If you are like most people, working out and sticking to a fitness regimen can be tough, especially when your life is already jam packed with so many things. On top of that, there is so much information available on what you should or shouldn’t do that it can also be confusing to know what to do. While it may seem like the odds are not in your favor to start and stick to a fitness regimen, I want to share with you how I’ve been able to help myself and my clients to stay on track.
As a Personal Trainer and Healthy Lifestyle Coach, I have worked with tons of people who want to create a healthier lifestyle, but need some support in how to make it sustainable. Before working with a client, I spend some time focusing on the #1 thing that is necessary to committing to a fitness regimen.
I truly believe that before we can achieve any goal, we have to be very clear in why we want to accomplish that goal and make it meaningful.
When I first started on my own health and fitness journey, I was battling severe depression and anxiety. It was probably one of the lowest points of my life. One night, as I was laying I bed, I remembered something my 7th grade health teacher shared with us many years ago. She said that when we work out, our bodies release “happy chemicals”, which I later learned were called Endorphins that include dopamine and serotonin, which can help with stress and anxiety. I was so desperate to feel better and to feel stronger, I decided that I would start to workout. The next morning, I got a gym membership and began my own journey.
Every day I worked out because I had big goals that I wanted to achieve and I knew that managing my mental health was a big part of the process. I looked at my workouts as another layer to my therapy plan. I was doing my part to pump more “happy chemicals” into my body and it felt good to know that I was being proactive in my own healing. My workouts were a non-negotiable part of my day and soon I began to feel lighter, more restful, clear headed, and less stressed. The bonus was that I did change my body and I found that other habits began to improve to being healthier and more resourceful for me.
This is what I call finding your WHY – your intrinsic motivator that helps to keep you committed to your goal. I encourage you to take some time and think about WHY you want to commit to your fitness routine and dig deeper to find a deep and meaningful connection to your WHY.
Take some time to consider:
- Why is it important for me to commit to my fitness regimen?
- How would my life benefit from staying committed to my fitness regimen?
- How will my commitment to my fitness regimen have a positive impact on those around me?
Once you have an idea of these things, you will have a better idea of what your WHY is. This will be important, especially on the days that you want to give up or the mornings when you would rather snooze than workout.
When the going gets tough, it’s our WHY that pushes us and drives us forward.
