There are a ton of things that go into success with anything, but I wanted to discuss two things that will help you become successful in your fitness endeavors.
The two factors that I think are two of the most important factors: Consistency and Flexibility.
Consistency in anything is so important because that’s the every day work that leads you to achieving your goals. Consistency is defined as: steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc. In the realm of fitness and those health goals you want to achieve, this means STICKING TO IT REGARDLESS OF EXCUSES! Remaining consistent can be difficult because it takes work to discipline yourself, but every single one of us is capable of this. Setting goals for yourself, long-term and short-term, and holding yourself accountable will help you achieve consistency in your daily and longer term routines. A good example of this would be telling yourself that your goal is to become healthier by committing yourself to go to the gym more. Let’s take that goal and make it more specific and measurable. How do you measure this healthier version of you that you’re trying to achieve? For the purpose of this example, we will say you’re looking to lose an inch around your waist. Then, we would look at your goal of attending the gym more and be more specific by saying you will go to the gym at least 3 times a week for the next 2 months. The next step is to hold yourself accountable in whatever method works best for you. Some people find it helpful to find an accountability partner who works out with you a few times a week. Other people allow themselves a treat like buying a new pair of workout leggings. Signing up for classes and paying ahead is another method as well. There are tons of other ways, too! Find what works for you and just go for it.
The next key is flexibility, which is something that has taken me years to learn for myself, honestly. Most people correlate consistency to a rigid schedule, but you CAN be flexible AND consistent. Flexibility is so important in all aspects of your life, whether that be in relationships with others, your fitness routine, scheduling plans with others, or eating habits. By being more flexible with our fitness routine and getting it accomplished, we actually give ourselves a tool that allows us to get MORE accomplished. I know we’ve all been there where there is just too much going on and there’s absolutely no way we’re going to make it to the gym today. That’s okay, you have plenty of options. You can decide, okay well I will take today as a rest day and make sure to get myself there tomorrow. You could also just decide, well I will just do a quick at home body weight workout and get it done in less time! What if you get to the gym and it’s absolutely nuts because it’s 5 o’ clock?!!? I know I hate that too, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get that workout in that you wanted to do. Say you want to do a leg workout and your plan says you’re supposed to do sumo squats. Unfortunately there’s not a barbell in sight for you to use. So you just don’t do it? NOPE! Just find an alternative way to accomplish the same movement. There are so many different versions you can do of an exercise. For this example, you could pickup a heavy kettle bell or Dumbbell instead and hold the weight below instead of loading it on your back. See? Not that hard and If you google ideas for things like this, you’ll find a ton of other examples. The more you consciously practice flexibility daily, the easier it will become a habit in your every day life.
These are things that you can incorporate into all the little decisions you make every day. Eventually, as you practice them more and more, then you will develop habits that make these decisions more automatic for you in the future. Everyone’s version of this is completely different from the next person, but we can all practice these things in order to get better at them.
Now get out there and get after your goals!
XOXO
Devon