If getting active and staying healthy was easy, everyone would do it…but we don’t. We come home after a long day of sitting in a chair to de-stress by sitting in another chair, unable to summon the energy to take a walk or hit the gym. Sure, everyone says to “make time for what’s important to you,” but oversimplification doesn’t make the struggle easier. Let’s break down the mental walls keeping you from taking care of yourself.
Whether it’s time management, stress, a busy job, bustling family life, or something else, in this post we’re going to help you break down the barriers that may keep you from getting up and active. When you’ll read through, you’ll be in the mental position to take advantage of the great fitness resources we’ve put together.
No Excuses: Tear Down Those Mental Walls
First of all, if you’re struggling with a sedentary lifestyle, you’re not alone. Millions of us are just like you, and we all know we should get moving, but we stumble and fall back into old habits or never get the traction you need. This is completely normal, don’t think anything otherwise. Very few people spring out of bed one day and say “I’m going to change my behavior for the better for the rest of my life,” do it and never look back. In the real world, things are different. Here are some things to remember:
Don’t be too hard on yourself. We’re often our own biggest hurdle. “We’re simply too hard & expect too much from ourselves; we think it has to be much harder than it has to be and when we don’t live up to the expectations we’ve set for ourselves, it all begins to fall apart.” This is the cycle many of you know: you start something with good intentions, stumble, get frustrated, and give up. Be nice to yourself—stumbles and failures are going to happen, no one’s perfect.
Don’t get caught up in the “all or nothing” mindset. Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. Doing something is better than doing nothing. “Don’t let optimal be the enemy of good enough.” “Sure, you could be doing more or could be doing better, but if in the long run that gets in the way of you doing anything at all then it’s no use to you. Do what you can do and do consistently then worry about optimizing later as you gain traction.” Remember, getting started is everything.
Understand how habits work. “Most people fail in fitness because they never enter a self-sustaining positive feedback loop. In fact, most people don’t even start. In order to be successful at fitness, it needs to be in the same category of the brain as sleeping, eating, and other daily activities.” If exercise worked the way it does in the movies—where a montage plays and after every workout, you look better and see results instantly, more people would stick to it. The key is to find a routine replacement that works for you, and that gets results for the energy you put into building it into your habits.
You’re not lazy, you’re just starting from zero. One discouraging thing you’ve probably thought (or heard) before is that you’re just lazy and will give up eventually, so why to bother. “To say that people don’t exercise because they are lazy is actually backward. Often times, people are actually lazy because they’re out of shape and don’t exercise!” It’s easy for someone in-shape to tell someone who’s having a tough time that they’re just lazy, but the truth is running a mile for a couch potato is far more difficult and requires more physical and mental will than it does for someone who does five every day. Recognize that, especially when you start down the slippery slope of comparing yourself—and your habits—to others.
Find your “Secret Sauce”. A lot of people will tell you to “just put the fork down,” or “just get up and do it,” which is easy when that person a: isn’t you, and b: is sitting behind a keyboard. Don’t listen to them: minimizing and oversimplifying the challenge doesn’t help, and while hearing what worked for others can help you figure out things to try, it’s almost never going to be exactly what works for you. Look for your own combination of tools, tips, techniques, and advice that will support you and your health and fitness goals. Accept advice, sure, but remember you’re in this for you—no one else, and you’re the only one who’ll know what really works.
Remember, health and wellness are extremely personal sciences. You’ll be assaulted on all sides by articles, scams, self-help books, poorly-reported scientific studies, internet commenters, and more who all claim they know what will work for you—and it usually boils down to what worked for them (which is great!) or what they’re willing to sell you (which is not so great.) Having an abundance of options isn’t a bad thing, but remember who you’re in this for.
Stay Motivated and Engaged to Stick With Your Plan
So what does work? Well, there’s more information and advice out there than you could ever possibly use, but the key is to figure out what you’ll stick with, so don’t be afraid to experiment! Just remember what we said: if you stumble or falter, that means you just need to try something new or start slower—not that there’s something wrong with you.
Whatever You Do, Make It Fun. Whatever you do, enjoy it. Choose something rewarding enough to make you feel good about doing it. If you’re having a good time, mistakes feel like learning experiences and challenges to be overcome, not throw-up-your-hands-and-give-up moments.
There is no doubt that just like everybody, you want to stay fit, slim and robust, right? But most of the times the complexity and monotony of the workouts we perform discourage us. If you really want to get better in terms of health and wellness, isn’t there a much exciting and dynamic option?
Think no more, because we have dance exercises in the form of Aerobics & Zumba! The dance routines and workouts available @curvesforher are both super-fun and effective! If you are looking for some cool ways to banish fat and boost metabolism, we’re here for you.
Zumba is a great fitness program that has some amazing and fun filled dance moves. You will find interval training, resistance training, and strength training. There will be slow and fast rhythms alternating throughout so that you can keep burning calories.
Zumba is not just for people who can dance. Anybody can practice it! The steps are simple yet heart pumping and fun. Not only will you enjoy the workout but also shed those extra kilos sooner than you can imagine!
Workouts that make you enjoy yourself always manage to convince you to come back and try them again. It will change your whole idea of working out and will be something you will look forward to. Now, isn’t that amazing?
References: Lifehacker.com
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