As 2014 begins and another year is behind us, I want to talk to those who have made the resolution to NOT improve their health. Yes, those who have simply decided that this year it just isn’t going to happen. Maybe you’ve tried in the past and failed or just think that you’re ‘too far gone’ to make a difference in your health. What is your excuse this year? Too old? Too fat? Too tired? Not enough time?
Well, you’re dead wrong.
No matter how much you weigh or how out of shape you are, every single person has the time to devote to their health and fitness every single day. This mean that unless you are tied down to a chair and force fed cookies, chips, and pie…there is nothing stopping you from improving your health except yourself.
We are always our own worst enemy. When we start thinking about how much effort and time it will take to reach our end goal, well, then of course things seem impossible! We are always the first to judge and talk ourselves down. You must learn how to stop thinking so much about it and just do it!
As someone who once allowed excuses and the lazy voice in my head talk me out of so many healthy choices, I say that it truly is all in our heads. Everyone has time to work out! A 30 min workout is only 2% of your entire day. That means that if you walk your dog twice a day for 15 minutes, you’re taking the right steps towards your well-being. If you can, add in a Tabata session after your walk. It takes less than 6 minutes and it is better than doing nothing. You don’t even need a gym membership to do pushups, sit ups, squats, etc….and with all the free resources on the internet there is just no reason not to workout.
I used to hate going to the gym because I felt like I was too fat to be there. I felt like a jelly filled bratwurst that had been squeezed into my spandex pants. I really thought that people would look at me and think ‘Ewww, what is she doing here?’ This is ridiculous since the whole point of going to the gym is to improve yourself. No one actually cares what you look like at the gym and if they do, then screw them because you’re not there to impress anyone. The only time I judge people at the gym is when they are doing things with the wrong form…I’d rather see someone doing 10 reps with a 5 lbs weight in good form than 1 rep with a 50 lbs weight incorrectly.
I admit that sometimes certain exercises and moves can seem a little intimidating. The first time I saw a CrossFit class I thought those people were nuts. I was sure that I would never be able to a box jump, burpees looked impossible and handstand pushups seemed like something only The Rock would attempt. Despite my fear and skepticism I tried my first WOD and had to scale almost everything. However, I made it through and now I can do burpees like a pro. So before you discount your abilities and let that lazy self-deprecating voice tell you that you can’t…give it a try.
When you were born did you walk out of the hospital and start running down the street? NO! Taking small steps helps build your strength and your confidence. Everyone can do some version of every exercise so scale or modify until you can do the full move.
No matter what your thoughts on CrossFit or organized excersice in gerneral,that’s not what matters. My point is that no one is ever past the point of being able to improve themselves. We simply have to break through those mental barriers that are holding us back. If we began to think more logically and less emotionally about our health goals, then things would seem much less daunting. An excuse is lethargy’s best friend, and when they get together logic doesn’t stand a chance. So next time that voice in your head starts coming up with excuses, show it who’s the boss.