…When it comes to working out. Which one are you?
Who you are: You only work out because its one of those things “they” tell you is good for you. You don’t particularly enjoy it and its tough to stay motivated. Once in a while you try something new and fun and swear to yourself you will do it more often but then you rarely do.
Your pitfall: You are bored easily.
How to get over the hump: Find something you actually like to do. Don’t bother with the gym, or getting into running (unless you really love those things) because its hard to stay with something that isn’t fun or interesting. Try these: walk to do your errands instead of taking the car; take up a new activity until you find one you like (dancing? hiking? biking? sports?); take your workout outside; change it up frequently so you don’t get bored.
Who You Are: You workout to look good. Ain’t no shame in that! Whatever gets you moving.
Your Pitfall: Because your end goal is to look great, you tend to get overly focused on certain body parts that you want to “improve”.
Get more out of your workout: Although you’ve won half the battle by just getting moving on a regular basis, you may be missing the big picture. You are a machine with thousands of moving parts – you have to maintain all of it, inside and out! Try a yoga class to get in touch with your mind/body connection.
Who You Are: You love to make lists and set goals and get shit done!
Your Pitfall: Too many goals, so little time.
How to stay productive without going overboard: Set realistic goals? Easier said than done. Limit your goals to something that is easily achievable and then be satisfied when you can check it off as “done” or proud when you blow it out of the water. Setting goals is a great way to stay motivated, but don’t let it get in the way of actual progress or your enjoyment of simply feeling healthy.
Who You Are: You can’t help but move! In fact, you can’t function unless you do.
Your Pitfall: Finding the time. You don’t need anyone to tell you how good exercise is for the mind and body, but life has a tendency to get in the way so fitting in your need to do something physical can be a challenge.
What you can do: Work out a reasonable schedule. Coordinate with your partner, your kids, your job and other activities to set aside time to do what you need to do to stay healthy. Also, get creative with your workout – find something you can do at home, or with your family/friends so you don’t have to leave them to do what you love.
Who Your Are: Nerd alert! You loooove to track your progress and you love any gadget or tool that helps you do that. You may or may not own every fitness band on the market.
Your Pitfall: Admit it, you might be a little obsessed with data. This might drive you to excel in everything you do but it can also mean you are pushing yourself too hard just so you can see your stats improve on paper.
How to stay motivated without missing the point: Start tracking how you feel and if you have any injuries, “bad” pains. This way, you can spot any correlation between your activity on a given day and any negative result, and change it up accordingly.
Who You Are: You love anything that allows you to hang out with friends, including working out!
Your Pitfall: Working out alone is the pits so you just don’t do it.
How to get around this: Well obviously, get a really reliable workout partner or two (or three, or four…). But for those times when you can’t, get on your phone and chat away! A long walk is a great way to catch up with long distance friends and family. Be that guy/girl at the park on your phone – who cares!
