How to fit “GETTING FIT” on your Calendar

Does the statement, “I don’t have time” sound familiar? Have you ever felt overwhelmed with life, sort of depressed that you haven’t worked out in months and not sure when you can fit it in between your daughter’s soccer games and extra hours at work… and oh ya, your in-laws are visiting next week. There’s no time for anything let alone having a healthy lifestyle. You’re too dang exhausted to care – but you know you should care which makes you feel even worse. Sound familiar?

Maintaining an a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle should be a top priority. By taking care of ourselves, we can be the person we want to be (at home, at work and with those we love). But, it’s not easy to find this balance.

Our professional careers and life itself can easily get in the way of our fitness regimen.  It’s a vicious cycle. Most of us cannot afford to retire but these day jobs get in the way of our fitness regimens. On the other hand, we can’t afford not to workout – fitness has a huge impact on our job performance, relationships, how we feel and most importantly; our own health.

Here are 10 considerations to help you fit “Getting Fit” on your calendar:

1. Are your goals SMART? You may want to shed 30 pounds but that’s a big scary wide open goal. Let’s be specific and answer HOW you’re going to do it and by when.  Will you add strength training to your current regimen three times a week? Will you get rid of the peanut butter from the house because somehow you keep having dates with big ole spoonful every time you’re stressed out (did you know every 2 tbsp is approximately 190 extra calories)? These small things add up. Set small steps to help you achieve your specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound goal.
2. What motivates you?  As you’re getting in the right mindset to start a dedicated fitness regimen, figure out why fitness is important to you.  If you’re doing it just to make someone else happy (like that BFF who says your butt looks too big in those jeans), chances are you won’t stick with it and will find every excuse in the world why you can’t get your workout in. The only way your newfound workout regimen is going to stick is if YOU think your butt looks too big in those jeans and you care enough to change that. On days when excuses start to tamper with your fitness enthusiasm, remembering “why” you started will be key for long term success. What motivates YOU?
3. What do you love? Have you ever found yourself sitting in the break room at work and all you hear is that new secretary and her gal pals making small talk about last night’s run?  You try to smile and nod but OMG you HATE running. You try to contribute to the convo but the whole time you’re thinking, I’d rather have a pap smear than get caught on 2nd Ave dodging the neighbors barking beasts. OK – so you’re more of a Yoga person?  Cool!  There’s tons of Yoga studios around town right? OR, try an at home Yoga workout.  When you figure out what type of exercise and environment you love, it will be so much easier to stick with your fitness routine.  Not sure what you love to do? Don’t be afraid to experiment with different forms of exercise.
4. Best Friends Forever? Well that depends! Take a look at the people you know or interact with the most on a daily basis. Are they fit minded or are the words health and fitness not in their vocabulary? The influence of your personal networks can actually predict your weight management routines (2). Maybe it’s time to meet some new health-minded people?  There are lots of options. For example, I offer my clients online focus groups.  These are great for developing a good support network without having to leave your home or have the stress of finding new friends. Other options include joining running clubs or taking some healthy cooking workshops in your area. Your personal and social support network will help you develop a consistent regimen.
5. Be flexible. It really helps to select a workout style that you can do almost anywhere. For example, sales professionals have the demand of travel, living hotel to hotel and dining out frequently. This, coupled with the stress of daily life and career responsibilities often leads extra padding on the waistline before middle-age. A form of exercise that doesn’t require much preparation with awesome physical gains in the least amount of time might be a perfect solution here such as running, High-intensity interval training, at-home fitness DVDs and bodyweight exercises. 
6. Competition kicks butt! When we’re trying to motivate ourselves to exercise on a regular basis, competition has its merits. When Rob and I first started running, we would sign up to run a race to simply keep us on track with our fitness.  Who wants to show up at a race having never prepared? Regardless of your fitness regimen, it’s likely you’ll find a competition you can take part in. Our local fitness clothing store recently hosted a plank competition – a great way to set a goal to develop core strength. Sign up, set a goal, and enjoy what it does to you – it might be the push you need to keep yourself on track.
7. Track your progress. “If you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen” – no, I don’t mean that if you don’t log the fact that you ate an entire chocolate cake, it never happened. What I mean is by logging what you do, you’re being honest with yourself about where you are “now”. Make a note in your calendar every time you work out, and add up your workout sessions at the end of each week so you can monitor your progress and identify areas for improvement. The same goes with food. It’s also important to take before pictures and measurements. Don’t rely on the scale to give you an accurate representation of how you’re doing however. Lean muscle weighs more than fat. You may also gain weight when you start working out simply because your muscles are a little inflamed. Using measurements, assessing how your clothes fit and how you feel are great indicators of fitness.
8. Commit to get fit. One of the most popular reasons to skip a workout goes something like this: “I am just too busy; I can’t my workout in.” This is complete CRAP! If your gal pal called and wanted to come over to watch the latest episode of the Walking Dead, I bet you’d be pretty stoked.  What if you unexpectedly had to pick up your child from school, your hubbie is out of town and your mother is in Hawaii (ok, and you have no back-up plan).  How would you deal with the situation? Leave your kid at school forever? OR do some hard prioritizing? The truth is that when we really need to, we do what we have to do within the time that is necessary. Make a schedule (write it down if it helps!), stick to it, and remind yourself that working out and planning healthy meals are priorities. Build your day around your workout.
9. Just do something! I get it, there’s just such little time but, recent studies prove you you don’t need an hour to get an effective workout. Some sort of activity is always better than nothing. We can always find a few free minutes in our day (yes, we can!). Short, speedy workouts do great things for the body and mind. Yes! Some of the workout regimens I offer to my clients are only 25 – 30 minutes long. You can squeeze in fitness wherever you are and no matter how much time you have. There are so many options.  Did you know there are even exercises you can do from he comfort of your cubicle?  Yup.
10. Be the best version of you. That’s it. Simply be proud of yourself and what you HAVE accomplished. When you’re happy with yourself and proud of what you’ve done, it makes life a whole lot more fun.

What strategies have you found to help you fit fitness on your calendar?  Learning from one another is always wonderful so comment below.  If you need support with your fitness regimen or you’re looking for a fitness and nutrition solution, contact me.  I love helping others reach their goals.