Health & Fitness by Shawn Bromeland

 

Making a commitment to your health and just wanting to are two very separate things. As a gym owner, I hear from many people who want to be healthy and in shape but have trouble committing. Time is almost always the factor that keeps people stuck.  Exercise and eating well improve your health, elevate your mood, increase your energy, prevent illness and injuries, and enhance the overall quality of your life. It’s time to make time, folks. Here are some scenarios I have encountered at the gym more than once. We are all in this together!

 

When I’m motivated, my workouts and diet are rock solid. But that’s my problem — motivation. Any tips to help me stay on track with my goals?

 

Absolutely! Even those of us in the health and wellness field struggle with motivation from time to time. We are certainly not immune. That said, there are several things you can do to keep yourself motivated. First of all, set small goals, and always keep it real. It’s important to know the big picture, but the journey to get there can be daunting, so break it up into smaller, more achievable chunks. Scheduling your activities helps a lot as well. If you treat exercise like an important meeting or like brushing your teeth, it’s more likely to become a habit. Partnering up is also an excellent idea. It would be difficult to find a better motivator than a friend or family member keeping you accountable to your workouts, your diet and your newfound lifestyle. And frankly, sometimes you probably need a kick in the you-know-what. Last, but not least, pay for it! This may sound a bit odd, but if you have some skin in the game, the game dramatically changes. Buy a gym membership, join an online health website, purchase a credible book or throw down some cash for a heart rate monitor. Making an investment in your health will pay dividends in the long run.

 

I am someone who regularly skips meals and workouts, thanks to both a busy work schedule and family life. I’m wondering if you have any tips that might get me back on track?

 

Luckily, there are many people who lead busy lives while still finding the time for healthy meals and productive workouts — it can be done! You need to make sure that fitness and nutrition are priorities in your life. Once you make this commitment, doing the right thing will seem like a lot less work. Try taking an inventory of your week on Sunday night, figuring out which days are light and which ones are heavy in terms of work and family responsibilities. Then, you can schedule your workouts in your planner and resolve any meal planning issues as well. For example, maybe you need to pack more comprehensive snacks if you have a meeting during lunch, or maybe you need to create a reminder so you remember to take frozen meat out of the freezer the night before you cook it. These seem like small, almost trivial changes, but they make a world of difference when you’re in a time crunch. We typically schedule things we don’t want to forget, so why not schedule meals and workouts, too?

 

Shawn Bromeland is co-owner of Anytime Fitness in Albert Lea.