Fell Off The Exercise Bandwagon

At one point or another, everyone who starts out gungho on the exercise wagon, falls off.  Things come up for all of us such as the kids, career, a vacation and a host of other things that might mean you deal with those before your workout.  Then one day before you realize it you're sluffing off and haven't exercised in days, weeks or a month!  I'm here to tell you that it's in the past and not to worry.  Simpy get back on the exercise wagon and remember your reasons for WHY you started in the first place.  Make it YOUR plan to get back on track.  I'm writing this in part to re-motivate myself and get my mind right and on track.  I hope it will also encourage you to be a striver. 

Goals are critical to your success.  Once you've achieved your goals, set new ones and make sure to have them somewhere you'll be reminded of them.  If you've fallen off the wagon, think about WHY you chose your goals when you first began your transformation.  Keep your goals updated and make them your priority for the day.

If you fail to plan on when you're going to workout and just hope that you'll fit it into your day at some point, you're setting yourself up to fail.  Be sure to schedule your workout session for a specific time of the day just like any other important daily event in your life.  Write it down.  Put it in on paper, the internet, the computer, the phone or any place where you'll see it and be reminded of it.  Friends, your health and fitness is just as important as the rest of your commitments.  Don't let yourself down and fall off the wagon.  Set yourself up for success!

Sticking with an exercise routine is challenging for everyone, even for me.  So if you feel like you're alone, just know that the difficulties of sticking with it are the same for each of us.  Don't give up altogether.  If you find that you're unable to workout 5-6 days a week, if that's just a little too ambitious for someone as busy as you are, then modify your workout schedule and continue to get the benefits from working out less.  Maybe you'll switch up your routine and simply exercise every other day.  Or maybe you'll put in 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening.  Just modify your schedule however you need to make it work for you!  Being consistant is important, and working out a little each day is always better than none. 

So remember, no one is perfect so you shouldn’t beat yourself up if you fall of the exercise wagon.  You didn't give up when you started walking before falling down, you didn't give up riding a bicycle before falling down, and you need not give up execising when the going gets tough.  The key is getting back on as fast as you can.  DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED!

Boredom is Enemy Number One

At one time or another you and I have each experienced boredom to one degree or another. My kids are usually the quickest to say “I’m bored,” but  as adults, we experience our share. Boredom comes sometimes from a feeling of laziness, exhaustion, or even a lack of mental stimulation.  It's a  very powerful emotion that if not kept in check can run our lives a muck.  I don't know how realistic it is to keep my mind and body continually at its peak, but it's certainly is something to be striving  for.  Having an active lifestyle and being the director of my life is something I've  always aimed for, but haven't always been motivated or persistent in that department.  When boredom is on the mental and emotional stage, I feel robbed of  having my needs met.  Boredom becomes enemy number one!

When I'm bored I feel empty inside.  Sometimes I just get fed up with a particular situation at that given moment or at the lack of activity in my life.  Boredom leads to complacency, makes me feel tired, restless and can cause me to procrastinate and become indecisive.  I end up do nothing which just makes me even more fed up and bored.  You start to feel like you're in a rut.  Your outlook on life turns sour.  You may even feel irritable and angry. These negative things turn into negative self-talk that just further fuels the boredom, especially when I'm alone, which often leads to overeating or binge eating.

You've probably heard that before you can accomplish something or make it happen, you need to visualize what it is you want.  Who do you want to be and where do you want to go? What is your purpose?  Is your routine too repetitive or overly structured?  Change it up.  Instead of waiting for something to happen,  take action yourself and initiate it.  Think, if it is to be, it is up to me.  Failures don't plan to fail; they fail to plan.  The key to overcoming boredom is simply refusing to allow it in  the first place and to have a positive outlook about life and all of its endless possibilities.  One of the actions to overcoming my boredom has been changing my attitude and outlook on life.  It seems to have have a positive influence to how I perceive boredom. 

Being inspired towards bigger and better goals, I've become motivated and have fewer tendencies to feel bored.  A great method to longer lasting health and well-being is simply moving your body and getting that circulation going. Exercise stimulates the chemicals called endorphins that improves your mood naturally and makes you feel better.  Get off the couch and get busy with something, anything.  Plan your day so it's full of activities for your body and mind.  TV does not engage your mind, so don't even think about it! Live your life, not theirs.  Beachbody workouts, like P90X, offer a variety that keeps the boredom away too, as long as you keep pushing play. 

So the next time you start to feel bored, give yourself a daily goal and then keep your mind on that goal. Get excited, get inspired, get motivated and be persistent!  There's no time to get bored.  It's that little push for yourself that keeps everything interesting.  Finally, remember that nutrition is king and exercise is queen, put them together for your own kingdom and squash the boredom bug!  Let me know what your remedy for boredom is by leaving a comment today.  Thanks for reading the blogpost and I hope you will share it.

If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!