Why is it often easier to start a fitness program than maintain one?
It is often said about running, “The first mile is a liar.”
When runners start running in the morning, the usual feeling is that they will not complete their goal for the day. But as they complete the first mile, the body gets used to the exercise, and they can complete their goals.
Fitness Program Motivation
Similarly, we begin exercising as a result of the onset of motivation. There could be various reasons for that motivation.
- Plan to lose weight.
- New year resolution to get fitter.
- Want to get more active in life?
- Desire to improve one’s body’s appearance.
But we do not consider our present circumstances and body metrics when we start. For example –
- Our present heart rate or pulse rate and how it changes after a 1-mile run.
- What is our present running speed?
- How many push-ups and pull-ups can we do?
- What are your current weight and waist circumference measurements?
- Can we touch our toes while standing with our legs straight? Etc.
Workout Routine
It feels better because the body is less accustomed to physical activity at the beginning of a fitness program.
The decision to begin an exercise program is a significant one. However, it does not have to be a stressful experience. You can establish a healthy habit that will last a lifetime if you plan and take it slowly.
Begin Slowly and with Less
It is critical to begin slowly and with less exercise. I began with only 10 minutes of Pranayam (breathing exercises). It’s, at the very least, exhausting.
Make a Timetable
Everyone agrees on a timetable for the entire exercise. However, our bodies quickly adapt to our actions. So, if we start exercising at 6 a.m., stick to the schedule, and your body will adapt quickly.
Rest is as Important
Rest the body completely if necessary. As you exercise, your body becomes more tired, so you may need to sleep earlier or longer than usual. Eventually, your sleep will not increase though you will sleep better. It is because our body tends to rest only as per its needs.
Increase Progressively
Increase your time and exercise slowly. After three months, I began adding various yoga asanas and incorporated 15 minutes of yoga into my daily routine. So I got a 25-minute schedule after three months.
Healthy Lifestyle Guide
Participating in lifestyle fitness activities is frequently more convenient than formal fitness activities.
Rather than having very formal fitness activities, I have only added them to my lifestyle slowly and steadily.
The motivation to begin a program is frequently higher than the motivation to continue later when progress may be less obvious.
Those 25 minutes of Yoga and Pranayama didn’t result in many visible physical changes in my body, nor did I expect any. But yes, it had become my routine by then.
While practical considerations such as a hectic schedule or poor health can make exercise more difficult, the most significant obstacles are psychological for most of us.
The only way to overcome these obstacles is slowly and steadily.
Perhaps a lack of self-confidence prevents you from taking positive steps, or your motivation wanes quickly, or you become easily discouraged and quit.
Ensure you do not mark yourself absent for even a day during the first 90 days. Remember, you are doing the minimum possible exercise and only fixing a routine.
We’ve all been in that situation at some point.
To create a successful fitness program, which of the following steps are beneficial in reinforcing commitment to the program?
Simple Workout Log
One of the most important factors in becoming motivated is making it simple to start.
- It aids in transitioning from a personal fitness program to a new way of life.
- Tempting as it may be to get caught up in the latest craze of trendy diets and workouts, health is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, and what works for one person may not produce the same results for another.
- What works for you at one point in your life may not work for you at another point in your life.
- Is it possible to increase a fitness program’s success by incorporating healthy lifestyle activities?
Once you’ve begun to behave, you won’t require much additional motivation. The beginning of a task is where nearly all of the friction occurs. After you get started, progress will happen more naturally for you. To put it in another way, it is frequently easier to complete a task than it is to initiate it in the first place.
- Assign smaller steps
- Reward yourself.
In many cases, individuals cannot find the motivation to achieve their desired outcomes because they devote too much time and energy to other aspects of the process.
Get Started
If you want to make it easier to find motivation, Get Started.
I have seen people making many plans, buying video courses, consulting dieticians, buying apparel, shoes, mats, protein powder, etc., but just not starting.
It is time to break the new year’s resolution by the time they start.
Better would be to start first and then, as a reward to yourself, do all the shopping and consultations.
Automate the early stages of your behavior.
Start when the conditions are favorable, e.g., during warm weather, which is not too humid. Then, you also have the opportunity to go out and make your workout more interesting.
An increasingly unpredictable schedule, like during the rainy season or extreme winters, makes scheduling such activities difficult.
As previously stated, if you find an exercise program that is enjoyable and rewarding, you are much more likely to stick with it.
Later, I started running, which I found very enjoyable, with the rewards of the medals related to those marathons. I have been addicted to it for a long time now.
No willpower will be enough to keep you motivated to complete a workout you despise over the long haul.
Choose a workout you enjoy, and you can incorporate it into your daily routine.
Weight loss that is gradual and steady is easier to maintain over the long term because it promotes healthy eating habits.
According to the research, it is also much safer than rapid weight loss.
My eating habits didn’t change the day I started Pranayam or Yoga, but I have slowly developed more healthy eating habits and better home-cooked food over time.
And it also helps to remember that you are becoming a better version of yourself daily.
