Written by: Paul Hodges, General Manager, O2 Fitness Brennan
Let's get real! The Holidays are a great time to allow us to feel laxed in our regular routines; eating high calorie meals, drinking excessively at parties, and just being plain ol' couch potatoes while watching re-runs of our favorite Christmas classics. However, sometimes a little push is all we need to improve our motivation to work out.
We all struggle with the same challenges of finding time and deciding to do things when we don’t feel like it or when the circumstances aren’t ideal. But if you can develop a “Do it Anyway” approach to exercise, you will continually build your resolve and your commitment to exercise. Do it Anyway means despite your mood, your day or the things on your schedule, you will exercise anyway. You will treat exercise like you do waking up in the morning--you just have to do it. By continually winning out over your own impulse to skip a workout or make excuses, you will begin to feel more in control of your body and your health. You will silence that voice that says, “I can’t get motivated,” and you will gain momentum.
My personal trainer, Rick, has a great method as well, especially when it comes to motivating myself to workout. His philosophy is that if you are going to cheat during the holidays with excessive amount of calories, whether food or liquids, (which you will do) make time in that day to work off the same amount of calories that you put in your system. After training for 2 months now, I have realized that "I have to do this, especially now!"
Why am I writing about this now? With only 3 weeks left in the year, this is the ideal time to build your momentum on your health and fitness goals. Yes, the fitness facilities have less traffic with people and their resolutions don't start until January 1, but if you start now, you will have a 3 week jumpstart on everyone else. This gives you more than the 21 day mark to start the routine into a "habit!" You can pull away from the pact. Make your motivational sign for yourself and put it up on a mirror and refrigerator saying, "While everyone else is skipping their workouts until after the holidays, I am working out every day. I have to do it Anyway!"
By establishing a whole new set of habits, you can not fail! You also could look differently than you do right now. You can see change in just 28 days, as long as you stay persistent, while still having another month after that to start your year strong. Just remember, the only person you truly need to compete with is yourself. By seeing your own progress, and being proud of your own decisions and results, you can quickly help motivate others too, joining you in the "new pack".
Picture it. It is a couple weeks out until the New Year. You turn on the TV, your iPhone, or your computer and you constantly see advertisements for gym memberships and news stories about New Year’s resolutions. Do you want to be the person who gained 10 plus pounds throughout the holidays and skipped exercise? The person with an uphill battle ahead? Or do you want to be the person who starts now and loves the new you before it’s even a new year? All you have to do is make the decision to Do it Anyway. Don’t let the holidays stop you. Don’t let your crazy schedule stop you. Don’t let your temporary emotions stop you. Jump start your body before January 1, 2012 and "DO IT ANYWAY!"