The Fitness Secret You’re Ignoring—Start Small, Win Big

The Embarrassing Question

How many times have we pledged to ourselves that this time around, I am going to stick to exercising? How many times have we started with great enthusiasm, only to fall back in place at square one?

If you are reflecting on the answer to any of these questions, you know that you are having problems adapting to the fitness regime you want.

Whether you decide to renew a gym membership or make your New Year’s Resolutions, you know you cannot eliminate fitness.

The increasingly sedentary lifestyles and our awareness of the diseases and disorders in store for people who keep living that way make us cringe out of fear.

We want to incorporate a consistent exercise routine into our lives, but for some strange cosmic mischief, we can never build a sustainable habit.

Behavior under a Microscope

Let us examine the situation from the beginning. When you make a pledge (which you will break by the end of the week or, if you are really psyched, by the end of week two), you are acknowledging the importance of what you are proposing to yourself.

You know that the lifestyle change you are proposing is much needed. You also know that if you keep eating like this, you will have a Santa-like belly come Christmas.

However, the pricking question is, why can you not follow through with it?

Old habits die hard, but Mick Jagger’s words are very true. Acclimatizing to changes is a gradual process that requires strong stamina.

Baby Steps

Our biggest problem is that we take big leaps when planning a fitness habit.

It is not easy for someone who has not jogged for over half a decade to tie up his running shoes and start running five miles daily.

That is an unrealistic assumption, and it can further be compounded by solemnly swearing to take up several other drastic changes at once.

Examples include people who think that they will quit smoking and drinking, hit the gym four times a week, and do cardio on top of that.

At the risk of sounding blasphemous, even Chuck Norris will have difficulty coping with all these monumental changes introduced at once.

You need to understand that your body has become accustomed to your habits and will resist any change you may want to its state.

This should not be treated as bleak new, rather the opposite, there is a bright silver lining to all of this, it also means that once that awful transition period passes by your body will take to your fitness routine like breathing air.

Yes, taking time out of your busy life will be difficult, but every essential thing requires a sacrifice, which is always worth it.

The lesson here is to start by developing small, easy-to-follow routines that you can manage without wrestling yourself too vigorously, especially if you find that you cannot work out physically and mentally for a protracted period.

Instead of running five miles, start running for five minutes if you have not run since the ice age.

The best approach is to expose yourself to that brief moment of exertion and become regular in performing it.

Once you find running for that duration easy, you can increase the intensity by doubling the time or the intensity.

Only when your body has become accustomed to the exertion of this form should you start setting metric-based targets. Even then, it is wise to start half a mile and become used to it.

The analogy for someone who is afraid of the water and tries it by dipping a toe, then a foot, and then both feet is similar to this. It involves mentally convincing yourself that this can be accomplished.

Great Expectations

The Internet of Things has made life fast, and maybe it has become too quick. You can stream a whole TV series the day it is released and download the latest games within seconds.

The ability to execute and enjoy the fruits has become a commonplace expectation, but hey, no pressure.

This thinking has pervaded all that we know, and as a result, we have become accustomed to getting results in the same swift manner.

Sadly, the human body is not your speedy internet connection, and it does not have the infinite resources of the App Store. Think more like a DSL-based torrent-free age, where you had to put effort (and money) into getting stuff.

Realizing that there will be no overnight results, no matter how high you rank your level of sacrifice and exertion, is key to becoming regular in your regimen.

It is a good idea not to stand on the scale for at least a few weeks after starting a fitness schedule. This will avoid anxiety and allow your body to take its course naturally.

Keeping Up with Yourself

No matter what excuse you make for missing a workout, you will only believe it if you want to.

You are accountable to only yourself, so take accountability seriously. Regular exercise is the most central principle; it always pays off.

Go ahead with your schedule, and reward yourself if you manage to work out despite having a million reasons to skip it.

Jealous much?

Your neighbor lost 40 pounds in three months and gave up drinking your jaw drops, and you turn an awful shade of green.

In anger and under the influence of excessive testosterone and adrenaline, you switch to a heavy workout, then burn out, and before you know it, it’s a year since you last exercised.

Such obsessions are psychologically and physically unhealthy; you will do a lot better if you are focused on being healthy yourself.

Start Today

Procrastinating never did anyone good. Don’t make excuses, and start today.

References:

Aarts, Henk, Theo Paulussen, and Herman Schaalma. “Physical exercise habit: on the conceptualization and formation of habitual health behaviors.”Health education research 12.3 (1997): 363-374.

De Bruijn, G. J., and R. E. Rhodes. “Exploring exercise behavior, intention, and habit strength relationships.” Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 21.3 (2011): 482-491.

O’donovan, G., et al. “Fat distribution in men of different waist girth, fitness level, and exercise habit.” International Journal of Obesity 33.12 (2009): 1356-1362.