Limiting Factor

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to give you some advice on how to get past fitness failures and get on the right track to reaching your goals.  In my experience, I frequently find people have similar excuses for why they haven’t been able to achieve their fitness goals.  Not having enough time and or money are usually at the tops of this list.  Having been there myself, I can understand how these very valid reasons can seem insurmountable; however, they can be overcome!  The first step in overcoming what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals is to recognize what your limiting factor is.  When you can put your finger on what is holding you back, it is much easier to come up with a plan to overcome it.

Jeff is a former client of mine that I trained for a short time several years ago.  He was originally referred to me by his wife who I had been training for a number of years.  While she herself was quite active, training a few times a week for many years, he had “let himself go” and used the excuse that he just couldn’t find the time.  I don’t remember why he had stopped training with me back then, but I recently ran into him at a gas station, late at night, on my way home from training.  As could be expected, he was out of shape again, carrying more than a few extra pounds.  I started asking him why he wasn’t training anymore and he started giving the typical excuses.  He pointed out that he was with his work truck and only just getting home from work.  I replied that the gym was still open for a few more hours and that he should stop there on the way home.  When he said that going at night would be difficult because of his long day, I suggested that he go in the morning.  Still looking for excuses, he said that he couldn’t because he is out of the house too early.  I asked him what time, and when he said 6am I suggested that the gym is open at 5am and he can get a workout in before his workday starts and not have to worry about it for the rest of the day.  He was surprised to learn that the gym was open that early and said that that might be the solution he needed.  While I would have to follow up with the gym’s front desk to see if he starts coming, opening his eye’s to what was holding him back was the first step to finding a workable solution.

            In order to come up with a solution to what is holding you back from reaching your fitness goals, the first step has to be the recognition of what is the limiting factor.  When you know exactly what the problem is, it becomes much easier to find an appropriate answer.  Maybe an injury is the factor that is keeping you out of the gym…the solution would be to take care of that injury first.  Maybe you have young children that need to be cared for…the solution would be to find one of the many gyms that offer childcare.  There are a number of gyms that are open very early, close very late, or are open 24 hours to accommodate the people whose limiting factor is feeling there isn’t enough time in the day.

            Even if the excuse you have has some validity, you have to remind yourself of the importance maintaining your health.  In order to overcome the reason you haven’t been reaching your goals and falling off of the track, you must first recognize what that limiting factor is…what is it that is holding you back?  It is much easier to find a solution to a problem when you know exactly what the problem is.  Be honest with yourself about why you haven’t met your fitness goals.  Fortunately, there will be a workable way to overcome that roadblock.  Recognizing the limiting factor can be the first step to designing a plan to help you achieve a fit new you!