January is a bizarre month. There is something about the start of a new calendar year which shocks us to the reality of the passage of time. For many, it provides renewed enthusiasm to get back on track at full speed: back to work, back to the gym, back to schedules which were temporarily put aside to take time to connect with colleagues, friends and family for holiday cheer. My personal view is that we should all be making time for others throughout the year (sans all the calories) but that is a subject for another posting.
I am not particularly fond of the fitness resolution people who hit the gyms with abandon in January only to return to their old habits by the end of the month. Great intentions, but the real benefactors are the fitness clubs and us regulars who thank you for keeping our membership fees down and giving back the equipment to the gym rats. Sad really, and it really could be prevented.
Yes, I too, have been there and jumped on that band wagon. Luckily after many years dedicated to fitness, my current goals now are to fine tune the experience, to explore new ways to keep me fit, motivated and feeling great. But when you are just starting out, you do need to realize that you need more than the change of year to commit to a fitness program. And since running is my favorite activity, a good analogy is that you really have to pace yourself and carefully plan how you are going to attack the path ahead so that you can finish the race. And by the way, the finish line should be ten, twenty, thirty years down the road, not the next five pounds if you are really going to reap the benefits of a long and healthy life.
There are alot of things you need and that may be determined by what makes you tick and keeps you motivated and it is true that you need 21 to 28 days to create new habits. What it really comes down is finding at least 3 motivators to get you up and running. Some things to consider:
From my personal experience, once you can figure out what drives you, you can begin to find the right program for you. As with all fitness programs, your first visit should be to your doctor to get a clean bill of health.
- The fitness club can become very boring very quickly unless you grew up loving the jungle gym!
Closet cheer leader? Then definately join a class. - Love the outdoors? Than go out for a walk. In the winter snowshoeing, skating are great ways to enjoy the outdoors.
- Have a hard time getting motivated? You may want to splurge on a personal trainer, but a couple of friends to work out with (you should have a backup if one bails on you) will work just as well.
- Want to develop some sexy moves? I have done a pole dancing class which is a ton of fun, but unless you want to build one in your home you are only likely able to practice in an empty subway car.
- No time to make exercise? Then improvise by walking an extra block to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Every little calorie burned counts.
So why should you exercise? What is the secret? The real payoff for exercise is not the fitness benefits. A great side effect, but the secret is how great you feel. Endorphines released in your system can be just as satisfying as orgasms or even eating chocolate as it triggers your pleasure centres. No wonder us fitness buffs keep coming back to get that high.
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