First, some
honest disclaimers: Getting in shape or becoming healthier is not a temporary
fix and it is not a small change. Even starting slow can be a huge change in
lifestyle. It can mean having to sacrifice some comforts and habits and this
may be the hardest thing about it. It also often leads to broader changes such
as earlier bed times, earlier wake up times, and a change in eating habits.
Most people fail or stop when existing comforts start to conflict with changes
towards a healthier lifestyle and so don’t be surprised if this becomes the biggest
challenge you face. Those two hours of television at the end of the day may be
your routine now, but it might be hard to do when you’re tired from working out
or if they conflict with an evening workout.
Also,
another painfully obvious but often overlooked aspect of getting in shape or
just getting healthier is that it takes time. Any product or workout trend that
claims to give you “instant” results is lying to you or it’s unhealthy.
Additionally, you have to realize that the improvement curve is not linear. If
you are starting from zero, you may see some drastic changes within the first
few months, but always remember that those changes will slow down as you
improve. Any change in habits, whether it is your diet or starting a workout
routine, will cause a change, but once that initial change happens, your
progress will slow down and that is something that happens to everyone. It’s
important to keep on chugging along and not get discouraged. You’re still
improving, but if you stop, you’ll lose all the gains.
So now that
those are out of the way (but make sure to keep them in mind), how do you
start? To answer this, I want to ask a question that requires some hefty
introspection and some brutal self-honesty:
How bad do you want it?
It sounds cliché, but this is
the basis for any change in lifestyle and habits. If you want anything enough,
you will work hard to achieve it. If you just kind of want it, you’ll keep
thinking about it and you won’t ever work towards it. I kind of want to write a
book, but until I really truly want to do it, I probably won’t do it. If you
kind of want to workout more often, you probably won’t do it, but if, deep
down, you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, feel better and potentially look
better (although that should always be secondary to the other two), you’ll
start today. However, no one can make you feel this way. No one can convince
you to really want it. Motivational people can give you a little push, but
again, if you don’t want it enough, that push will wear off and you’ll go back
to how things were before. You have to come to the realization yourself and
once you do, you will put in the work.
This is not
to say that you should sign up for an Ironman or a marathon tomorrow. It’s also
not to say that you should immediately start lifting heavy and doing complex
movements without any foundation of strength. If you’re just starting out, you
need to be smart about it. Nothing discourages someone who is just starting out
more than getting injured. It is very common for someone to start working out, get
really gung-ho about it, overdo it and then get hurt. It has happened to me and
it happens to a lot of people. They start out pushing hard because they want
results, but when they get injured, they think, “every time I start exercising,
I get hurt. It’s not worth it.” Getting into shape is a process that needs to
be approached in small steps. Most people don’t have the know-how to do it
themselves so it’s important to at least find some guidance from a
knowledgeable fitness professional. That in and of itself is a challenge and a
topic for another post, but it’s important to look into someone’s credentials
and make sure they aren’t just a charismatic,
weekend-seminar-certified-fitness-junkie.
So you need
to realize that you want it and you need to approach it intelligently and with
patience. Going back to the disclaimers, you need to realize that it takes time
and you need to maintain realistic expectations. You also need to accept the
sacrifices. You may need to cut down on the late nights or the evening
television. You may need to pack a lunch instead of eating out every day. You
may need to buy smarter at the grocery store and cook instead of just
microwaving food. You may need to read labels and limit your intake of some of
your favorite foods. These sacrifices are common, but it all goes back to the
question of: how bad do you want it?
Because if you prefer late nights, hangovers, junk food, and hours of
television, then you aren’t ready to make the changes to a healthier lifestyle.
This is
very hard to swallow for anyone who has a routine that needs to be broken. It
applies to anyone making any kind of a change to his or her life and is not
exclusive to making changes in health or fitness habits. If you want to go back
to school, start a business, change your career, or travel the world, the difference
between just wanting it and actually doing it is in how bad you want it. There
are plenty of stories of people who sold all their belongings to spend a year
or two traveling the world but there are probably more people out there who
want to do it. The difference is that those who really wanted it took the
plunge, while those who just daydream about it continue doing just that.
It’s not an easy thing, admitting to
yourself that you haven’t wanted it enough to actually do it. Excuses and
reasons flood your mind as a self defense mechanism because you don’t want to
admit that you’ve been resistant to it. But look closely at your life and ask
yourself if those reasons or excuses are valid. Are you too busy with work?
Think of the busiest, most time-consuming career possible and I promise there
is someone doing it that maintains a healthy lifestyle. Are you too busy with
family? I promise there is a single mom of three kids that has to juggle all of
their extra-curricular activities as well as her own life, who finds the time
for yoga or a few runs a week. Each person’s struggle is different but you have
to realize that if you want it enough, you’ll make time for it. If you want it
enough, you’ll make the change.
So how do
you start? How do you get into shape and lead a healthier lifestyle? Start with
asking yourself that question: how bad
do you want it? Think about it for a while and if the answer is, “I really
want it,” then the next step is clear: Start.
By Johann Warnholtz
No comments:
Post a Comment