Staying Fit at Home

Staying Fit at Home: Tips for staying on track when life gets in the way

While consistency is key to maintaining a regular fitness routine, life happens and it’s not always possible to meet your daily goals… That’s ok!!! Step away from your perfectionist tendency’s for a moment and adjust your expectations here. Trust me, I know the feeling! J

Think of staying fit like maintaining a healthy diet. If you consistently eat well, then that piece of chocolate cake isn’t going to make or break your diet. It’s the same thing with exercise. Just remember, something is always better than nothing, so break up your exercise into 15-minute intervals throughout your day if you have to. And if you find that day or two is starting to turn into a week or two, then it’s time to refer to your personal GPS and recalculate your route so you don’t find yourself back at the beginning.

Starting over is no fun for anyone, so begin by setting yourself up for success. The most important part of helping you recalculate and get on track is to first give yourself 10 minutes, sit down with a pen and paper, and write down 1-3 goals for yourself. To help you brainstorm, come up with a list of reasons why exercise is important to you… I mean real, tangible reasons (ie. family, health, improve your confidence, etc.)

Last but not least, think about how you are going to reward yourself when you accomplish each goal. This is the fun part! Below is a sample goal plan from one of my clients who is working very hard to not only lose weight, but maintain her healthy weight goal of 155 pounds.
Amy’s Goal Plan:
Final Destination: A happier, healthier version of me

Goal 1: I want to be a healthy role model for my kids.

Reward: I plan a fun adventure with my kids that we’ve never been able to do before (indoor rock climbing, ice skating, or biking). 

Goal 2: I eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Reward: Every Sunday, I treat myself to frozen yogurt!

Goal 3: I lose 20 pounds in 5 months to help make me a more healthy and active person for myself and my family.

Reward: For every 10 lbs lost, I buy myself a new outfit in my new size!

Once you’ve written down your goals, try these tips to help keep you on track towards your final destination:

1. Dig out the exercise equipment and old DVD’s to see what has worked for you (and hasn’t worked for you) in the past.

If you have old (or new) exercise equipment laying around, ask yourself how motivated you are to use it. For myself, my greatest struggles with committing to a fitness routine has been because I prefer being outdoors, so a lot of exercise equipment doesn’t appeal to/motivate me. However, everyone is different! If your usual routine works, keep it up! If it doesn’t, try looking for other ways to keep you motivated (ie: fitness DVD’s, group exercise, gym/studio, or hire a personal trainer to guide you through a different routine each time).

2. Identify the best times of day for you to have a non-interrupted workout

If you have kids at home or work from home, or both, this can be a challenge. The key is to identify times throughout the day that will allow you to get your workout in. It may be at the crack of dawn before your house is awake, or it may be in 15 minute increments throughout the day. In this case, it’s not about the most ideal situation, but how you can make the most of the time you do have.

3. Turn to your outside environment for motivation.

Try a running trail or a hike, if weather permits, or get a group of neighbors or friends together a few days a week for a walk around the neighborhood followed by a 15 minute backyard boot camp session. One of my clients, Kristel, has organized a “Mommy Breakfast and Boot Camp Club” in her neighborhood, where 5 women meet 2 days/week at 9:00 am for a brisk 30 min walk, 15 minute boot camp in someone’s backyard or basement, and breakfast! Each woman takes turns hosting and the club provides social support for helping one another reach their individual goals!

If you find you want a little motivation to get you started or to maintain, Drive is here to help! For more info, check us out at www.drivefitnessco.com, or contact Emilie at Emilie@drivefitnessco.com or (719) 749-8837.