Do you want to be more consistent with your workouts and achieve greater results? Staying fit involves both mental and physical factors that can either help or hinder your workout sessions. Fitting in fitness is important. Being consistent with exercising is very important to your health.  It can affect every aspect of your life – from your happiness to how long you live to how much is in your bank account.

The Fitness Attitude

Okay- I realize that this may sound cliché – everything is about your attitude! It is very true however and having a great attitude about your fitness is no exception.

Your perspective on exercise can impact how often you work out and the intensity.

From my experience, healthy people have the perspective that staying fit is a lifestyle.  They embrace the idea that fitness and good health are lifelong pursuits and not just a trend.  Healthy people know that fitness takes hard work and dedication.  They also understand the rewards and benefits are worth the extra time and effort it takes to stay fit.

Personally, I enjoy the challenge of improving my fitness and setting goals to reach new levels.  By having a goal, it makes working out more purposeful.  Once you hit your goal, you can continue to set new ones.  For instance, I set a goal to hike 16 miles in the Grand Canyon in one day.  I achieved this and now I want to hike Rim to Rim (26 miles) in one day.  I know after completing this goal, I will want to start thru hiking. I have many friends who hike Rim to Rim every year.  So by having this bigger goal as my focus and friends who live and breathe hiking, it keeps me motivated.

Those without a good attitude and a fitness mindset may only work out when it’s convenient or when they feel like it.  There are many times when working out is not convenient.   Maybe you have to get up before work to get in some exercise or stay up later after your kids go to bed.

Try to perceive each workout as a mini challenge and hold the thought that with each workout you are becoming a stronger person mentally and physically.

From my experience, those who have a positive attitude, also have a tendency to be more intrinsically motivated. It is the intrinsic motivation that will push someone to work out when they don’t feel like it.  Those who are more extrinsically motivated may need to work with  a trainer or has to go to the gym with someone who holds them accountable.

The main idea here is if you are negative about working out, then change your attitude and perceptions. Don’t’ wait until that perfect time- there is no such thing and this is just an excuse. Do you take 10 minutes to eat doughnuts on the couch while watching The Bachelor?  Then you have time to exercise! Make a commitment to change your life through health and fitness. Your reality today does not have to be your reality tomorrow.

Not every person has started their fitness journey with a perky positive attitude all the time.  In many cases, they begin an exercise program begrudgingly only later to learn they appreciate the benefits it brings into their life.  This momentum brings them into a new space where they have more energy and it helps them continue their fitness program.

All of these actions start with your mind set.  Your thoughts determine what you do in this life.

Make Working Out Fun!

I am a busy mom so I realize it can be difficult to get in exercise.  However, when you make it a priority you will start taking advantage of those small blocks of time where you can work out.  Changing your idea of what constitutes working out can really make a difference as well.

Perhaps you were going to the gym for a while and now you are burned out.  This is what I like to call the all or nothing approach. I have a couple of friends that I have seen go on workout binges and then completely stop.  The key is to remain consistent. Even if you have 10 minutes throughout the day, this is way better than not working out at all.

Also, I spoke of “trends” earlier; Please do not let this intimidate you.  If you feel that you can’t take classes because it’s the latest workout and you have no idea what you are doing- then do something different.  Or- go to the class with a positive attitude and do the best you can.

If you need encouragement- you should see me in the Salsa classes I take. It’s comical. Don’t be concerned with the latest trends. Take the Rocky approach- good old fashioned sit ups and push ups can get you just as fit as the latest Crossfit or Tabata session.

So, if you are burnt out on the gym, – workout videos, and fitness classes, here are some other ideas on staying fit and different activities that will keep you motivated:

  • Rollerblading
  • Riding your Bike
  • Walking around your Neighborhood with friends
  • Playing Basketball at your local park
  • Throwing a Frisbee
  • Jump Roping
  • Make up your own routine! (My favorite is a combination of Yoga and Kickboxing).

If you have kids, then you should ALWAYS incorporate activities into the time you spend with them.  If you take your kids to the park, then walk around the park while they play.

Play tag with them and give them memories they will cherish forever.  I’ve had some very good workouts on the playground.  The bars are great for pull ups and chin ups, the stairs you can use for stair climbers, and the benches for dips.

More times than not, I see moms who are overweight just sitting there on their phones while their kids play.  These are the same moms who complain about not being fit.  There is always time to make working out a priority, but it’s a matter of taking advantage of these pockets of time.

Make Time to Get Fit During Work Hours

If you have a demanding work schedule, this can also make it a little more challenging to fitting in fitness.

Here are some ways you can fit in exercise at work:

  • Take the stairs whenever possible
  • Walk during your lunch break
  • Stand up often or get a sit/stand desk- A Desk Treadmill can keep you looking good while you make those phone calls or write those reports.
  • Have walking meetings
  • Walk or bike to work

At a previous employer, they recognized the importance of being healthy and how it affects their bottom line.  (When people are sick they call in – this affects productivity).  Anyway, a group of us went through a certification process to teach classes in our building. One lady dropped over 50 lbs because the classes were so convenient for her to go to every day.

If you currently don’t have a fitness culture at your place of employment then be the catalyst for the change.  You could be the inspiration that impacts the lives for hundreds of other people!

Always Schedule Staying Fit as a Priority

I want to leave you with this story from “First Things First”.  Stephen Covey tells a story that one of his associates heard at a seminar. The seminar presenter pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar and placed it next to a pile of fist-sized rocks.

After filling the jar to the top with rocks, he asked, “Is the jar full?”

The group replied, “Yes.”

He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar. The speaker jiggled the jar until the gravel filled the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?”

This time, the group replied, “Probably not.”  The speaker then added some sand and asked, “Is the jar full?”

“No!” shouted the group.

Finally, the speaker filled the jar to the brim with water and asked the group the point of this illustration.

Someone replied that no matter how busy you get, you could always fit more things into your life if “you really work at it.”

“Very good answer, and while it is true, it’s not the one I was looking for.” countered the speaker. “The point is that if you don’t put your big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

As you start your new venture, think of the “big rocks” in your life as the things you can do to make this a healthier and happier world for yourself and others. When making decisions during the moments, days and months of the year ahead, ask yourself: “Is this a big rock?”

Say “yes” to your “big rocks” first. Don’t feel you need to explain each “no” when the smaller gravel and sand try to fill your time. “No” can be a complete sentence! If the sand and gravel are still around after you have placed all of your big rocks, with a little jiggling, they will find a place all on their own.

So start by rethinking your idea of what working out is and make it fun!  Being fit has lifelong benefits that cannot be accomplished through anything else.

Think of fitting in fitness as a way of life and not as an activity that is to be dreaded.  Make working out a priority and for those super busy days take advantage of those pockets of time.  Even if you have 10 minutes-it’s better than not working out at all!  So remember, your health begins with you- and impacts every aspect of your life.  Be happy, be healthy, and live long and prosperous!

Have other thoughts on how you can stay fit? Please leave in the comments below about fitting in fitness.