Last week when I asked the question, “What are the biggest hurdles in your life when it comes to health & fitness?” – an common response was CONSISTENCY…
In this day and age where information is readily available EVERYWHERE it can often be confusing what plan is best for you… I have often heard new clients comment on the amount of information out there and which plan is best for what?!
In my opinion, this is what makes it hard for people these days to be consistent. We start something, a way of eating or training, feel good for a few days/weeks, then read or hear about a different idea or way, then doubt what we are doing, fall off track, feel disappointed and back to square one.
Tip #1 – IT ISN’T SO MUCH THE PLAN THAT MATTER BUT RATHER CONSISTENCY! The hardest part of actually adopting a lifestyle of health and fitness isn’t choosing how, it is STICKING with it… Don’t follow fads. Don’t restrict yourself. If you really do not know about nutrition and exercise, ask a professional that you TRUST. Ask to be educated. Research them and make sure they KNOW what they are talking about. Learn from them…. And then, stick with it..
There will be days that you are tired, that you do not feel like exercising, just want to grab something quick to eat… We all have these days and this is where most of us find it hard to stay CONSISTENT. Damn, I am a mummy of a 3 year old boy, running and building my business, training (and sometimes competing), managing my household, training clients, the list goes on. So, I completely understand that it can be DIFFICULT.
This is where PREPARATION & ORGANISATION comes in to it! I truly and honestly believe that if I was not as organised and prepared as I am for the weeks ahead, I would not be able to get half the things/work/training/playtime I get done during the week… (oh and trust me, on some weeks I don’t get myself as organised as I should AND I pay the price with a totally stressful, unproductive week…)
So, some more tips on how to create CONSISTENT HABITS in your life…
* Wake up 30mins earlier to do some stretching/abs/cardio/circuits for you. (Yes, I know you may already be waking up with kids early… Wake up earlier! Set your alarm. It has to be done. You will feel better for it and have more energy to manage the mornings with the kids, trust me!)
* Take 1-2hrs out of your weekend to prepare you and your families food for the week. (1-2hrs?!?! You may think it is alot of time but it will save you ALOT of time during the week that you can spend doing exercise/playing with children/resting/working productively.)
* Take 30mins before you go to bed to plan you day the next day. (Simple – If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.)
* Keep track and stay accountable. (Tell a friend, join a group, find a trainer – whatever works for you!)
In Health & Happiness,
Sharna O’Connor. xoxo
