I have a confession to make. I don’t like exercise. I know it is shocking to hear a Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert say such a thing. People think I must workout all the time. As a personal trainer surely I eat, sleep, and drink exercise right? That is what most people think.
The truth is I struggle to stay on track with my workout routine. I go out of town and my schedule gets out of whack. I work too much and don’t take enough time for myself. I fall into the typical “woman giver syndrome”. I give too much of myself and my energy to others and put myself too far down on the todum pole. It drains me. It takes away my energy and desire to take care of myself. When I give all my energy away their is none left for me. Then I feel fat and cruddy.
Dealing with this struggle for years now I have learned a few secrets. Maybe you have the same struggle. This is what works for me.
- Scheduling My Exercise time:
Prior to my workout this morning I was tired. I did not want to get out of bed. If I had not had an appointment scheduled with my Personal Trainer I would have stayed in bed. I knew my body needed it so I scheduled my session ahead of time. I didn’t wait until waking up to decide if I would exercise. I know how that would play out. - Having a Coach:
Even as a trainer I need a trainer. Have you ever noticed that olympic athletes ALL have coaches. They would not be olympic athletes if they did not have a coach that knows more than they do. A coach to push them when they want to quit. I have tried going it alone and I was never consistent and never got any results. Hiring my first trainer changed my life and led me to become a much better trainer. - Having Accountability:
I need the appointment and accountability to stay on track. I got out of bed this morning because Christian was expecting me. We had an appointment. How slack would I be as a trainer if I missed a scheduled workout? I had to go to just to save face. Knowing she knew I was supposed to be there made me accountable. And if I had skipped out you better believe I would have heard about it. - Making it fun:
As I said, I do not like to exercise. Especially when I could stay in bed a little longer. But once I got up and got to the gym this morning I had a blast joking with Debbie and Linda (two other clients) during our workout. It made the workout go by faster and I pushed harder knowing that they were working just as hard. Girl Power Rules 🙂 - Continuing to Re-Start:
Yes, even as a trainer I get off track. I can get off track and stay off track or I can get right back at it. Over the years I have chosen to pick up where I left off and surprisingly when I do this I don’t miss much of a beat. The further we stray from the track the harder it is to get back to it. If I hop off I hop right back on over and over. I actually feel pretty cruddy if I miss to many workouts and I am ready to be back at it and feeling good again. The longer exercise has been part of your life the easier it is to get back on track. Long time exercisers have more practice getting back “on”. Practice makes perfect.
As I said, I don’t like exercise. At least I didn’t before I did it this morning. It was tough I am not going to lie. My heart was pumping and now my arms feel like jello. My back muscles will be tight tomorrow. Thanks Personal Trainer Christian!
Just after that quick 30 minute training session I feel like am standing taller and my belly feels tighter. Even though it is cloudy outside my day looks much brighter. And as of right now I am really liking the exercise I did this morning. Amazing how a little exercise changed my attitude!