Going to the gym can be a daunting task for anyone on any given day. Most days you wake up and you just don’t feel the zeal and motivation you once felt for the gym. For most people this occurs right around the 4-7 week period. You start off on fire with a burning desire for the gym which tapers off into a regular routine and eventually your passion fails you. I’ve often wondered why this is the case and have drawn 2 conclusions: When a regular routine is reached people become complacent and don’t mind missing a day or two here and there which will lead to more days off and an eventual halt to all workout routines AND people simply forget to “tie their shoes.”
When most people start a workout routine they are so motivated to get working out that they start waking up at 4:30 in the morning to go for a quick 30 mile run before they even hit the gym. Of course this is a slight exaggeration, however, I believe the point gets across. We all start our routines with a fierce desire to change our bodies and our lifestyles. In the beginning we have our food consumption down to the exact percentages and calories making sure never to overstep our target caloric intake while being sure to push ourselves to supreme exhaustion in the gym, making sure to run that extra mile. All of these extras slowly taper off to doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing to begin with while letting our diet slide slowly. “Yum, Pepsi. Whoops. I forgot I wasn’t supposed to have any soda for 2010. 1 soda can’t hurt right?” This is where the slide starts.
What many forget to realize is that the tortoise still beats the hare in the end. While few people can start off with a strict workout and dieting regimen and continue this feat well into their lifestyle, most people do not realize that you want to start things slowly. Start with tying your shoes before you go out and start running a marathon. This simple change will allow you to continue your new lifestyle without it feeling like much of a burden. Start with jogging a mile or two before you try getting into the High Intensity Interval Training or lifting regularly before attempting power-lifting techniques. Walk before you run.
A good friend once told me that he read in a fitness magazine that, even if you aren’t feeling like working out, you should at least go to the gym and, if it’s the only thing you do, touch the door handle. Each person has their “point of no return,” where, if the act is performed, they are going to workout regardless how they feel. For my friend, it’s touching the door handle to the gym. For me, as soon as I tie my shoes my mindset changes and I’m headed out the door with purpose (I actually have to lace up in my bedroom or I’m likely to sit on the couch in my living room and never get up). I would like to urge everyone to consciously try to discover what their “point of no return” is so that they can continue their fitness regimen with little or no breaks. Life is a long race so you’ll want to take it easy at first and then pick up your pace, but you’ll mostly want to make sure your shoes are tied.
[ Photo : FMF regular reader Debbie M ]
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