Vanessa Michielon Shares Some Tips On How To Keep Your Relationship With Fitness

Focus on the Process: When you only set short term goals, like losing 10 pounds, or holding a plank for 5 minutes, chances are you attach value to the outcome and when the “challenge” is over, you fall back to your habitual patterns. It is crucial that you change your mindset and remind yourself, you already are a healthy person who is naturally meant to take care of her/his/their body. Movement is not a punishment or a quick fix, but is already part of who you are. Instead of thinking “ugh, I have to workout”, tell yourself “movement is normal housekeeping and I deserve to live in a clean, healthy and supportive body.”

Remember What you are Missing if you Choose not to do Anything: Let’s face it, even the most disciplined person has ups and downs when it comes to maintaining healthy habits, it is absolutely normal. But it is essential to have always clear in mind which benefits you are missing when you don’t move. Is it the feeling of accomplishment? The sense of calm alertness and mental focus? The pleasure of sweating it all out? The back pain going away? Feeling confident in your clothes? Whatever the positive effect of movement you value the most keep it always right in front of you. The next time you finish a pleasant movement session, instead of rushing back to work or life, take 5 minutes to listen to your body and contemplate: what do you feel? Where do you feel it? How did your mood change? Paying true attention to the effects of movement primes your body and brain to want for more.

Identify your Quitting Patterns: We all have negative thinking patterns kicking in just before we choose to give up (yes, inaction is a choice too!) and break promises to ourselves. Answer this question, “What are my usual thought patterns just before giving up?” (ex. It’s not worth it, I am doing it tomorrow, I don’t have time right now, I am not feeling it..). Write it down or keep it in your mind. If you learn to see your quitting pattern coming you are better prepared to redirect your mind to your deepest reasons and less likely to fall in the trap.

Seek for Guidance and Accountability: If you are the kind of person that never asks for help, this might be challenging to accept, but even teachers have teachers, mentors have mentors. If you struggle with consistency, the wisest thing to do is to let someone else take the burden and develop a plan that works for you, or to join a specific fitness programme and forget about all the other options for the time being. No mindless YouTube/Instagram scrolling for free workouts or apps hoarding, choose only one effective thing to focus on. All you need to do is show up without wasting precious time and energy and make sure there is a system in place to keep you accountable, so you are not left alone in your journey.

Commit in Advance, then Listen to your Body: Each week, block time on your schedule to exercise and don’t look back. You don’t need to decide exactly what to do, but stick to that schedule no matter what (alarm on!). Each day, check in with yourself: do you need something energetic to shake off restlessness and anger or something controlled and precise to align and centre? Or a gentle muscular recovery session to let go of contractions and mental tension? You want to be disciplined in showing up but kind to yourself in choosing what you really need (may be not cardio in the morning after a sleepless night…)

So, will you be setting a reminder call today to schedule

in some time for yourself and fitness?

Leave me a comment if an of this article struck a cord with you…