Actually, you don't really need to stay with the same fitness plan for a long but. What I mean to say is, how you can stay with exercising. The thing is, as many people out there, I myself have experienced de-motivation and not wanting to exercise. Basically not wanting to stay with the fitness plan. It is very common to start working out and then after a few weeks of intense workouts and a very controlled diet, you just want a break. You start with a one day break, which turns in two days then a week and finally you are eating everything and not working out. Ohh did I mention the guilt that you carry with you!!
I have found that if you experience any of the following, you will give up your workouts very soon.
- Exercises are too tough for you to handle
- Exercoses are too boring
- You are not seeing any progress
- Low energy levels
The first two really depend on your choice of workouts. If it's too tough or too boring, try something else. One you start a specific workout, stay with it for atleast two weeks and then modify it keeping your goals in mind. The third point is absolutely the key and finally the last point is related to your diet. In my personal view, if you remember to do the following, you can stay with your workouts for a long time and also with your health and fitness plan.
Concentrate on one goal at a time: What usually happens is when a person starts working out he/she wants to lose weight, increase stamina, gain strength, build muscle and everything else that goes with it. It doesn't work that way. Concentrate on one thing at a time. If you want to gain strength, then don't mix it with edurance/stamine; it just won't work. Make sure you know what your short term and long term goals are and stick with them. For example, concentrate on gaining strength, then build muscle, then work on edurance and finally weight loss (or fat loss, whatever you want to call it). There are specific workouts for specific goals.
Realistic goals: Make sure your goals are realistic. Why? WHY, you ask me!!? I'll tell you why!! (sorry about that, I just like doing that :)). Anyways, back to the point. You should have realistic goals so that you can achieve them. If you want to lose 30 lbs of fat in 1 week, you will NOT be able to do it. Here comes the big lesson of the day - IF YOU DO NOT SEE RESULTS YOU WILL NOT STICK WITH YOUR FITNESS PLAN. Make sense? If your goals are realistic e.g. like 2 - 3 lbs a week (if you are over-weight) then that you achievable and you WILL see results and get motivated and stay with your fitness plan and lead a healthy life...(there are a lot more ands, but you get the idea).
Don't measure progress all the time: I see people weighing themselves before they enter the gym and weight themselves right after their workout. PEOPLE!!! stop doing that. This is a major source of de-motivation. Let's say, before you workout, you weigh 200lbs. During the workout you sweat a lot and don't drink any water, you will see a loss of about half a pound. Then you go home weigh yourself after a few hours, you are back to 200lbs or even more due to some eating that will take place after the workout. Another situation is you drink lots of water during the workout. Now when you weigh yourself afterwards, you will be about 201 lbs. DE-MOTIVATED!!! I recommend you select one day a week maximum to measure your progress whever it is ACTUALLY measurable. Look at your body fat, waist and weight.
Choose workouts carefully: If you are not into long and boring cardio, play a sport, concentrate on HIIT, do circuit training etc. If you get bored of a workout, you will not stick with it. At the same time, if the workout is too tough and you cannot ACTUALLY do it then you will give up. For example, you decide to do 10 pullups, but you can barely do 2. Instead why not do lat pull down, work your weigh up to a good weight and THEN do the pullups. You know, slow and steady wins the race. Another thing is that don't stay with the same workout for a long time, because one, the body gets used to it and two you will get bored. I went through that with TAE-BO. I used to do it everyday, but after a month, I knew all the moves and there was less of an element of motivation as well.
Get enough rest: Make sure you get enough rest. This doesn't mean sleep all the time. I mean to say that You should not be working out 7 days a week. Give yourself a break. Eat out once a week when you don't have to go to the gym. Take a day off or even two if you need them.
Hope this was useful. Leave a COMMENT and let me know what you think :)
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5 ways to stay with your fitness plan
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