“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.”
This quote has been sticking in my head lately. I’ve seen it attributed to Mark Twain, and also to Tony Robbins. Either way, this saying holds a lot of truth when it comes to developing and maintaining a lifelong fitness program.
For many people, taking that first step into the gym to sign up for a membership is the result of months of thought and preparation. But it is only one part of the process. Did you know that only 40% of people who join gyms continue coming regularly after the first six weeks of their membership? In my opinion, gyms share the responsibility for that very poor statistic, but that is a subject for another post.
If you’ve passed that first six-week hurdle and are exercising regularly, congratulations! If you’re still working on it, don’t give up. Experiencing failure along the way is a natural part of any growth process; the important thing is to learn from what went wrong and make changes that help you move forward in a better way on your next attempt. Take small steps and keep moving forward. Some days, it’s just a matter of packing up your workout clothes and walking out the door. Start doing something. Once you’ve started, you’re likely to continue!
Once you’ve become a regular exerciser, you still have to keep updating and changing what you do to keep your workouts fresh and challenging! Your body will get used to what you are doing if you do it over and over again, and you will become more efficient at it. Therefore your workouts will become less and less challenging over time - resulting in fewer benefits to you! Our bodies need challenge in order to improve!
Workouts can be progressed and adjusted in a number of ways depending on what you want to accomplish and what works well for your specific goals and needs. It’s not just a matter of lifting more weight. There are a number of variables at play and the important thing is to change the right ones to help you keep moving forward.
If you are working with a trainer, that partnership should result in you continuously changing and progressing your workouts as you get better at what you do. Other ways to keep your fitness program fresh include taking classes from seasoned and talented instructors, working out with a partner who challenges you in a good way, or signing up for an event you want to participate in such as a race or other fitness challenge and working toward that goal!
The important thing is to keep raising the bar in ways that are appropriate for you. You’ll have more fun in the process and keep your workouts interesting!
