.

Health and Fitness Tip #30 - How to beat the Excuse, "I don't have time"

Did you know the number one Exercise Excuse is 'I Don't Have Time.' But did you know that we all have the same time in a day and that we choose to spend it differently. Question for you...

 

"How much television do you watch?"  Think about how much time you watch TV. Within a half hour of one show you could get a good workout in and be done for the day! TV takes up  A LOT of time. More time than we would like to admit. So how do you fix that?

 

1. TURN THE TV OFF. If you have Netflix, Hulu, or DVR - then record it, catch up on it after you finish your workout. Remember the TV Isn't going to give you the goals you want. PLUS a lot of people mindlessly graze while watching TV. Making it harder to reach your goal and putting you further from it.

OR

2. If you insist on watching TV, then during your shows, use a resistance band for strength training, or walk in place. There are many exercises that you can do - push ups, jumping jacks, sit ups, etc. all while watching your shows.

OR

3. If you don't have a long stretch of time, you could break up your workout into shorter sessions. Some activity is better than none. We find time for things we value. Don't you value your health and longevity?