Hunting Down Your Inner Athlete: Part 2

Revolution NOT Resolution!!

“Hunting Down Your Inner Athlete” is the title of a series of blogs that will explore why some people find it so hard to make exercise a regular part of their life.   In Part 2, we will explore how critical goal setting and expectations are to your success.

Each January, all the spin bikes in the room are fully occupied.  The New Years “resolutioners” are filled with hope and determination that this will be THE year that they get fit.  I set them up on their bikes.  I remind them to go easy on the resistance and stay in the saddle until they build strength and stamina.  They nod kindly and then proceed to crank up the resistance, get out of the saddle and pedal until they turn blue.  They have a steely, “we dont need no stinkin’ water” determination.   If they make it through the class at all, they walk out bow-legged and wobbly looking a bit like they’re going to vomit.  By the end of January, they have all disappeared.

When you make the decision that fitness will become a part of your life because you want to improve your mind, body and spirit, you must think carefully about how you will begin.  If you have not been working out at all, deciding to engage in strenuous exercise 7 days a week will likely set you up for failure.  Try to put an end to the “feast or famine” mentality.    Start with just a few days a week and work up to a frequency that makes you feel energized, not exhausted.  Commit to times that will work with your schedule long-term.  Don’t put your life on hold while you start a new exercise regime!  Find a regime that fits nicely into your life!  30 classes in 30 days?  How long will that be reasonable?

Next, think about what type of exercise is right for you.  You may want to consult with a trainer.  What have you always dreamed of doing?  Does weight lifting appeal to you?  Running?  Kickboxing?  Do you need to vary your exercise so that you don’t get bored?  Do you have injuries to consider?   Consider your natural aptitude as well as your goals.  A mixture of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility/stretching is recommended.

Pushing yourself harder than your body is prepared for is too much like punishment.  If you approach your exercise as a penance for over-eating or being over-weight, you are unlikely to stay with it.  Who wants to be punished 3-4 times per week?  The exercise you do should be an act of self- love and self-improvement.

The person on the treadmill who is not in shape, overweight and pushing herself to run on an incline (hanging for dear life on the handrails) when she cannot even walk at a steady pace for an hour is doomed for failure in the long-term.  Always start from the beginning!

Lastly, remember that the goal is to make fitness a part of your life.  If there is no end point in the race, does it matter how fast you go?   The danger is in thinking, “I will exercise until I lose 20 pounds.”  Then what?  You will stop?  How long before the weight comes back on?  Or if you don’t lose 20 pounds, will you give up?  Keep reminding yourself that this is a lifestyle change!  Weight loss is a very pleasant side benefit!

Decide how often you can realistically exercise in a week.

Pick an exercise that can help you meet your goals but that you enjoy doing.

Commit to changing your lifestyle.

You can do it!

 

 

Hunting Down Your Inner Athlete: Part One

If you really have the desire to be fit but just can’t get started this is a series of blogs that may interest you.  If you can get started but you can’t maintain consistency, this is for you too!

“Hunting Down Your Inner Athlete” is the title of a series of blogs that will explore why some people find it so hard to make exercise a regular part of their life.  I believe there are several reasons that keep people out of the gym and on the couch.  Some people feel they do not have enough time.  Some people have illnesses or injuries that keep them from working out.  Some people set unreasonable goals and overdo it while others make too little effort.  In “Part One” we are going to explore how the way we think can be keeping us from achieving our goal to be fit.

As a cognitive/behavioral therapist at heart, I have seen how clients lives can be transformed by simply changing the way they think about things.  Changing the way you think requires insight, commitment and the discipline to practice a new way of thinking everyday.

But before we can do that, we should explore what our core beliefs are in regard to YOU and your physicality.  Many of us developed some negative, undermining core beliefs when we were younger.  Some common causes of such beliefs are weight/body image issues at a young age, emotional and verbal abuse, problems with peer groups, negative experiences at school with sports, drill teams, cheerleading, to name a few.  It is easy to begin to feel like a fitness “outsider”.

Here are some examples of common negative core beliefs:

“I’m not built for running.”

“I’m too small to play sports.”

“I’m too big to be a dancer.”

“I’m too overweight to get on a spin bike.”

Many people believe, at their core, that “those” people in the gym have something they don’t.  Some people buy into the notion that they are somehow different or incapable.

I said for years that “I was not a runner”.  I backed up my theory with facts like I was too heavy, too big in the chest or I had bad knees.  The truth of the matter is I never had tried to run with any consistency.  I did not know how to run.  I did not know where to start.  I probably started out deciding I would run at high speeds on the treadmill for 30 minutes straight and when I couldn’t do it….I had even more evidence to back up my theory.

Although what you believe to be true about yourself reigns supreme, it helps to have people in your life who believe in you.  When I told my best friend (who is also a counselor and trainer) that I wanted to run a marathon I waited, cringing, to hear peals of laughter.  Instead she said, “Of course you can. Why couldn’t you?”  I was startled by how fabulously matter of fact she was!   Everyone should have a Sammye in their life.  And I am lucky enough to have several cheer leaders in my life.

If you have negative core beliefs about your athletic capabilities, you will always be able to find evidence to support you faulty beliefs. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  It all goes on in our minds without our consent or even our awareness…..until you explore it and become mindful.

What I discovered was that I actually can be a runner.  In fact, I completed a half-marathon on the ridiculous Austin hills.  Was I fast? Nope.  Am I likely to put in the time and effort to try to be a competitive runner? No way.  If I did, could I rival the Kenyans?  Not a snowball’s chance.   But it turns out that when I change my definition of myself, commit and practice, I AM a runner.  It would have never happened if I did not change my thought process.  I started with, “I would like to be a runner.”  “I am willing to commit to a reasonable goal so that I can run.”  “I can and will be proud of whatever I accomplish and I will not compare myself to others.”

What are your core beliefs in regards to your physical abilities?

Do you have cheer leaders in your life?  Have you encouraged others?

What would you really love to be able to do?  Rock climbing?  MS 150?  I dare you to believe you can do it.  It starts there.

Next we will talk about how goal setting and the way you choose to exercise can sabotage your efforts and keep you out of the gym.

Stay tuned!

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