The Biggest Mistake You *Might* Be Making With Your Exercise Routine
Do you find yourself in the cycle of starting an exercise routine full steam ahead, then feeling burnt out and giving up? You go weeks, months, or years without regular exercise until you inevitably find yourself saying “okay, I need to get back on track!”
I can’t tell you how many clients seek out my help to solve this problem. Time is arguably our most precious non-renewable resource. The more time we waste starting, stopping, and restarting an exercise routine, the longer it takes us to reach our goals.
Do you find yourself in the cycle of starting an exercise routine full steam ahead, then feeling burnt out and giving up? You go weeks, months, or years without regular exercise until you inevitably find yourself saying “okay, I need to get back on track!”
I can’t tell you how many clients seek out my help to solve this problem. Time is arguably our most precious non-renewable resource. The more time we waste starting, stopping, and restarting an exercise routine, the longer it takes us to reach our goals.
So, let me ask you another question—Do you find yourself in the cycle of starting a regular tooth brushing routine full steam ahead, then, feeling burnt out and giving up? You go weeks, months, or years without brushing your teeth until you finally find yourself saying “okay, I need to get back on track!”
……. That just sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I know comparing tooth brushing to exercise seems flippant, but what if I told you I could help you make your exercise routine feel as natural as brushing your teeth? Or taking a shower? After reading this blog post, I promise that you will see how this is possible!
Here are three of the biggest mistakes I see when it comes to establishing an exercise program Long-term.
Mistake Number One: You are committing to more than you can handle.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of going from zero to one hundred when starting an exercise routine. So many of us, including myself, have an “all or nothing” mindset. You go full steam ahead with 5+ days of exercise for 45-60 minutes, and anything less is considered failure. But my question to you is… does that sound like something you can achieve right now? Does the thought of scheduling that into your life seem realistic, or overwhelming?
If it does, you are not alone. I often encourage someone getting into an exercise program to start off by performing 2 days weekly of 20-30 minute strength workouts, with frequent walking (as their schedule allows). Commit to what you know you can consistently achieve. This will set you up for success. Once you’ve established a schedule you can regularly stick to, then it’s time to build. Overcommitting to a rigorous exercise routine often causes feelings of overwhelm, stress, and disappointment. Start slow and allow yourself to grow.
Mistake Number Two: You are performing an exercise program that you hate.
I can’t tell you how many clients come to me and say “I hate running, but I do it because it’s a good workout!” Let me say this louder for the people in the back… a successful exercise program is not a one size fits all approach! What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa.
Back when I was in high school, I did a video workout program with my friend that consisted of intense bodyweight exercises. The program was EXTREMELY difficult. My friend loved it and saw great results, but I hated every minute of it. I just kept telling myself that it felt “soooo good” when it was done. But…. I realized that I only felt “so good” because I was totally exhausted and simply happy it was over! I look back on all the fitness classes or workouts I’ve tried over the years and there are many that I did not enjoy doing.
So, why did I suffer through them? There was no need! Exercise is exercise, so pick something you like. If you hate running, try walking, riding a bike, swimming, dancing…. Keep trying things out until you find something that excites you! Stop trying to force yourself to do what works for your friend, or what you see on social media. Your journey needs to be just that, your journey.
3. Mistake Number Three: You are expecting yourself to be perfect, both with exercise and healthy eating habits.
Release yourself from the stress perfection and stop comparing yourself to the past or future you. Was this week totally crazy and you had to miss your exercise sessions? Oh well! Move forward and continue doing the things that will push you closer to your goals.
Seriously, if establishing a lifelong exercise routine is a goal, then you need to ditch the “all or nothing” mindset. Give yourself grace and focus on the countless reasons why regular exercise is beneficial to your health. C’mon sister, you have a lot on your plate, give yourself a break! Don’t let one day, one week, or one month throw you “off track.” Take things one step at a time and remember… don’t give up.
I promise you that getting into a regular exercise routine does not have to feel like an insurmountable task. If you are interested in starting your own exercise routine, please check out my free beginner strength workout!
Loving Your Body: The Key to Success
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between.
Did you know that less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight?” And 9% of the U.S. population (28.8 million Americans) will develop an eating disorder in their lifetime. (1)
When I was a freshman in college I developed an unspecified eating disorder. “Unspecified” meaning not a diagnosis such as anorexia, or bulimia, but a generalized unhealthy relationship with my body, food, and exercise.
It began with my annual physical the summer before school started. I had just graduated from high school and was getting ready to be a first-year student at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI (which I later transferred from). I got on the scale, and my doctor absently told me I was borderline “overweight” based on my BMI.
“Borderline overweight” to a teenage girl practically equates to plain old “overweight.” And while my doctor had no intentions of being the catalyst that set me on the path to disordered eating and exercise, her words caused me to become obsessed with my body. And honestly, my concern was not necessarily surrounding my health, but the way I looked and a fixation on what others thought about me.
I began to exercise excessively and cut calories to the lowest amount possible without starving myself. I obsessed over planning out my meals, food logging and weighing myself multiple times daily. If anything in this process was unexpectedly altered (having to stay late at work and missing my scheduled exercise, mom not cooking the exactly portioned out meal we planned) I lost it. I was debilitated by defeat and unworthiness. I felt like a failure.
I lost 30 lbs that year. Losing 30 lbs in one year is not unhealthy in itself. I was not technically underweight, our malnourished. “I did not actually have an eating disorder,” I told myself constantly. But here’s the thing… I actually did.
I was consumed by my food, my exercise, and my body image. That is literally all that mattered to me. I would cancel plans with friends last minute because I didn’t want to get frozen yogurt. I would yell at my mom if she decided to pick up a pizza after a long day of work instead of cook the bland “safe” dinner I had planned for. I had a very unhealthy perspective on life during those two years. My mental health was diminishing. Eventually, I got help through counseling. I read self-development books, started journaling, and did a lot of work mentally to help dig myself out of an unfortunate situation.
The reason I am writing about this time in my life is to point out that working towards health and fitness goals is not easy. They require time, effort, and dedication. But what they do not require is obsession, stress, and negativity. Working towards such goals requires a certain mindset; a perspective.
Perspective is something you can change; it is not permanent. While I had an incredible support system to get me through a difficult time in my life, the pivotal moment that actually changed me was my mindset shift. I realized that my health, self-worth, and happiness did not equate to a number on the scale, the size of my pants (which varies GREATLY from store to store…) or how many calories I burned in my workout.
My health and happiness lay in my love for my body. I needed to love my body before anything else. Without that, I was chasing an empty goal; an empty dream.
It’s time to break the glass ceiling on the limitations and expectations we set for ourselves, especially when it comes to our health and happiness. You can absolutely set goals and number marks, but please do not fixate on them. Living healthy is a lifestyle; a state of mind. It is not a destination to be reached, but a journey to be traveled. And if we keep waiting for “when” we get there, we miss all the happy, emotional, difficult, and rewarding times in between. With that being said, I’d like to end this post with one of my favorite quotes.
“If it costs you your peace, it costs too much.” -Jenna Kutcher
This quote speaks volumes to me, not only as a professional in the health and fitness industry but also as a young woman journeying through this crazy life herself. Without happiness, you cannot truly be healthy. While making healthy choices is hard work, it should never cost you your peace of mind. It’s not worth it. There is a way to achieve what you want without forfeiting what you have.
Once you learn to love your body, then you will be able to cherish and embrace the ways to take care of it. Find your balance, find your value, and you will find that happiness is right there in front of you!
Sources: