The best workout routine is the one you do consistently. Getting off the sofa and out the front door can be a challenge for many people, but sometimes all you need is a nudge in the right direction to take life-changing action. Here are my seven strategies for health success.
1Stop aspiring to health and training perfection. Perfection is not possible.
A perfection-or-nothing approach to health often leads to things such as binge eating and unhappiness. Think about adopting the 80/20 rule of healthy living. Tell yourself as long as you are good 80 per cent of the time, you can still enjoy less-healthy options 20 per cent of the time. Be as healthy as you can, as often as you can, but allow yourself to be human. Perfection is what you expect from machines and, thankfully, we are not robots.
2Remember the two Cs: Make your workouts convenient so you do them consistently.
One fantastic way to make your workout convenient is to set up a home gym. The best workout is the one you can do consistently. Convenience, not fancy equipment, is key. A workout can be touted as the most intense and best workout, but if you can’t (or won’t) do it consistently, it is not actually the best workout for you. To achieve any health and fitness goal, you need to be active consistently.
3Find your exercise bliss. Do things you like to do so training no longer feels like an obligation
Your bliss is something you want to do, something you don’t want to miss. If you like your workout, you are more likely to stick with it over the long term and incorporate it into the fabric of your life.
4Figure out your why. Find your health dream — the emotional reason you want to move.
We all know that exercise and eating well are good for our health. In my experience, those reasons will motivate most people to be good when they aren’t hungry, tired, stressed or angry. When life takes over and emotions are high, most of us need more than an intellectual reason to stay on track. Find a strong personal, emotional reason you want to move — your why. That way, when life takes over, you can remind yourself of the why and you will be more likely to make healthy choices.
5Flip your negative thoughts. Turn “I don’t want to train” into “I am so lucky I get to train.”
Reframe how you understand working out — think about being active as something you “get to do” versus something you “have to do.” A large part of adopting a healthier lifestyle is modifying one’s attitude toward exercise and flipping it helps you do just that.
6Find your inner athlete. Be proud of what your body can do, not just how it looks.
To achieve a healthier lifestyle, you don’t have to push your body to the limits in the way most serious athletes do. Athletes thrive on being active, so learn from them; steal their strategies.
7Mindfulness + Preparation = Success.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle is not about discipline, it is about mindfulness and preparation. Become mindful of your health pitfalls so you can prepare solutions. Once you have identified your triggers, tailor an individualized game plan. When it comes to exercise, take as many steps as possible to set yourself up for fitness success. In terms of diet, become aware of your WWHH: What, Why, How and How Much you eat — then figure out appropriate measures.
