The Simple Secret to Getting Fit

Last week, I promised I’d share the one thing you need to do to get healthier. It’s something that our clients often struggle to do for weeks, months and even years. And yet, when they walk into our studio, they’ve already started to improve it.

The only thing you have to do to get your body healthier, is to make your mindset healthier.

It’s safe to bet that a lot of you reading this have recently told yourself one of the following things:

• “I’ll start being healthier on Monday.”
• “I’ll start a diet after the holidays.”
• “I’ll start working out after the New Year.”

It’s also safe to bet that a lot of you reading this – today, on January 6 – still have not started. If you want to get healthier but continually struggle to get started or stick to a healthy routine, then you don’t need another diet – you need a mindset shift.

So how can you shift your mindset about health and fitness and finally see the results that you want? Here are a few tips:

1. Look fear in the face. Oftentimes, we don’t start something because we are afraid to fail. In this new year, I want to challenge you to look fear in the face and smack it aside. Instead of dwelling on all the bad that could happen, think about all the things you’ve accomplished in your life already. Success is self-realized. If you look back on your life, it’s safe to bet that the things you’ve had the most success with are those things you’ve really set your mind to and committed to achieving. You can do that again.
2. Learn to truly value your time. There’s an old saying that we’re all born, pay taxes and die. I like to think we also live a little in between. But how you live – and what that time between birth, taxes and death looks like – is up to you alone. It’s easy to make excuses, to place blame on others or on your circumstances, but at the end of the day, no one values your time or your life as much as you do. When you take responsibility for your time and your life, you can use your time better.
3. Know what matters. We all say we want to lose weight and get fit, but the secret to sticking to a healthier routine is knowing what motivations lie below these surface-level wants. Do you want to lose weight because you’re at risk of early diabetes? Do you want to improve stamina to play with your kids or grandchildren? Do you want to live to 100 and spend your retirement traveling around the world? It’s these deeper wants that will get you to the gym every week, not how well your pants fit.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I shared in my last newsletter how I needed help to improve my own health (even while helping others improve theirs!). There’s something so vulnerable about asking for help, but it’s the most powerful thing you can do. Your own brain can only take you so far. The brain is designed to protect you from stress and perceived danger, and it can be very limiting. Getting help from a trained professional can take the emotion and fear out of the equation and push you past your own limiting beliefs.
5. Recognize your uniqueness. You are an individual. You have a unique past that informs your unique present and future. You have unique health needs, unique routines and a unique body. There is no one else exactly like you on the planet. This is why one-size-fits-all health and fitness programs often fail so many of us. This is also why I created Individual Fitness. I recognized the power that a personalized plan brings to someone’s health journey. Having a partner who meets with you individually, understands your unique needs and can help you overcome your personal mindset challenges is an invaluable resource on your health journey.

If you’re ready to start improving your health in 2020, it’s time to focus on your mindset.

You can start by forgiving yourself for your past health decisions. You don’t need to feel angry at yourself for failing to focus on your health. You don’t need to stress about all the candy you ate over the holidays. You don’t need to go on an extreme diet or commit to working out 6 days a week.

The only thing you have to do is to start thinking differently about your health and fitness.

Start small. Start in a way that is sustainable and realistic. Maybe that’s two weekly trips to the gym and evening walks around your neighborhood. Maybe it’s switching to black coffee or cutting out your nightly dessert.

Whatever it is, just start somewhere. As you master your new habits, start new ones. Keep starting – over and over again – and starting over will be a thing of the past.

If you’re ready to work on your mindset and your health at a deeper level, reach out to us to get started. We know that getting started is often the hardest step, so we’ve made it easy to with our $99 IF Trial. With the trial, you’ll get a free fitness consultation and three private personal training sessions. Click here to get started.