You may be seeing posts about going back to the gym whether it’s through gritted teeth, said with real intention or something that you must do come rain or shine!
Be careful how you set your goals so that it doesn’t lead to negative self-talk and behaviour. There are three types of people out there when it comes to their approach to exercise:
1) Those that are on it with exercise. They have real discipline and reasoning behind a lot of their activity with fitness goals. Missing a day may feel like you are cheating yourself.
2) Those that are middle of the road. They slip then they get back on it with their diet, alcohol intake and exercise habits. Usually find it easier going with other people to workout for moral support.
3) Those that find it hard to even think about doing anything. The thought of eating healthy or stepping into a gym is too much. It gives them anxiety even thinking about making these big changes as it’s too much.
Having known, worked and treated all three groups of people in the clinic, all of them have their own struggles. After all, our health is a gift that needs nurturing and monitoring. Whatever group you find yourself in currently (and this can change) you should care for your body before it breaks down and take early action when you suffer from pain or injury to encourage your body to heal quickly.
Here’s some top tips that will lead to a healthy approach to exercise and healthy habits…
1) You are totally on it with exercise
You exercise most days and it’s a part of your routine and your life, and without exercise you can sometimes feel a little guilty. You set yourself goals, targets, you time your workouts try beat your previous PB? Although it’s really great to have goals, you don’t want to fall into the habit of becoming obsessed with exercise to the point it becomes legalistic and you punish yourself for not hitting that personal best.
Life often dictates that you can’t always keep this high level of exercise up due to hobbies, commitments, injury, pain or whatever else life throws our way. Allow yourselves to let go and it not become an obsession, especially if we start to feel pain or an injury coming on, as this will make things worse and can even prevent us from achieving our goals. Johnny Nelson MBE, ex professional boxer, explains in this video how if he had listened to his body when he experiencing pain, he could have had more years left in his boxing career. He finally gave in, had MBST treatment and was healed and was able to return to the gym.
Tips: Give yourself a flexible set of rules and don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon – and certainly don’t punish yourself. Beating your previous timing is great, but when you are exercising, try and enjoy it and you are happy with yourself and not annoyed. Stop yourself from going too hard otherwise you won’t look forward to it.
2) You are a yo-yo dieter and exerciser
You sometimes have a burst of motivation to do all the things: healthy eating, exercise, gym membership, but other times you struggle a lot with the motivation and tend to yo-yo from one mindset to another. You feel good when you are living well and moving your body, but other times the thought of going for a workout is too much to think about and you slide into the bad habits again.
A lot of people sit in this bracket, especially as New Year hits and they feel they must be good and set themselves very high targets that aren’t always achievable long term, so the trick is, finding that motivation even when you are busy or not motivated to exercise.
Tips: Find your reason why you want to exercise and have that self-chat when you think you can’t be bothered. If it’s not right, go easy on yourself and pick yourself up another day that week. Find an exercise you enjoy by trying out a selection of exercises such as biking in the open air, try home workouts such as sit ups, squats, try your hand at an outdoor run with your headphones, sign up to a gym and try some workout classes or racquet sports. Keep that momentum going by finding out what exercise you enjoy the most. Have a fall back exercise or a plan B if your original plan isn’t floating your boat, just get that body moving because this way, it’s more sustainable long term.
3) For those that struggle to start your health and exercise journey
You are totally uninterested, had a bad experience or are totally turned off by exercise and healthy eating. You would rather watch paint dry than stand in a gym for whatever reasons: maybe you are so unfit you don’t know where to start, or have injury or pain that prevents you from working out, maybe you have anxiety and think other people may judge you? Sound familiar? Because you are certainly not alone in this.
Start little and pick up easy habits that you can incorporate into your daily life such as a walk outside two times a week or having less takeaways in your diet and opting to cook a healthy meal. You also have to find your ‘why’ you want to exercise whether it’s the fact you are able to use your body unlike some people who can’t, or staying fit and healthy for your kids or partner. Brick by brick, you will find yourself looking forward to the next walk or healthy meal and wanting to make it a lifelong habit. Start with a small amount of exercise and not junk food and write this down in a journal so you can refer back to it.
Tips: Keep trying certain apps to help you – such as 7 min workouts, reminders on your phone and downloading apps such as Fit Coach. Remember, you will never regret adopting healthy habits that will prolong your life and impact you positively both mentally and physically. Take the pressure off yourself – if not feeling it, go for a walk – then if you do more, that’s great!
Your body is a gift – use it wisely
Try to be at peace with yourself and compassionate to yourself whatever stage you are going through currently. Remember, whilst there are many things out of our control in this world, our health is one thing we can influence and caring for your body before you get sick is your best defence in keeping your family and your finances healthy.
We often see people not able to do things due to illness or injury here at Cura Clinical, so see exercise as a gift and that you are able to and lucky to use your body whilst so many others cannot, and not by choice. This year, I want to encourage you to make it your goal to be proactive when it comes to your health and approach to fitness.