New Shoes

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to give you an enjoyable way to help you feel better about yourself, particularly when either starting a new fitness routine, or when needing that extra kick to reach the next level.  It involves you spending a little bit of money, but it will be money well spent.  Most people understand that there is a mind-body connection. This is especially true with the idea that when we feel good, emotionally and / or physically, we perform better.  When we think we look good, we feel good, and this leads us to enjoying our exercise routines.  You can see how this can lead to a positive cycle; the more you work, the better you look, the better you look, the better you feel, the better you feel, the more you work.  Plus, there is a chicken and the egg component to this that will help you stay motivated to reach your fitness goals.  Feeling good at the start is what gets this cycle going.  But most people start a fitness routine because they aren’t happy with how they look, or get frustrated when they hit a plateau.  If this is you, what I recommend is you go out and buy a new set of shoes, or workout attire that helps you looks good.  When you feel good with how it looks, you will start that positive ball rolling.

There is a client of mine who sometimes I think has no shame with how he looks based on what he wears to the gym.  He is the type of guy who wears old t-shirts for his workouts because he knows he is going to sweat it up.  While in principle there is nothing wrong with this, I do it too, his shirts aren’t just old, but they are ancient…and ratty.  He typically wears shirts that he picked up on vacation, or received from a free give-away, and are sometimes literally decades old and have holes in them.  I might sound a bit harsh right now, and I am not saying that anyone has to spend a fortune on new gear.  But, I know this client does have some self-respect and does care about how he looks; for instance he often asks if I can tell he has lost a few pounds from a better diet.  And, he gets disappointed when I tell him I can’t notice.  But I can’t notice because of the poor fit of the old shirts.  I am sure he, and anyone else, who gets complimented on how they look, especially due to healthy changes would feel great!  And that great feeling is what would motivate you to keep at it.

I want to be clear that I am not saying you have to go out and spend a fortune on a new wardrobe.  And I don’t want to mask the need for exercise for its positive health benefits with an outfit.  However, a couple of new shirts, or one or two gym outfits that are flattering, or even a new pair of sneakers that make you look in the mirror and feel better about yourself will make you want to work out and feel even better.  Also, you shouldn’t spend too much money on new gear because hopefully you work hard enough that those new clothes will soon become not as flattering as well because of your great results.  This is where even people whom have been training hard for awhile and have hit a plateau can benefit from this.  Maybe all of your hard work made the clothes you have become less flattering; you deserve to wear some clothes that show off your hard work! 

A new pair of sneakers or a fresh outfit might get a compliment on its own.  But when given to you, that too will feel better.  And again, the better you feel about yourself, the more you will want to keep it up.

Whether it’s the primary goal, or a really good side effect, looking good from eating well, and working out hard makes you feel better.  I don’t know anyone who after being complimented on their appearance said to themselves “Now, I can stop.”  Just the opposite happens, the more you are complimented, the harder you want to work.  You might not be where you want to at the moment, but getting that first compliment can get you going.   Getting a new pair of shoes could be the first step to feeling good about a fit new you!