Raise your hand if you want to stop starting over, break the all-or-nothing mindset and actually make fitness a lifestyle!
::everyone raises hand::
I mean who doesn’t want that, right?
In Episode #90 of Self Love & Sweat THE PODCAST, I share my top 7 tips from over 13 years of coaching to help you stay consistent, find a way when it doesn’t seem possible and make fitness and healthy routines a part of who you are.
Top 7 Tips to Make Fitness A Lifestyle & Make It Work (for YOU!)
1. “For You” is the keyword
You are very unique. What works FOR YOU and will stick FOR YOU can be VERY different from what works for your friend, partner, neighbor or co-worker. I think this tip is the most important one because it reminds us to put the magnifying glass up to our own life and our own habits and routines and, as my baseball coach dad would say, “Keep your nose in your own dugout” while learning and growing to find what works for you.
2. The same thing won’t work forever
The workout routine and eating habits that worked for me in my 20’s most definitely do not work for me in my 30’s. I need WAY more rest days in my 30’s than I ever took in my 20’s LOL! To make fitness a lifestyle that sticks and grows with you, you have to continuously check in to be sure you’re giving your body what it needs.
3. Embrace the cycle and seasons
Embrace the season of the year. The season of your life. And ladies, embrace your female cycle and honor the season you’re in. Sometimes we need a bit more rest and others we are more energized and ready to PR. It’s so much more helpful to work WITH our hormones than to work against them. We can’t expect to be full force, 100% all the time. Give yourself the rest and recovery it needs AND push your limits to show you what you’re made of, too.
4. Check your definition of ‘fitness’
What do you think about, see and feel when you think about the word fitness. Do you think of a gym with other people working out? Do you think of running? Do you think of diets and weight loss? Do you think of building muscle and boosting mindset? I think it’s helpful to check ourselves when it comes to fitness and perhaps look at things a bit differently when it’s helpful. My F.I.T.N.E.S.S. acronym and redefining fitness are super helpful so you’re not only focusing on what you look like.
5. Setting up non-negotiables with yourself
Create some rules to YOUR game so that you can win. I have a personal lifetime non-negotiable that is, “no food through a drive-thru window except In&Out fries and coffee from Starbucks.” And sometimes I have seasonal non-negotiables like “Get 15,000 steps per day in summer” when I am on more walks outdoors and traveling more. You choose them and let them empower you.
6. Track Your Goals
It can be really fun and helpful to track quantitative goals like doing 3 more reps than last workout or squatting 10lbs heavier. Metrics are not all that matter, but can be really motivating. There are some days I might not feel like I look my best or have the most energy, but I am still able to do 3 more push-ups than before. That can be a real mood booster.
7. Have fun!
Have fun, keep moving and do what you love.