Welcome to afitnewyou! This week I would like to help you stop
putting off healthy behaviors like starting a new exercise routine and/or
dietary guidelines. Many people commonly
start one or more of these behaviors around a particular upcoming date, for
example as a resolution for the New Year, or to “look good” at an event such as
a wedding or school reunion. Then there
are others who plan their “start date” at other, more common, future dates,
like at the start of the next month or next paycheck. I sometimes hear “Next month, I am going to…”
or “When I get my next paycheck I am going to…” and “After my next
physical…” But I would ask people with
those eventual plans “Why not start today?”
And in fact, that is what I am suggesting to you now; make today your start
date! Within reason, there is no reason
to not start today. More importantly,
starting today will immediately put you on the path to reaching your fitness
goals!
Trevor is an acquaintance of mine
that I often have discussions with about how he can reach his fitness
goals. He wants to lose body fat in
order to both look and “feel” better, but also to improve his blood work. He knows I am a personal trainer, so when I
run into him, he will ask me what he needs to do to lose his belly fat and gain
some muscle mass. And then, when I make
some obvious suggestions such as joining a gym, working out, and eating better,
he will rebut me with not only excuses but the acknowledgement that he knew I
would give him those answers. When he
tries to end the conversation by telling me he will do what I suggest, but next
month when he gets paid again, I respond by telling him not to wait, but to
start today. I know he isn’t ready to
take my advice by the number of times we have had this same conversation and
the fact that he hasn’t had a body change.
But I also know if he took my advice, he would start to see results
sooner than later.
It isn’t just a lack of motivation
that keeps people from starting a healthier lifestyle today, sometimes people just
find it too hard to start, and therefore easier to put it off to another
time. However, I can tell you that the
longer you wait, the more excuses can potentially get in the way. So, start today! It is obvious the sooner you start
maintaining healthier behaviors, the sooner you will actually be healthier and
feeling good!
It also shouldn’t be too hard to
start today (or at the latest tomorrow), as long as you make it simple. For example, when it comes to eating
healthier, you may have to wait until your next trip to the supermarket to
stock up on healthier food choices, but you can make small changes today that
will add up to a big difference. For
example, simply looking at what you are going to have to eat today, ask
yourself, can you cut down on the portion size?
Or, can you eliminate or substitute a healthier alternative for what you
are about to consume? For example, swap
out the can of soda for a tall glass of water.
Or eat half of your sandwich for lunch and save the other half for
dinner or tomorrow’s lunch in order to control the portion size. You could also make a quick trip to the
market today to pick up a few healthier choices to hold you over until that
next planned shopping event.
Even with exercise, you don’t have
to put of starting a training regiment until a time when you have the money to
join a gym. Most fitness facilities
these days offer some sort of free trial…some as short as a day, and others for
longer durations. But, you could go to
almost any gym today and be allowed to workout today for a trial. And even more simple than that is to do
something on your own at home. Go for a
quick walk, run or jog around the block.
Do a set of push-ups when you wake up and again when you go to bed. Perform a set of jumping jacks during the
commercial breaks while watching television.
It is simpler than you think to start on your fitness quest TODAY!
There is no better time than the
present to improve upon your health and fitness. Whether you are determined to exercise more,
and/or eat healthier, starting those positive behaviors will only improve your
life as soon as you begin them. Even
simple changes today will make profound changes in your future. Don’t delay, start today! Embarking on a healthier life today is the
quickest path with least resistance to a fit new you!
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