Can you get fit?
Absolutely.
This is the first thing you need to say to yourself every single day. Repeat after me: “I can do this.” “I can do this.”
And the thing is, you really can.
There is no program, diet, pill or drink has the magic power to turn a person overnight into a lithe creature from Greek mythology. You can transform yourself, inside and out, but it will never happen with the magic wave of a wand. . Part of any workout program should be to confront reality that what you are about to be doing is changing your lifestyle. If you were just planning to work out for a couple of days and then give it up if it doesn’t work, then you aren’t being realistic.
Getting fit is about more than just physical toning; it’s about mental, emotional and spiritual health. It’s not as complicated as any of it sounds and while there are dozens upon dozens of programs involving exercise or diet or both available; don’t let yourself get caught up in the hype.
Just because Atkins worked for a friend, doesn’t mean it will work for you. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it, but pay attention because diet and exercise are both components of fitness, not separate ways to achieve it.
Commitment to a fitness program is not just saying you will give it a shot for a week or two. Commitment means you are going to give it every effort, for many months and not let discouragement force you to quit.
The first workouts are not the hardest. The second workouts are also not the hardest. It’s after those workouts in week two or week three when you are sore or tired or worked too late or got up too early. It’s in the third and fourth weeks that the excuses come out and little bit by little bit. If you tell yourself that you can’t, you begin to erode your own confidence.
Avoid psyching yourself out:
Maintain the same fitness schedule, work out a regularly appointed time.
Life happens, but don’t stop what your exercise because you have ‘too much to do.’
Your exercise is for YOU. YOU. YOU. YOU. But what’s good for YOU in this case will also benefit your family and friends.
Your kids get tired of you ‘working out’ — let them get in on the act. It’s a great time to spend bonding.
Psyching yourself to get fit requires you to recognize that it’s a long-term project as well as a short-term project. You need to recognize that there are going to be some initial drawbacks, the easiest to identify is the muscle soreness your body is going to experience. Accept that soreness is not a bad thing.
Pain is bad. Soreness is the body’s way of communicating that the muscles did the job they were asked and they are now repairing themselves. It’s a promise that they will be stronger and more flexible next time. By accepting that you will be sore, you are mentally preparing yourself for the challenge facing the body. Have faith in yourself and in the fact that our bodies have been handling ‘stress’ of this kind for thousands of years. You will adapt. You will get stronger. You will be physically fit.