Keep Going When Fitness Feels Hard

Life is filled with hard days and we would rather hide our head tucked under the pillow. Of course, this isn't an option in most cases.

What remains important is being able to navigate through everything with healthy responses, attitudes, and choices.

I am just like you and not immune to having down days, life challenges, and lacking exercise motivation. These are the days I would appreciate a hard push from a trainer to help get me through. Because not every day goes as planned and nutrition can get off track.

Sometimes, it's ok to take a step back and away from the gym when you're tired and burned out. These are the days sitting in an Epsom salt bath may take priority. Your feelings are absolutely normal and not a reason to quit but to grow in a positive way. You get back up the next day and carry on.

Life will have challenges and success comes from how you handle the discomfort. Building muscle is an uncomfortable process but you persevere to achieve a positive result. 

Goals are achieved through planning and action. Workouts will be exhausting and eating healthy sometimes tiresome, but tired or not, giving up is never an option. It's important to keep going when fitness feels hard. It will never be easy but you do get stronger.

As long as you give your best no matter what that looks like, it's good enough. Today, my best came through taking an Epsom salt bath and right now my sore muscles are saying thank you. Did you achieve your best today? Something to think about on your fitness journey.

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How to Keep Going When You Lack Motivation

Why is staying motivated so hard?

Because starting your fitness program is usually easier than sticking with it over time.

Staying Motivated

How do you stay motivated with health and fitness?

It comes down to your mental game and discipline. You will not always be motivated, but discipline takes over and provides the drive to keep going.

Motivation involves a feeling whereas discipline is all about action. You will not want to eat right or exercise all the time and you may even dread it. You are not alone. This happens to all of us at every fitness level.

Hang in There!

The important thing is not to quit, or base your fitness program on a fleeting feeling. Discipline is what gets you to the workout and motivation kicks in once you get started. Being around other people who are working towards a similar goal can be very motivating.

The same goes for eating healthy and meal prep. You may be tempted to order a pizza instead of getting out the pots and pans to cook healthy food and clean a big kitchen mess afterward. However, once you get in there and start chopping, grilling, and slow-cooking it becomes an enjoyable experience.

You are gaining control of what you're eating and feel good about the accomplishment. This is called sticking to the program and has nothing to do with motivation. Although, feeling better about your choices can be very motivating. Again, it starts with discipline and the actions to motivate the process.

Staying motivated takes daily choices and a positive attitude. It's more about discipline and wanting to succeed than feelings. Once you grasp that it's absolutely normal to feel unmotivated sometimes is when you actually gain motivation. You understand actions speak louder than feelings and will keep you going when motivation is lacking.

Helpful Tips and Ideas

The following tips may help during those times when motivation needs a boost:

• Realize motivation is a feeling that changes daily.
• Discipline carries you when motivation is lacking.
• Do your workout anyway - you will feel better afterward.
• Stay positive and surround yourself with like-minded people with similar goals.
• Reach out to a friend or significant other to help keep you accountable.
• Hire a personal trainer.
• You are not too busy (excuses are unacceptable).
• Whatever is going on in your life, you can succeed.
• Place post-it notes with positive affirmations all over the place.
• You have come too far to only come this far. Keep going!
• The struggle is real and the best reason to keep going.
• You can do it!
• Join a gym and take fitness classes.
• Sign up for a healthy cooking class.

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It's Never Too Late and You're Never Too Old to Get Fit

It's never too late and you're never too old to get fit and healthy.

 

Many people are still believing the myth that aging is a negative process that comes with wrinkles and limitations. This is far from the truth. Older people are living longer, staying healthy, confident, and happy.

I have seen men and women become their fittest at 70 and beyond. Age is being redefined as beautiful and an exciting time of becoming the person you always should have been. Age being just a number is really true and exemplified by so many fabulous older people today.

Personally, I don't care if my body is aging because it doesn't define anything about me. All I know is that I'm an older version of myself that is better than I was before. And my mind and body feel youthful and strong.

What has really helped with fitness at every age is having a positive attitude. And making the choice to dump unhealthy habits and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Aging well has become a time of personal development and strength for many people embracing their age. 

Each day is an opportunity to change for everyone. Your age doesn't limit your ability to accomplish anything in life including your fitness goals. 

Aging Well Tips

The most important thing is to remain realistic and adopt a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable and enjoyable.

Using a food journal may help keep you accountable. You will be able to honestly track your food intake and make appropriate changes to start eating healthier.

Use a fitness journal to schedule your workouts. You will not always feel like exercising, but it will be important not to cancel on yourself. Stay disciplined through the process and it will eventually become a habit that is a regular part of your life. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly. 

This is not a quick fix so mentally prepare for a lifestyle change. The time will pass anyway so you might as well be working on health improvement. Fitness is also not about perfection but progress as you strive each day to be healthy.

Have a positive attitude. There will be days when it feels really hard and you may even want to give up. Hold onto knowing you are stronger than any negative thoughts.

More Helpful Tips:

• Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods that include lean proteins, good carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Get to bed at a decent hour and try for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
• Exercise 3-4 times per week to start and progress as you get stronger.
• Include weight resistance training 1-2 times per week to start.
• Keep a food journal for accountability ... be honest with yourself.
• Dump the junk food and replace it with healthy food options.
• Pay attention to portion sizes and read food labels.
• Eat several small meals per day and do not allow yourself to feel hungry.
• Weigh-in only one time per week, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, and how you look naked. Dump the scale if it becomes a frustration.
• Make time for prayer and positive self talk to keep up the motivation.
• Set realistic small goals to start like losing 10lbs or signing up to walk your first 5K. 
• Hire a qualified personal trainer for guidance and motivation if going it alone feels too overwhelming.

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Finding the Best Exercise Program That Works For You

Are you struggling with finding the right workout? You're not alone. It can feel overwhelming with so many different programs available.

The Best Exercise Program

The best exercise for you is one that works for your body and lifestyle. It's also one you should enjoy and keeps you coming back for more.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best workout program for you. Your fitness level and lifestyle are the first things that come to mind. Also, your overall feeling about exercise.

Exercise is a component of physical fitness and an important part of achieving lasting results. Keeping this in mind, it will be essential for you to first identify where you see yourself regarding exercise:

The Physical Part

• I am a sedentary person and don't exercise at all.
• I exercise occasionally. (a few times per month).
• I exercise regularly (3-5 times weekly).

The Mental Part

• I dislike the thought of exercising.
• I don't like exercise discomfort and being sore the next day.
• I don't like to get sweaty or feel hot.
• I feel overwhelmed, intimidated, and don't know what I am doing.
• I am too busy to exercise.
• I fear to go to the gym.
• I can get bored easily and quit.
• I feel pretty confident in my exercise program.
• I enjoy going to the gym, feel stronger, and better because of it.

Choosing Your Workout Program

Acceptance of where you are physically and mentally will be the start of selecting the best workout program for you. Allowing yourself to be a beginner will be an important part of this process. It will also help with improving how you feel about exercise. 

All components of fitness are individual and not universal making this about your program, your body, and your progress. Your workout may mimic an exercise program through guidance but it belongs to you. This is true for everyone at any fitness level.

That being said, the following tips will help you get motivated about choosing a workout program that works best for you:

• Accept and allow yourself to be a beginner. This may require enlisting the help of a qualified personal trainer, watching online fitness expert workshops and exercise classes, and buying books on the subject of exercise for beginners. 

• Understand that exercise will be a brief uncomfortable process. Change takes challenging your body and exercise discomfort is normal. Remember, short-term discomfort for lasting results. This will take getting comfortable with getting uncomfortable. 

• Write down physical activity that sounds fun to you. Look into classes, videos, etc., that cater to your likes. This is very helpful for those who dislike the thought of exercising. You can do it!

• Make it a goal to exercise at least 3 days per week to start.

• A challenging workout will heat up your body and produce sweat. This will require a change of mindset for those uncomfortable with this. Remember, it's only for a short time and gets you closer to your goals. This also requires getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

• Avoid boredom and promote muscle confusion by changing up your workout programs regularly. This will keep you motivated.

• Gain workout confidence by pushing past your fears and into the gym. This will feel hard, but each day will get easier. I promise!

• Being too busy is an unacceptable excuse not to take care of your fitness. This is an issue of priorities, not having time. Remove the calendar clutter and make time to exercise. 

• Already confident in the gym but have hit a plateau? Research different ways to challenge your body, join a new fitness class, increase your weight resistance/reps. There is always a way to improve and progress your workout program.

• Your ultimate goal is to become a regular exerciser (3-5 times per week for life).

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More is Not Always Better to Achieve Your Fitness Goals

When it comes to fitness more isn't always better. Overtraining, over supplementing, and consuming too much protein can adversely affect your body.

More is not better, better is better.

Getting fit and maintaining a healthy body is a simple process. It really doesn't require eating loads of protein or grueling workouts to reach your goals. All it takes is a consistent effort of eating right and exercise. Quality over quantity.

Focused workouts utilizing differing energy systems of the body throughout the week is sufficient. What this means is mixing up cardio, weight training, core work and flexibility for a well-balanced program. Exercising at least 4-times per week is shown to maintain a healthy body according to research.

Active rest days are a great way to have fun when not performing a structured workout. Enjoy being active and healthy is the point.

Food for Thought

Thinking about nutrition in a healthy way is also important. Eating more than is required of any macronutrient can backfire your good fitness intentions. Consuming a balance of whole nutritious foods including lots of veggies, lean proteins, and good fats in appropriate amounts is what maintains optimal fitness.

We require a certain amount of each macronutrient and over-consumption of one can actually have adverse health effects, just as eliminating healthy foods can cause nutrient deficiencies. More is not better, better is better. 

Effective Exercise

Spending hours in the gym thinking this is beneficial to your fitness is inaccurate. This is a perfect example of how many think more is better. Overtraining can have adverse effects on your body, not to mention an increased risk of exercise burnout.  

Over-use of joints and even muscle breakdown can occur when the body is overtrained. Overtraining syndrome is shown to decrease your immunities, decrease muscle growth, and increase stress levels.

Another problem is exercise addiction that may occur for those feeling guilty eating off track and psychologically beating themselves up in the gym. Obsessive exercise to relieve food guilt can increase the risk of overtraining syndrome. 

Appropriate workouts are focused and effective taking no more than an hour to complete.

Final Thoughts

What it comes down to is being fitness smart. This means not believing more is better. It allows you to enjoy the process of getting healthy with proper nutrition and workouts.

Often times, basic, simple but challenging workouts provide the best results. You are able to maintain your body without overworking to the point of burnout or injury.

Also, it's important to stay away from fad diets. Remember if it's too good to be true - it is. The only proven scientific claims to successful fitness are eating right and exercise. 

The takeaway is simply to eat right, exercise consistently, and enjoy a balanced life. This is true fitness and nothing more to it. More is not better, better is better.

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Maintaining a Healthy Perspective About Fitness is Important

I adopted a healthy lifestyle years ago and never looked back. Today it's my state of being and natural existence.

In fact, my passion for health and fitness has become my occupation. When you do what you love, it really doesn't feel like work. It's a sharing and teaching of how I live my life. It feels awesome to be able to provide this gift to so many people.

How I Feel About Fitness

I am realistic about health and fitness. I don't teach perfection but celebrate progress. Fitness is not about a restrictive lifestyle but a healthy balance of eating right most of the time and regular exercise.

I also don't believe in taking fitness to an extreme where it feels like a burden. What I do encourage is a positive mental game and a healthy perspective about health and fitness. This includes enjoying the food you eat and the exercise you perform. Living healthy should feel like a happy daily existence.

I Stay Realistic About Food Intake

I am all about eating organic, non-GMO, and cooking at home. This allows me to be in control of what I'm eating and selective with splurges. Life and fitness are about balance and indulgence is part of the equation.

Being selective with splurges gives me the freedom to decide if my calories will go toward a favorite dessert or even an adult beverage. I certainly will not turn down a piece of my Mom's homemade lemon meringue pie. I also enjoy a nice glass of red wine during the week on occasion.

I do my best to eat healthily and sometimes this means my food isn't always organic. Realistically, unless we're growing our own food in untainted soil, none of us are truly 100 percent organic consumers.

We can get too complicated with food intake which is actually a problem with eating healthy today. As long as your focus is on doing the best you can, that is good enough.

Workouts are Effective Not Extreme

I believe workouts can be effective without being extreme and drawn out. I don't spend endless hours in the gym to maintain my body. In fact, studies indicate an effective workout can be completed in 60 minutes or less. I also feel my workouts are a healthy outlet and not a punishment for eating crappy. I make sure to get in 4-5 workouts per week with at least two recovery days. I would describe my healthy lifestyle as realistic, sustainable, and mentally positive.

My Best is Good Enough

Doing my best means doing what works best for me and my body. And that's good enough.

Fitness is individual and not universal so we can't compare our fitness programs and results with another person. The truth is we could all eat the same, and perform the same workouts, and not look the same.

Doing my best is based on daily personal improvements and that is the beautiful part about health and fitness. It will be different and look different for each of us. And the acceptance of this is so important for self-love and body positivity.

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How You Feel About Your Body Is Important

Fitness includes so much more than weight loss or workouts. Being a healthy person involves discipline for each day, creates awareness, and instills conscious living. It means being mindful of how you feel about your body and how you treat your body. 

Health Starts in Your Mind

Fitness is a lifestyle that goes way beyond the physical. Living this way starts in your mind and motivates you to live a quality life.

It involves daily choices for becoming a healthy person. When health remains the focus, you are being mindful of treating your body with the utmost care.    

The Problem

What often happens is feeling overwhelmed with trying to be perfect. And this morphs into frustration, insecurities, and not treating our body with the love it deserves.

We can put so much pressure on ourselves to reach a certain weight or squeeze into skinny jeans that we lose sight of how being fit is supposed to feel. A healthy body should feel good but instead many of us accept that fitness is an uncomfortable burden.

And we often accommodate pain from unnecessary extreme workouts on a daily basis. Instead of listening to what is best for our body, we accept exercise methods not appropriate for our fitness levels, medical issues, or not enjoyable mentally.

The pressure to reach unrealistic body goals too quickly has derailed what health should really include for each person. The focus isn't on health but on a temporary goal based on outward appearance.

Healthy lifestyles are meant to be enjoyed for a lifetime, not just for a few months.

Mindful Fitness

A fit lifestyle includes regular exercise that is effective and enjoyable. It doesn't have to be extreme but challenging enough to maintain a healthy body. It also means being mindful of nutrition and eating foods containing a high nutrient value. Consuming nutritious foods will help you feel energized and their antioxidants provide numerous health benefits including protection from illness and disease.

Rest is also important to maintain a healthy body. Without adequate sleep, your body will not be able to recover from the demands placed on it through workouts, stress, and the overall daily grind. Being mindful of your sleep habits will help improve your health and fitness.

A healthy life also requires a balance of work and play. We often lose sight of our inner child replacing it with the busy demands of adulthood. Staying young at heart helps reduce your stress and enables you to enjoy life more. Having a mindful balance of work and play creates a positive, happy mindset that looks forward to shutting down to recharge the mental batteries.

Health and Happiness

The reality is you can enjoy life and live a healthy lifestyle at the same time. This is accomplished by making health a priority and being consistent with your choices. Being fit doesn't mean slaving for hours in the gym and eating boiled fish and broccoli at every meal. This is far from what living a healthy lifestyle looks like.

When the focus is on health and improving the quality of your life, becoming fit happens naturally along the way. This also allows you to let go of the stress of unrealistic fitness goals and quick fixes. The pressure to look a certain way loses its importance as you concentrate more on how good being healthy feels.

Your awareness of the importance of being a healthy person becomes primary in more ways than physical. You are mindful of eating right, exercising your body, and think positive about yourself. Applying this healthy attitude and lifestyle creates the body you want in the way it should happen.

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Eating in Moderation Helps Me Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Living a healthy lifestyle is not about unsustainable restrictive diets but allowing for some moderation. 

It's just not realistic to eliminate a favorite food forever from your diet. Nothing feels good or normal about that.

I consider my occasional splurges as part of my healthy eating and not even cheats. Because eating them in moderation is an enjoyable experience. It's called living a balanced healthy life.

I don't believe having a fresh-baked brownie now and then is cheating on my fitness program. I follow a 80/20 rule consuming a wide variety of good carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats 80% of the time. I allow for 20% indulgence like a glass of wine or dark chocolate. These small treats won't derail my efforts as many of us are taught to believe. It's what you do consistently that defines what your body looks like.

I do feel indulgences need to be quality. I don't waste time on packaged process junk foods but will splurge on home-baked goods made with real ingredients. I also enjoy a good burger, gourmet pizza, and frozen yogurt with toppings. When I treat myself, I still want to be in control of the quality of the food. I also don't believe in having a free ticket to binge on thousands of calories on splurge day. That is defeating the purpose of a splurge meal or day. If I want a burger and fries, I enjoy the meal and move on.

I don't plan a treat day either but listen to my cravings. I work hard, eat clean 80 to 90 percent of the time and know eating a slice of apple pie Ala mode is not going to break my fitness bank. I will savor every bite of that indulgence without guilt. 

Food Considerations

Having treat meals is always a personal choice but sometimes there are physiological and psychological issues to consider. In these scenarios, eating certain foods can sometimes require expert advice before including them in your nutrition plan. The following list includes a few examples:

• Those suffering from emotional eating disorders may need to seek the guidance of a registered dietitian specializing in disordered eating.

• Some people have an unhealthy relationship with food and are triggered to use food for comfort or soothing emotional upset. Seeking the guidance of a qualified therapist or dietitian may be helpful in these circumstances.  

• Other people may have diagnosed medical conditions like Chron's Disease, Diabetes, or Celiac Disease where food intake may require being under the care of a physician. 

Healthy Balance

I eat in moderation for balance in my healthy lifestyle. Thinking we can sustain on boiled fish and broccoli is not realistic. I enjoy some sort of sweet treat or fun meal a couple of times weekly and still maintain a healthy body. It really comes down to how you apply to eat in moderation. It's not a reward for being deprived all week or for completing a hard workout.

Living a healthy lifestyle shouldn't feel like a burden or deprivation. If that's the case, a review of your current nutrition plan is advisable. An unsustainable nutrition plan will cause many of us to return to unhealthy eating habits. Life is too short not to eat healthily and it's also too short not to enjoy some splurges along the way.

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Why Commitment Matters for Health and Happiness

What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'commitment'?

I think about how commitment matters in so many things in life - my marriage, health, fitness, and happiness.  They all take dedication and work, right? Without proper care and commitment, success is almost impossible.

To put it simply - if you cheat on your marriage, it will not work…if you cheat on your health, it will not work…see what I mean? In order to maintain your health and happiness, it takes commitment, effort, and work on a consistent basis.  

In this journey of life, I have learned the importance of commitment. I certainly have found a gem in my husband and cherish our relationship as a priority.  I feel the same way about my health and fitness. I realize fitness is a precious gift worthy of my attention so I can live a healthy quality of life. 

Commitment is a word I take seriously. It's a promise that I will maintain my health and marriage in a healthy way. And each day is an opportunity to make the right choices and do the right things.  I treat both my marriage and health with tender loving care, appreciation, time, and attention. 

Commitment to the things that matter is important and believe me, there are plenty of things in life that just don't matter. And for the things that do matter, commitment is essential. In fact, when you are committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. That said,  I believe in seeing positive results in my marriage and health. If I don't take the healthy steps to make that happen, that is on me. I have worked too hard and long in my life to not make the most of each day. This includes appreciating good health and happy marriage.     

I can honestly say it has taken half my life to reach the maturity of emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being that I understand today.  The journey was difficult as I am sure most of you can relate. But through patience, perseverance, and commitment, developing good health and happiness was worth the effort and positive results. 

The importance of commitment is also patience through the process as nothing happens overnight. There is no such thing as here today and gone tomorrow and rushing life usually gets us no-where. The point is to stay true to your commitments, appreciate the journey, and grow in positive ways through the struggles. 

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How to Reach and Maintain Your Fitness Goals

Once you reach your fitness goals, are they really done?

I hope the answer is a resounding -  NO. Because maintaining your fitness is a lifetime process.

Without maintaining your fitness, what was all the hard work for? Life is the event deserving of your best healthy self. Sure, you may be motivated by a special occasion, or to fit into a swimsuit, but those are only short-term goals. 

Staying fit means you're in this for the long haul. You have made a personal commitment to a healthy lifestyle and enjoying a quality life through the process. 

Healthy Lifestyle Goals

Living healthy is a continual process of eating right, regular exercise, and plenty of rest. When you work hard to lose weight, reduce body fat, and gain muscle, just letting all that go doesn't make sense. For example, it has taken me decades to develop mature muscle. Without continual challenging workouts and proper fuel, I could easily lose it to deconditioning.

Staying fit also means being happy and comfortable with your new lifestyle. You are in a good place physically and mentally. It allows you to enjoy the fruits of your fitness accomplishments. Sometimes your confidence can be boosted to the point of self-challenge with fitness competitions or marathons. This can be awesome and rewarding. Most of us just want to feel really good about our body and health.

What Happened?

Unfortunately, many individuals fail to maintain their fitness goals and return to unhealthy habits. This is probably one of the hardest things to see as a trainer and can be difficult for the individual who worked hard to achieve so much. What happened? 

People are looking for temporary fixes instead of lifelong results is what happened. Diet culture has caused a lot of confusion about fitness with restrictive diets and extreme exercise not sustainable for people. Unfortunately, these untruths about health and fitness have many people believing that fitness is a burden. Wearing that bikini felt great for a minute, but once that event is over, unhealthy habits return along with an unhealthy body.

The real problem is not learning fitness as a sustainable lifestyle that is enjoyable. It will be important to change your mindset about health and fitness to stay fit. 

How to Stay Fit

Staying fit requires living healthy full-time. This means dumping diet culture philosophy and moving into a healthier way to take care of your body. Taking care of your fitness in a realistic, sustainable, and fun way is the best of health maintenance.

This is done by following healthy guidelines used to reach and maintain your goals including:

• Eat healthy 80-90 percent of the time. 
• Consume a wide variety of healthy macronutrients. 
• Consume a mostly plant-based diet (60% of food intake should come from plant foods) 
• Exercise at least 3 days per week (5 is optimal).
• Strength train at least 2 times weekly.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Maintain flexibility by stretching post-workout.
• Get plenty of sleep (6-8 hours).
• Reduce stress by balancing your priorities and enjoying more free time.
• Meditation/prayer is helpful.
• Maintain a positive mindset.

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12 Things Not To Do If You Want to Get Fit

There are plenty of articles telling you how to get fit, but what about things you shouldn’t be doing to accomplish this goal? The truth is there are certain strategies that fit people use to achieve results and maintain their bodies. So what exactly are they not doing that you can learn from to get fit?

The following list will cover 12 things not to do if you want to get fit:

1. Procrastinate

Waiting wastes your time and negatively affects your health. If you want to get fit, it will take action starting now and not tomorrow. Fit individuals don’t wait around for things to happen, they make fitness results happen.

2. Make Excuses

Excuses don’t burn calories or improve your health. You want to improve your fitness but keep coming up with reasons not to do the work. Fit people understand the importance of their health, make it a priority, and live a disciplined lifestyle. This includes exercising even when they don't feel like it.

3. Go on a Diet

Going on a diet only provides short-term results and lots of frustration. Weight loss may happen initially but returns, plus some, when the diet is over. Fit people consume nutritious foods most of the time and accept that all foods have a place in a healthy lifestyle. Food freedom eliminates food restriction, removes food guilt, and allows for a nutrition plan that is sustainable. 

4. Bash Yourself

Negative self-talk and body shaming aren't beneficial to you or your fitness. You desire to look good but aren’t able to accept who you are now while working on the body you want. Fit and healthy people maintain a positive attitude, self-love, and body acceptance every step of the fitness journey.

5. Avoid Making Health and Fitness a Priority

Not making fitness a priority is a big reason you’re not seeing results. You want to be fit but not willing to take the time to eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest. There is always something more important than you. Fit individuals see the value of health improvement and make the time to live a healthy lifestyle.

6. Compare Your Progress

Your fitness results will differ from another. Constantly comparing your body and fitness program with your friend or whoever can lead to frustration, disappointment, and even quitting. Fit people focus on their own body, progress, and do what works best for them without caring what other people think.

7. Get Fit for Others

Getting fit to please someone else is not really taking care of you for you. Others can disappoint you and even make you feel bad about fitness efforts. The reason to get fit and feel good is a decision fit people make for themselves for their own happiness and health.

8. Expect Instant Results

Fitness results take time and many people struggle with being patient for realistic results. This often leads to frustration and searching for the next fad diet program offering false guarantees. Fit individuals maintain a relaxed mindset, trust the process, and realize getting healthy is a consistent process that requires patience.

9. Focus on Slipups

Being focused on slipups like eating a cookie instead of celebrating daily fitness efforts is a problem. Slipups are part of life, health, and fitness but many people are unable to accept slipups are part of the program. Instead, food guilt and negative self-talk make a fit lifestyle feel like a burden. Those who live a fit lifestyle understand it’s not perfect, do their best each day, focus on the positive, and enjoy all foods as part of a balanced healthy life.

10. Fear Trying New Things

Doubt and fear steal more dreams than failure ever will. You want to get fit but fear the gym environment, being around new people, and trying new things in general. This kind of thinking can become an excuse for not getting involved in a fitness program. Fit people will try new things even if they feel scared or intimidated because they understand the health benefits gained are life-long compared to a temporary feeling.

11. Sabotage Your Program

A fitness program can be easily sabotaged by your own choices or the influence of others. Skipping workouts becomes more frequent, and eating healthy, inconsistent. The program may have started strong but no longer is a priority. Those maintaining fit and healthy bodies keep their exercise appointments and eat healthy at least 80% of the time.

12. Give Up

If you stop now, what was it all for in the first place? You may be unhappy about lots of things like not seeing results, exercise, and a restrictive diet. Instead of trying a better strategy, many people choose to return to unhealthy habits. Giving up is not respecting your body or your health. Fit people never give up and if something isn’t working, they keep trying until they find what does work best for their body, health, and life.

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5 Workouts You May Want to Try For Improved Fitness

The good thing about workout programs is they’re individual and not universal. We all differ in fitness level, personality, lifestyle, and goals. Taking this into consideration, selecting the right workout program is an important part of our fitness journey. 

There’s a wide variety of exercise modalities available to accommodate every individual and lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned athlete or newbie fitness enthusiast, there’s something for everyone. The best and most effective workout is one that you do consistently, enjoy, and works with your lifestyle and goals. 

Selecting the right workout program can be a challenge with all the different options available. A helpful tool in choosing the best exercise plan is writing down your health and fitness goals. Are you an active adult or athlete who wants to increase exercise intensity or a beginner with a desire to lose a few pounds? What about a bodybuilder trying to increase lean mass or an individual struggling with flexibility? Whatever your fitness goal, there are specific workout programs supplying these benefits.

Once your fitness goals are defined, choosing an exercise program becomes simplified. The next step includes understanding the definition, purpose, and benefits of each workout modality. The following popular exercise programs are shown to be effective for health and fitness improvement:

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become one of the most popular training methods. What makes this exercise program so appealing is being able to complete a workout in a short period of time. According to research, HIIT is a time-efficient strategy to improve our health and fitness and cuts our exercise training in half.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is also referred to as high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training (SIT). HIIT is a vigorous form of exercise combining interval training and cardiovascular exercise. As a participant of HIIT, you would be challenging your body with low and high-intensity work. An example would be performing a maximum sprint for 100 yards followed by a few seconds of light jogging or walking to recover. The workout duration is typically 30 minutes or to exercise exhaustion.

Research indicates high-intensity interval training is effective for reducing body fat, improving athletic performance, and flexibility. However, due to the extreme challenge on the body, some studies show it may not be the best fit for inactive individuals beginning a fitness program. In this instance, HIIT could be a progressive program implemented later once fitness and activity levels have increased. It appears to be highly favorable for active adults and athletes taking their workouts to the next level. 

Strength Training

Strength or resistance training is another popular and effective exercise modality. This form of exercise is designed to improve muscular fitness by challenging a muscle or muscle group using external resistance. External resistance can include free weights, resistance bands, or cable machines for example. Strength training can be modified to the fitness level of an individual making it a superior workout option.

Resistance training is the preferred method of exercise for bodybuilders to increase muscle strength and size. It’s also favored among new exercisers and active adults who desire to improve muscle tone and stimulate fat loss. The program is best performed using a progressive style increasing in weight resistance, sets, and repetitions as muscular strength is increased. Beginners may find it easier to start with machines before moving into more complex free-weight exercises. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training at least two non-consecutive days per week for optimal results.

Besides being one of the most versatile and enjoyable ways to exercise among the general population, strength training is indicated to provide numerous health benefits. Chronic research has shown regular resistance training to reduce our risk of heart disease by lowering body fat. It’s also said to increase our metabolism, decrease blood pressure, increase bone density, and improve cholesterol levels.

Bodyweight Training

Bodyweight training or exercises take us back to the basics and a great workout option for individuals without access to gym equipment. This method of training uses body weight as the resistance to build muscular strength, lean mass, endurance, and flexibility. Bodyweight training is considered the ‘no gym, no excuses’ workout program you can perform anywhere.

Bodyweight training is still considered strength training and accomplished without free weights or machines. Another bonus to this program is no gym membership fee and time-efficient because it can be done right at home.

Popular bodyweight training exercises include pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, planks, and squats. Advanced movements incorporate handstands and strength holds. Bodyweight training is very challenging but is easily modified to accommodate any fitness level. It is also shown to have a reduced risk of personal injury compared to weighted exercise.

Group Training

Group training is an excellent workout choice for those who like the push of being in an exercise class environment. This mode of exercise is led by an instructor and performed by a group of individuals. Gyms or boot camps commonly offer modified versions to exercise accommodating all fitness levels. This makes for a fun, active, and social exercise experience.

Group training formats can include muscle conditioning, body pump, yoga, Pilates, step, and kickboxing. The wide variety of class options creates an ever-changing workout atmosphere helpful to avoid burnout. Also, the classes are typically well-structured, effective, and completed within a one-hour duration.

Working out with friends is another way to describe group training. When we exercise with others, it provides an accountability factor not given when we train alone. Group settings are shown to keep us motivated and interested. This is important for continued success and maintaining our fitness.

Yoga

Yoga is considered holistic therapy with the purpose of creating strength, awareness, balance, and harmony within the mind and body. There are many disciplines of this exercise method, one of the most popular being Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga focuses on physical applications to strengthen the body along with exercises to center the mind. This practice also emphasizes proper nutrition to detoxify the body and breathing techniques supporting relaxation.

Yoga includes physical posturing to strengthen the body, increase flexibility, promote relaxation, and enhance our concentration. Research indicates yoga is a safe way to exercise to improve physical function along with mental and social well-being. It’s also indicated to help with stress-relief, improved energy, and vitality. 

Closing thoughts:

Regular exercise is an important part of achieving and maintaining our health and fitness. The great news is we have options in what works best for us, our bodies, and individual goals. Research indicates strength, aerobic, and flexibility training should be included in a well-balanced exercise program. Providing this variety is something to keep in mind while planning the best workout routine for you. Many individuals opt to include a supplement program along with their exercise routine. Certain supplements, such as whey protein, are shown to benefit workout recovery. This or other supplements can also be beneficial but it’s always a good idea to discuss with your doctor.

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I prepared this article as a compensated feature post for Life Extension and you can read more about them below:

About Life Extension: Life Extension has been helping people stay healthy and live better for more than 35 years. Life Extension is committed to sourcing the highest quality raw materials and creating the best supplements since 1980. Life Extension provides the latest research on health, wellness, nutrition, & aging. Offering unique, premium quality dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, herbs, & hormones. Visit our website at Life Extension and connect with us on social media; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! 

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Negative Thinking Can Derail Your Health and Happiness

A large percentage of people are struggling with self-doubt and negativity toward themselves. This has lots to do with our perfectionist society placing so much pressure on people to obtain the unobtainable. 

Our self-scrutiny can be harsh as we tear down our bodies and life. This kind of negative thinking has the potential to derail your health and happiness.

You may put off making healthy choices and starting a fitness program because you just don't believe it's possible. But I am here to tell you that getting healthy and happy is possible for everyone at every age and stage in life.

Mental Outlook is Important

Your mental outlook is one of the most important parts of achieving success. Remember, your body achieves what the mind believes.

It's also important not to waste precious time caring what other people think and body comparisons because instead of being positive about fitness, we often become intimidated. Possibly even resentful and angry. This often leads to self-sabotage and what's the use of even trying attitudes.

Focus on You

Why are people still trying to live up to someone else's standards and fitness results? Your drive to accomplish the grass is greener on the other side does nothing but rob your positive thoughts. By remaining so focused on not measuring up, you're failing to see how fabulous you really are. Let's turn this around.

Each day is an opportunity to be proud of your efforts. Instead of being upset about losing only one pound, be happy to have lost one pound. Did you notice how that got switched around to a positive?

We have to stop believing everything we think about ourselves. This has become a big problem getting in the way of your health and fitness goals. And it will take mindfulness to be aware of negative thinking so it can be changed into positive thoughts about yourself.

Believe in Yourself

What you believe determines your life, health, and happiness. Negative thoughts take you down while positive feelings uplift and carry you to great places.

For example, getting fit takes acceptance of being a beginner and progressing each day. Not trashing yourself for not being as good as someone who has been working out for years. Did you workout? Eat healthier? Awesome and be happy to have achieved a daily goal.

Fitness is really a simple process we often complicate with negative stuff. Time to toss out the negative committee living in your heads. You are stronger than all that useless noise between your ears.

Working on your mental outlook will help create a healthy, happy life. What I found to be helpful is writing positive affirmations on post-it notes where they are readily visible. Or writing on the bathroom mirror with dry-erase markers positive thoughts for the day. And it's not only important to read the words but also to believe the words.

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Fitness is a Process You Achieve One Day at a Time

Believing anything happens quickly is not realistic. Fitness is a process of small changes creating large results over time. No magic wand to instantly provide a chiseled physique or bikini body. You may want that, but not how it works. Quick fix thoughts only set us up for frustration and failure.

One Day at a Time

Achieve fitness one day at a time. Biceps don't suddenly appear after your first day in the gym. What does occur when you apply fitness daily is progress. The muscle will show up but give it time to work, grow, and build. It's like a fine wine or great simmering stew. The journey will be rewarding but patience is required.

Fad Fitness

One of the worst things you could do is jump into a fad diet or take unregulated fat burning supplements thinking this is the answer. Read the small print on any of these pseudo-fitness deals. "Best results when accompanied with a healthy diet and exercise program" is what you'll find.

All that needs to happen is to follow the small print which is the best advice on those bottles. In fact, any results achieved comes from implementing a healthy nutrition plan and exercise. You're the one doing the work, not what's in those bottles.

Healthy Lifestyle

Fitness done daily will take time and effort but the lifelong results are the reward. A healthy lifestyle is a journey and not a destination. There's no need to feel rushed or stressed about getting fit. It's really a simple process often over-complicated. Find healthy foods and exercise you enjoy to stay motivated and keep you coming back for more.

Avoid jumping ahead in your mind to what you want now - focus on today. What are you doing today to reach your fitness goals? Did you exercise, eat healthily, and get plenty of rest? Awesome! Celebrate your daily achievements. Write them down if it helps. Stay positive even when things aren't showing up as fast as you think they should.

Health is Personal

We're all different in how our bodies respond to change. Comparing to friends or people you see at the gym is the thief of joy. You're not here to be or look like someone else. Your job is to become your best healthy self through daily choices. Who cares if your friend lost 5lbs and you didn't reach that mark. Fitness is not about who is faster at achieving results.

The goal is getting fit and loving yourself through the process. The days are going to pass anyway so focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle the right way. Today is what we have, tomorrow isn't promised and yesterday is gone. Be in the now with your fitness and you'll get there one day at a time.

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Find Your Motivation Mojo For Health Improvement

Have you found motivation mojo when it comes to improving your health? 

Motivation is an important part of your fitness journey. And when that is lacking, having a disciplined lifestyle can jumpstart that motivation. 

Staying motivated includes finding the best workouts, healthy foods, and lifestyle that keeps you interested. A healthy life that is enjoyable, sustainable, and suits who you are.

What Motivates You

Some may not be motivated by visual images of healthy people and respond better to written affirmations: YOU CAN DO IT, FIND YOUR STRONG, or BE YOUR BEST HEALTHY YOU for example. Regardless of what suits your motivational fancy, the important thing is to just get yourself going.

Motivation comes from what makes you happy and keeps you coming back for more. The following are a few examples of things that have helped people get and stay motivated:

• upbeat music
• fun fitness clothes/shoes
• positive affirmations
• joining a gym
• goal setting
• seeing results
• eating better
• good health
• wearing whatever you want
• feeling better
• fun workouts
• living a quality life

I will not tell you it will be easy because there are days when it will be straight-up hard. I'm speaking from personal experience. We all struggle with tough days of keeping it healthy. At the same time, I want to stress the importance of living the healthiest life you can. You only have one life with no playbacks.

Making Time

I don't accept that anyone is too busy to take care of their health, and that includes me. 

For example, I am a business owner, personal trainer, and writer with a demanding schedule. And if the day only allows a 20-minute workout then I do that.

Exercise doesn't have to be some long-duration program lasting over an hour. In fact, studies have shown the greatest benefit of exercise is achieved within the first 30-minutes. Also, 45-minutes of focused exercise is sufficient to maintain a healthy body. I adhere to this philosophy and keep my exercise sessions limited to 45-minutes and no more than 5 times per week.

Steps to Motivation

So how do you find your motivation mojo? 

Get out a piece of paper and write down your active passions … fun things you like to do. It's time to get off the couch, dance your pants off in the living room, go hiking, play games with the kiddos and fur babies.

What is it that makes you happy and will ensure you keep coming back for more? Changing up your thinking about fitness being a burden is also important. Think positive and create a plan you can maintain for a lifetime.  Share your mojo in the comment section and I look forward to reading and responding to all of your shares. 

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Excuses Will Not Change Your Body or Health

The truth about health and fitness is you either want it or you don’t.

Let’s face it, many of us come up with reasons not to exercise or eat healthy. We even sound pretty convincing. Unfortunately, all the reasons in the world eventually catch up to you in the form of illness or injury.

What we often fail to realize is how much your lifestyle impacts your health. The food you eat, being physically active, and rest is truly your medicine.

Many people continue to walk around in an unhealthy body and come to accept this existence. Living this way causes you to miss out on how good you're supposed to feel and look.

The true story of health is your body reflects your lifestyle.

Make Your Health a Priority

I want to believe all of you have a strong desire to be healthy people. Working in the health and fitness industry, I certainly hear this loud and clear. We talk about wanting to feel and look better, but what continues to be lacking is the action required to make this happen. More often than not, healthy living isn't a priority.

Living a life of excuses will not change your health or appearance. It only guarantees you not to feel your best and is often accompanied by unhappiness. Change takes changing your daily habits. The body you have is determined by what you do. I'm sure we can all agree with that statement.

Let me clarify my reference is to the general population who have the ability to get healthy. Some medical conditions and illnesses are out of our control, but I have seen those who struggle this way live the healthiest lives.

Change Takes Change

The first step to change your body for the better is owning your current lifestyle. This includes admitting you are making excuses not to eat healthy, exercise, sleep more, reduce stress and the list goes on. It's important to understand why health is not a priority.

Admitting your part in creating an unhealthy body can be hard to face - but necessary. It's in that frustrating moment you can really be honest about your life and body. This is often the beginning of getting serious about a healthy lifestyle.

Think about these things:

• You are responsible for replacing reasons/excuses with action. 
• You are capable of taking care of your health and making it a priority.
• Having a fit body can happen at every age and it's never too late to start.
• You control what your body looks like. 
• What you eat in private you wear in public.

Masking the Problem

Being healthy and having a fit body is achievable for the majority. Sadly, many people are turning to prescribed pharmaceuticals to reduce the symptoms of self-induced health conditions. A pill doesn't fix the problem, it only masks the problem.

Let me clarify - certain medications are required for a small percentage of Americans but not for the general population who can get healthy. Many cholesterol-lowering and blood pressure medications can be discontinued when weight is lost and body composition improved.

Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

The problem continues to be accommodating an unhealthy lifestyle justifying it with reasons that really can't be validated. This can be changed - if you want it to change.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the way to lasting health and fitness. It's not an occasional event and requires full-time effort.

The bottom line is results can and will happen, but the choice is up to you.

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