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By Dave DiFabio
Scheduling time to work out is really about two simple steps:
1. Changing behaviors and habits
2. Engaging in efficient and convenient exercise routines
First thing's first. To help you break bad habits and implement healthy ones, keep these thoughts in mind:
- Everyone is busy.
We all have a laundry list of "stuff" to do everyday. Yet some of us somehow magically "find" or "make" time to workout. However, there is no magic involved. It's all about planning. You have to plan/schedule your workout into the day.... Just like you plan your meetings and tasks at work...Just like you make plans to somehow get the kids to school, dance and music lessons, and football practice. There are certain things that need to get done and there is no way anything else is going to get in the way! Right? Well, for that to be true, the "laundry list of stuff" you need to get done during the day needs to be prioritized. Fit and healthy people have prioritized their list in a manner that places exercise near the top of their list. Working-out may not be the first thing on their list. It might not be as important as getting the kids to school or completing a project at work, but it's close enough to the top of their list that it WILL GET DONE! They don't let anything get in the way of their workout. How? Maybe less important things will take a back seat. Maybe they'll spend 10 less minutes on facebook. Maybe they'll spend 10 less minutes watching TV. Maybe they'll wake-up 10 minutes early. Taadaaaa! Just like that... 30 minutes in the day that they didn't even know they had. Kinda like MAGIC! Plenty of time to warm-up, exercise, and stretch!
- Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
It's really easy to make excuses and lose focus if you take your eye off of the prize. If you want something (results) bad enough, you must keep your eyes and thoughts focused on the goal. Write that goal on post-it notes and stick'em on your fridge, on the front door, on the bathroom mirror, and your dashboard. See it, think it, feel it, be it when you wake -up, during the day, and when you go to sleep. Make a promise to yourself. Tell all the important people in your life about this promise you made to yourself. Chances are they will provide encouragement and they'll want to support you in any way possible.
- Getting started is the hardest part.
It really is. But don't let that stop you. Ask for help! It's ok to ask for help! Hire a trainer (you can definitely afford me on FitOrbit.com), find a workout partner, and do some research. Start slow and simple. Walk, hike, jog, swim, follow an exercise video (many cable TV companies offer free videos as part of the On-Demand Menu), or do some gardening. Finally, keep this in mind: The more you do something, the better you get at it. The better you get at it, the more you want to do it. That's just simple human nature. We all like and enjoy doing things we're good at. So as you get better, the more you'll do it. The more you do it, the more results you'll get from it. The more results you get, the more results you'll want, so the more you'll do it. It becomes a self-sustaining cycle. Success breeds confidence and motivation which in turn breeds adherence. So it's not that getting started is really that hard. It's just seems that way because the rest is easy.
The next thing we need to talk about is ensuring that your workouts are efficient and convenient.
--You don't need to spend an hour in the gym.
As a matter of fact you don't even need to go to the gym. You can get a workout at the office, in your home, in your back yard, or in a park. Some people go to the gym and get overwhelmed because they see all of these people doing different things. This person might think to him or herself , "I need to do a little of what he's doing, a little of what she's doing, a little of what they are doing." This person then might think, "Oh my god, that's going to take way to long and I wouldn't even know where to start!"
If you've found yourself in this situation there's good news.
-- You don't need any equipment to get a great workout.
And since you don't even need to leave your house, you don't even need clothes. Just make sure your blinds are closed.
-- You don't have to do all of the wacky stuff you see others doing.
All routines should just have 3 fundamental elements: warm-up, compound/multijoint exercises, flexibility training. That's it. If a routine is structured properly with short rest intervals and supersets, this can all be done in under 20 minutes and with 6 exercises or less. And yes, it can be done with just your body weight and still improve endurance, strength, balance, stability, power, and flexibility.
Don't believe me? Let me prove it to you. Better yet, let's prove it together:
Request me as your personal trainer today! I'm offering 10% OFF all my online personal training packages. Visit my profile to learn more about me and then request me as your personal trainer! To get the discount enter this Coupon Code DDIFABIO to receive a 10% OFF discount off of any plan with me!
Let's Train Like You Play, and Play Like You Train!
Dave DiFabio MA, CSCS, USAW
Owner/Strength & Conditioning Coach - Team Speed Fitness LLC
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