What to do When Working Out isn’t Working Out

5 Tips to Help you Stay on Track and Get Results

Most everyone knows that exercise can help us burn bodyfat, build muscle, and improve our fitness. But now, as science moves forward and unveils more of the incredible benefits of exercise, we’re learning that it can be utilized as a medicine to both prevent and treat conditions ranging from the common cold to cancer. And it can also be utilized as a potent mood brightener (as or more effective than prescription anti-depressants) and cognitive performance enhancer. Exercise is the best medicine I know of and all of us should be participating in it now, and for life!

Here’s 5 Tips for getting back on track and sticking with it…

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#5 — Team Up!

Scientific studies show that people who connect with others for support, encouragement, and accountability get better results in the short and long run compared with those who try to go it alone. And this is something that I recommend that everyone take advantage of. Whenever possible, work out with a friend or as part of a group. Meeting a personal trainer at the gym or walking with co-workers at lunchtime will give you a tremendous advantage in consistency. If for now you’re flying solo with your workouts, at least join an online accountability group where you can share your workout plan with others each week, and then report back to them to let them know how you’ve done. And in return, offer to help support, encourage, and keep others accountable. Whenever we team up like this, we always have an extra advantage that can help keep us going strong!

#4 — Plan and Prepare

Far too often people get so busy trying to keep up with the seemingly urgent things in their life, they forget perhaps the most important thing, which is to take care of themselves. When we’re run down and not feeling good, our ability to help others, even our own families, will be compromised as a result. Knowing that, what I teach others and what I want you to consider is to plan your workouts in advance and write them into your schedule. I want you to see showing up for your workout is as important as showing up for a doctor’s appointment. Because as I shared in the introduction, exercise is very much akin to the best medicine there is. You can simply write down what time you’re going to exercise in the day ahead, where you’re going to do it, and what form of exercise or routine you’re going to complete. Just adding this one element of planning can make all the difference when it comes to sticking with a workout routine and enjoying the results it produces.

#3 — Keep Showing Up

By far and away the most important factor with getting wonderful results from exercise is consistency. Whether it’s walking, jogging, weight lifting, or following a home exercise video, you have to do it consistently to get results. And when you are consistent, any and all of those forms of exercise will help you become healthier and enjoy your life more. What I want you to know is if you’re not used to exercising regularly—whether it’s been a while since you were in the groove with it, or if it’s something you’ve never clicked with, you have every single bit as much potential to get the hang of it as me and everyone else. The breakthrough comes when you make it a habit—a pattern of action. Our patterns are the things we do without having to even think about it—we’ve got patterns and habits for how we work, how we relate to others, how we take care of ourselves and so on. And with exercise, we want to make it one of those automatic patterns so that it feels more natural to do it than not. This is best accomplished by making a commitment to show up, no matter what, for at least a month. If you don’t feel like working out or you don’t feel like you’ve got the energy to work out, go to the gym or go stand on the treadmill in your garage or basement for five minutes. Just show up. And don’t break this routine for anything. Of course, more than 9 times out of 10, when I do this myself, I get to the gym, I stand on the treadmill and I think, “What the heck… I’m already here, I might as well start walking and jogging…” Promise me you’ll keep showing up and I promise you it will get easier and easier. to stick with this good habit.

#2 — Have a Back-Up Plan

So many times people make the mistake of having an all-or-none attitude about exercise. That is, if they can’t make it to the gym for their planned exercise session, they do nothing at all. What I want you to do is have a back-up plan for those times when things don’t go as scheduled. This could be a basic routine of push ups, sit-ups, and other exercises you can do any time, anywhere, without exercise equipment. So many times, when I’m traveling and staying at different hotels, I’ll fall back on a plan like this, just to make sure I’m doing something to keep the habit of my routine going. Taking an evening walk is a good back-up plan for when you can’t get to the gym during your work day. Walking the stairs in a hotel, or your apartment or office building is also a good back-up plan. Having a basic set of free weights at home that you can work out with when you don’t have time to get to the gym will help you avoid missing work outs too. Remember, we’ve got to keep our momentum going once we get started — putting this tip into action is a surefire way to do that.

#1 — Know Your Reason

For each of us, there’s a purposeful reason for making the healthy changes that we’re deciding to make in our lives. It can take some soul searching to find it in some instances, and in others, we simply need to open our eyes and see. Why is it important for you to exercise and be healthy? Do you want to set a positive example for your children, and also be around for them as they grow up and someday have children of their own? Again I ask, what are the inspiring reasons behind your decision to transform your body and life? Give it some consideration and you will be able to identify one or more things that motivate you from within. Then I want you to remind yourself of that every single time you’re choosing whether to work out that day or not. What many people have discovered is that one inspiring reason will override a hundred excuses. So please, know yours and think of it often — allow it to strengthen your determination and commitment to follow through each and every day. The better your reasons…the better your results!