It is commonly acknowledged that health is wealth. People therefore, go to extra lengths to keep fit.
Some do it for cosmetic reasons while some do it for health purposes. Whatever the reason, it takes a lot of effort to keep to the regime or programme of fitness.
There are usually many hindrances to starting and sticking to a routine but if you know them ahead of time, you can plan to conquer them. The most common denominators include the following.
Procrastination
Procrastination is the killer of all plans. ‘I’ll start on Monday.” “I’ll start next month” and on it goes. Once the cycle starts, it is hard to break out from. One way of curbing this is to JUST START. Start where you are and how you are. Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect, they won’t be. Try and free your mind from the thought that everything must be right before you start, that will only delay the process. And when the alarm goes off, do not hit snooze! If you want to exercise in the morning, lay out all you will need the day before.
I don’t have enough time to exercise
This is most likely the most used excuse of all time. With regards to this, Former first lady Michele Obama once said, “If you had to wake up by 4am to feed a sick child you would, if you were called at 4am to help a friend you would. Why don’t you get up at 4am to help yourself?”
You can make time to exercise if you really want to. Wake up earlier than usual to get a workout in. You can start out doing that twice a week and progressively go from there.
Cut down time from an activity that is taking your time and schedule a workout. You can minimise the time you spend watching TV or on Social media.
Self Doubt/ Self Consciousness
A woman once told a story of her first ever run/jog to try to lose weight. She recalls that more than one person made a snide remark about a ‘fat’ woman running and she definitely got a lot of looks. Today, she lost all the weight, gave birth and lost it again and now runs marathons! She didn’t let the snide comments stop her. You are making an attempt to improve your health; you can’t stand in your own way. If you find that you can’t handle those comments and looks there are a few tips that can help:
If you intend to go to a gym, choose a time when the crowd is less. This will allow you go in and do your thing and leave. Better still, invest in a few workout DVDs so you can work out at home by yourself. When you go for a run, go with your earphones and turn up the volume of your music. Drown out the negative.
Focus on the future. Keep your eyes on the prize. You have a goal, try not to allow yourself be deterred by anyone including yourself. Always remember your self confidence is bound to come back as you get fitter and lose weight.
The ‘Monotony’ of Exercise
You will never stick to a routine you don’t enjoy unless you are someone that repetition works for. Find a routine that you enjoy. Even when sticking to a routine find ways to make it interesting. You can switch up your music, challenge yourself to do more reps or run farther, etc. Give yourself something to look forward to. Remember, exercise does not have to be boring, if it gets you moving, that is enough.
Find a partner if possible. That can alleviate the ‘boredom’ associated with exercise. Seek out new options. Try swimming on weekends. Take a Tennis lesson. Go Hiking, anything to keep you from being stuck in a routine.
READ ALSO: Michelle Obama Reveals Her Fitness
It didn’t work last time.
Do not give up. Find out why it didn’t and tackle that. Set realistic goals for yourself. Do not be in a hurry. There is a common saying in fitness: “It is a marathon not a sprint.” Decide you are in for the long haul and focus on conquering a day at a time.
Gym Membership Cost
You don’t need one. You can work out to a DVD programme and get the job done. You can find workouts on YouTube and follow them. There are also basic and easy workout plans you can write out and use. Any move you don’t know, YouTube can show you. When all else fails, hit the road. Running/Walking/Jogging is a very great full body workout that can get you going. Cut up a cloth line and use it as a skipping rope. The goal is to get moving and stay moving not to enrol in a fancy gym where you don’t go or you go and you don’t know how to use half the equipment.
These are just a few challenges and how you can combat them. Remember to ensure you are safe to do any exercise you want to embark on.
