Getting Started On The Path To A Healthier, Happier You

Congratulations, you’ve decided to change your life. You have taken the first step in creating a healthier, happier you. Now what? If you’re like most new exercisers you have a general idea of what you would like to accomplish, but you might not have a clue as how to do it. Walking through the doors and taking in all the gym has to offer can be overwhelming. It is important to have a solid plan, so that you don’t end up wandering the gym in search of fitness miracles.

The first step in your victory plan isn’t found anywhere in the gym though, it’s found in you. The true secret of success is simply in committing to a better you, whatever your goals may be.

In order to affect change you have to truly want it and want it forever. What is more committed than forever? Commitment to a better you incorporates lifestyle changes that start as small changes in your routine, that eventually become an integral part of your day. It takes commitment to eat healthier, get more sleep, drink more water and of course make time for yourself at the gym. Make a solid promise to yourself to get it done, be firm in committing to the changes you seek, and envision the future you with all those changes in place.

We all commit in theory to going to the gym, but more often than not we don’t practice it as we should. Weight loss, muscle building, flexibility, and endurance all take time to develop. Too often gym members want those results fast and without instant success, they lose the motivation to continue. Losing 100lbs or benching 300lbs are both results of building upon a solid foundation made up of smaller achievable goals. The commitment made to lose 5lbs of fat or gain 2lbs of lean muscle are everyday achievements in overall lifestyle change.

Unfortunately sticking to the plan isn’t always as easy as you might like. Everyone has days when you just don’t want to do it and the only way around that is to do it anyway. It’s a slippery slope from one or two missed workouts, to being a phantom gym member existing in the misty realm of a membership, but never there in the flesh.

There are a few tips to help the commitment levels stay high. The first and most obvious is simply go. Get up and head to the gym, you will never walk into the gym and just turn around and leave. Remind yourself that doing something is always better than doing nothing. Commit to a regular time and adhere to it. Start a routine of coming before work and getting your workout done before the day even begins. Early workouts encourage better choices throughout the day, because you’ve already put the effort in. If you do come after work, go straight to the gym. If you stop at home you’ll most likely stay there and begin the slippery slope.

Keeping your gym bag in the front seat of your car as a visible reminder of your plan is way more effective than the trunk or back seat, where it becomes a part of the upholstery. When coming from home place your bag in front of the door, so that you have to pick it up in order to leave the house, putting it elsewhere risks it becoming a new household fixture that guests may or may not admire.

When you wake up, put on your workout clothes first thing so that you are already dressed for success. Bring a friend to workout with for motivation and company. If you already know that accountability is going to be an issue, then go for the ultimate in accountability and hire a personal trainer. Amongst the many services we provide making sure you show up is one of the most utilized. We’ve heard every excuse out there and our job is not to guilt you, but to help you stay motivated and committed to your goals.

Real change comes first from within and if you’ve joined the gym you’ve already mentally committed to making changes. Physically committing to exercise and incorporating into your routine is one lifestyle change that will help transform you into the best you possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Valerie Jraisat is a Personal Trainer at XSport Fitness Arlington Heights North, IL