Selena DeLeon - THE WORKOUT AS WE approach the end of this year, many of us will renew our intention to improve our physical state. The resolution should really be to make that a daily intention instead of an annual one.
Staying fit is a task that is never finished. Even when you are as fit as you can be, maintaining it is another task in itself. But like most hard-earned things in life, fitness is by far the most worthwhile for your mind, your health and your body.
If your fitness goals are limited to getting stronger abs, losing a few pounds or just firming up, it might be time for an entirely new approach to fitness. Achieving your best physical state may require you to expand your focus and encompass shaping your entire life, instead of just your love handles. Exercising puts you in control of your body, your health and your mind; being in control of your body and emotions is a personal choice, and an experience that can help you to achieve what you want out of an optimal life.
Maximising your physical potential, much like all areas of your life, is a daily task that can sometimes seem to be an arduous and never-ending journey, however, changing your outlook on exercise can enhance your appreciation for it. To better understand this, think of the analogy that staying fit is much like painting a bridge such as the Golden Gate Bridge, which is painted everyday of the year. That it is to say that by the time the work is done, it's time to start over. What we really need to work on is an absolute acceptance of our daily labours, and once we accept that fitness is a never-ending task, only then can we realise the reward of being driven, and continue to challenge ourselves. Therein lies a love or a hatred for exercise.
One of the most important aspects of enjoying exercise is abandoning the punitive approach to fitness and trying not to see your eating habits as depriving yourself. Focus instead on what types of activities make you feel more alive in your body and what foods you can add to give you more energy and make you healthier. Always acknowledge that you are making positive changes to improve your health.
Choosing a form of exercise that motivates you best is the most important step in ensuring that you will stick with it. There are a number of ways to get exercise, and there are many ways of motivating yourself to do so. Deriving pleasure from doing exercise and how it makes you feel, makes you more internally driven to do it, and shifts your focus from how it will benefit you externally. For some, playing a sport appeals to their competitive side, and is what holds their interest. For others, an isolated run helps them to think and appeals to their need for solitude.
Remember that the number one motivational killer is boredom. Whether you love to run, play tennis, swim, play football or just walk, find what you love and maximise your potential at it everyday. If you don't think that you are good at anything, take a shot at something new and learn to love the many benefits of physical fitness. It's only too late if you never start.
Selena DeLeon is a certified professional trainer.
