Since relocating back to Northern Virginia, I have been walloped with the realization that there are only so many hours in the day. This place is intense! The expectations placed on us by society and ourselves to be successful at home and at work (while making it look effortless) can be brutal. It can feel like we are getting pulled in a hundred different directions, and often, our fitness and health are the first to go. But is there anything more important than our health and wellbeing? If we are not taking care of ourselves first, how are we going to be able to show up 100% for our kids or our jobs?
I don’t have to tell you how important exercise is to our physical and mental wellbeing. There are ten new studies a week with scientific and anecdotal evidence proving it. However, despite our best intentions, sometimes life gets in the way, and exercise (i.e., health and fitness) take a backseat. Listen to me when I tell you that it is normal but not inevitable.
So how do we overcome this? How can we stay consistent in our workouts so we can show up rested, prepared, and invigorated for our families, friends, and careers?
Four ways to stay consistent with your fitness:
- Be realistic: Let’s be honest; it’s not the minutes or hours that you intend to exercise; it’s the ones that you actually complete that matter. If there is no way that you are going to be able to workout daily, let that go. All you are doing is setting yourself up for failure and giving yourself the opportunity to mentally beat yourself up when you can’t make it happen. Look at your schedule and be honest with yourself. Can you manage two times a week? If so, commit to making those two hours count. I love private sessions because they are personalized to target your specific goals in a short amount of time. Trying booking a weekly session on make keeping that session non-negotiable.
- Mix it up: It is boring to do the same thing over and over again, and it is easy to plateau if you are not regularly changing it up. When we do not see results or progress, it is that much easier to skip. Pilates is perfect because in a full studio session you can do literally hundreds of different exercises on multiple pieces of equipment so you are never bored and your body is always being challenged in a different way which yields greater results.
- Get plenty of sleep: If you are saying how the *&%$ does she think I am again to be able to work out and sleep, just hear me out. When you are tired, it is easy to use that as an excuse to miss a workout. When you are well-rested, your body is more likely to want to exercise. When you are getting consistently good rest, your body will be better able to attack your workouts, and you will feel better during your workout. On the flip side, it is so much easier to sleep when you are exercising. They go hand-in-hand!
- Make it social: with everything else going on it can be hard to stay connected to our friends. A good exercise buddy can be a game-changer. Not only do you get a chance to catch-up while you workout out, you have someone to hold you accountable. Someone who is expecting you to show up for your 5:00 am run or duet Pilates session and will be giving you hell if you decide to hit the snooze and leave them hanging.
Reach out to schedule a session with me, and I will do my best empower you to stay consistent so you can show up 100% for the important people and moments in your life! Or if you prefer to workout from the comfort of your own home check out my new Membership and my library of online Pilates classes.
