Written by: Callie Krispin, NASM-CPT, CSI
Last week I was telling my dad, Bruce, about a couple of clients who had been struggling, but have recently made huge turnarounds. This is truly gratifying for me as a fitness professional. If you’re having a hard time getting or staying on track, I hope this post is encouraging.
Everyday we speak to our clients about connecting the short-term with the long-term. Each client knows that their goals, commitments, and actions need to line up. It is a simple, effective approach that, when practiced, always works. However, for a variety of reasons (both real and artificial), sometimes people just can’t make it happen. This can lead to a lack of motivation resulting in reduced exercise frequency and poor nutrition.
Here is my message… when you are in a phase where you feel like “life” is preventing you from attaining your goals, just accept it! Healthy living is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Just because you can’t do what it takes right now to lose weight doesn’t mean you should give up. Who knows, six months from now everything could be different…and it often is! We see it all the time. Just be real, make your health/fitness a priority and do what you can.
Every time we make the right choice for our health, whether it be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or getting up at 6:00am for a workout before work, we make an enormous deposit into our self-esteem account. Who cares if these choices aren’t going to be enough to help you reach your ultimate health goals. You are still increasing your fitness level, joint health, energy levels, and, last but not least, improving your self-esteem. The time will come when you are able to adhere to all of the commitments necessary to reach your goals. That is the time to get after it! So, focus on gratitude during the challenging times and be prepared for a door to open at any moment.
