You understand the benefits of regular exercise, or at least, understand the risks of not doing regular exercise. You’ve overcome the barriers to exercising, and as a result, you’ve started an exercise program. Hooray!
Now how to you turn your 8-week program into a sustainable lifestyle choice?
1) PLAN
- Set realistic expectations. If your goal is to drop 2 dress sizes, it’s probably unrealistic and unhealthy, to expect to achieve that in 3 weeks! Similarly, if you’re new to Yoga, it may take you more than several weeks to attempt a hand stand.
- Be pragmatic about your time. It’s better to do 15 minutes daily than to go for 90 minutes only to give up shortly after.
- Plan your workouts. Optimise the time for exercise by planning ahead your program. If you’re unfamiliar with exercise programs, then group classes or personal trainers are great!
2) DO
- Know your ability. For beginners, start with exercises and an intensity level that won’t burn you out, and help you learn the fundamentals of each exercise to prevent injuries. Back-to-Basics programs are great for beginners!
- Find exercises you enjoy. To build a habit, exercise has to be enjoyable. If you don’t like running, it’s ok to do something else instead!
- Find alternative ways to stay active. Think incidental exercises, and what you do in your down-time. Aim to be on your feet more, as opposed to sitting. If you have to catch public transport, there’re simple exercises you can do that are discreet and effective
Contact studio if you want to find out what exercises you can do while commuting.
3) COMMIT
- Find a ‘why’ that’s beyond you! We tend to let ourselves down before we let someone else down, so find a reason to stay active that’s beyond you! Are you exercising to keep up with the kids, or to be a good role model for them?
- Stay accountable. Set fitness goals, add deadlines to each goals, and track your progress. And go beyond the scales when tracking your progress! Exercise gives you benefits other than a number on the scale. So start to look at measures like the waist measurement, fat vs lean muscle %, your strength (how many push-ups you can do now vs 2 months ago, how long you could hold a plank), mindfulness (how long can you focus before catching your mind drifting?), give yourself a daily energy rating, a mood rating, and a contentment rating.
- Build a habit. An 8-week exercise program may be what got you started, but it’s the habit that keeps you going. Like brushing teeth, make exercise a non-negotiable part of life!
