A post from Emily:
It is so hard to get started sometimes. If I had one thing to tell people it would be it will be hard, it will suck at times but it WILL be worth it. How do you get to that point that everyday you can see that worth in your actions, if you can find a way it will be the key to your success.
Here are some ways to help get you started and keep you going:
1) Find something/someone that inspires you to action- make it or them part of your daily routines, put up pictures at the office, on your phone, fridge, download music that gets you going, if it is a person e-mail them, text, follow them on social media, the more physical representation you can have around you of things that motivated you the better.
2) Make it about the good– instead of focusing on the negative outcomes of workout, sweat, pain, being uncomfortable…. make it about the good things that come out of working out, better mood, smaller clothes, clearer mind, more focused for your family, more confident, focus on the good, pull from them when you a laying in bed trying to decide if you should get your bum up!
3) Acknowledge that it won’t be perfect– working out is not always pretty, it is meant to be, when we are challenge and struggle is when some of the best magic happens, for the body and for the mind. Know that you will fail, feel awkward and gross at times, you will not be a fitness model working out on the cover of a magazine and that is not only ok it is a good thing. Prepare yourself for the bad days when you are just not in to it, but know right behind them there will be a good days too.
4) Invest in working out– buy some nice clothes to sweat in, things you really like, download new music, get new shoes.
5) Make a plan– don’t leave getting to the gym, or getting moving to chance, the old “if I have time to get to the gym I will”, make time, plan to succeed.
6) Get moving– this is the big one, start moving now, get out of bed, get to the gym, know that good begets good, the more you do it, the more you will want to do it. The hardest part sometimes is just getting started.
Last one, believe that you can do it, because you can, I seen it over and over again. Even if you have never been to gym or haven’t been there in months, make the choice to start now. You can do it. Even if you are not the strongest, most in shape person, so what? Everyone has to start somewhere and the most important this is that you do get started!
If you are starting back at the gym, don’t be embarrassed you missed so much time, be proud you are walking thru the door again……..
Every see the old commercial “Help I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up”? Of course you have, and if not Google it, is a classic! My point is old lady (yet) or not, don’t you wish there was a button you could push to get back on the fitness wagon?
Here is the thing, if it was easy all the time, you would not have fallen off in the first place. Sometimes it is a conscious decision, a “screw the gym, my run, my walk”, I don’t want to do it anymore. BUT more often than not it is a series of small decisions that lead up to a laps (long or short) that you never intended. It is a I won’t go to the gym today, that leads to I won’t go this week, turns into a month absence. This goes for eating too. I will just have one night of chips, cupcakes and beer… then before you know it, you are on a week long cupcake-fest!
I have this conversation a lot with people after a large event (vacation, weddings), there is a bunch of external motivation before the event, a deadline, then after the event there isn’t that pressure there to keep you going.
How do you get back on track? You just DO! I know heartless, and I don’t understand. Trust me here the first step of getting back in the gym is deciding to do so. While you may not have fallen away from your healthy lifestyle over night, you CAN get back on track immediately. The more you learn it is about small decision, that lead to larger impact, the less likely you will fall off, and less likely you will stray at all. Get started, you can do it!