HOW LIFE GETS IN THE WAY…
How to get back into training when life happens? It can be any of the following things
- Go on the holiday that you have been waiting for a long time
- Get slammed at work for a month and are working 12 hours days plus 2 hours travel time
- Being so sick it knocks you out of action for a week or two
- A fantastic moment in your life like getting married or having a baby
All of these reasons are sometimes out of our control or how we react to these situations can be different for each part of our life. When you are younger one of these things happen and you will bounce back with a seemingly limitless amount of energy. However, as we get older we all have more responsibilities and the time that we have in a given week seems to be less and less.
WHAT WE CAN DO
We can look at all the reasons to justify falling off the wagon and we just can’t stay there long-term. As I say to my clients all the time, there is no real alternative. Stopping training completely is something that people will always regret. It is the sort of thing you look back on down the track and as “Why did I give up so easily? I am sure there would have been a better way.”
So now we have agreed that getting back into training is the only option, what are some ways that we can make this a reality? Lets look at my top 3 ways of how to get back into training when “life” happens:
1.MAKE SPECIFIC DAYS/TIMES YOU TRAIN
This strategy for me, is one of the most important. A huge aspect in getting back into training as it speaks to habit formation and establishing a routine. When working with clients, it is always interesting. When you see the differences between people.
People who find training a thing they implement into their lifestyle and those who don’t.
The ones who struggle will be those who look at training backwards.
They will just look to train a certain amount of times per week without set days or times.
When training is something that you will get around to, it is much easier for things to suddenly ‘come up’. Such as staying back and doing just that little bit of extra work or getting an extra sleep in because you stayed up too late the night before watching “House of Cards”.
STRATEGIES TO HELP
Step back and look at a week Monday to Sunday and look where you can make a appointment with yourself to train:
This the type of appointment you can’t break and must be consistent with long-term. If you are 3 weeks in and you are already missing this appointment then this is not consistent.
Even if you don’t feel like training just turn up:
Its that simple really as you will have times where motivation is at a all time low and the last thing you want to do is train. This is when you have a look at yourself and have that little talk to motivate yourself “Is this how easy I give up on something that I know is so positive for me?”
2.WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING IS BEST SUITED TO MY GOAL
So, what you are going to do when you train? This relates to using the right training that is needed for your goal and how you want to look. Due to there being so many options available for people what you should do with your training becomes hard – do you choose pump, crossfit, yoga, Pilates or zumba? If you goal is to get more toned (increase muscle mass) or drop a dress size (lose body fat) these goals actually require the same type of training – resistance training. Through different mechanisms all goals relating to changing our body need to have resistance training as the cornerstone.
STRATEGIES TO HELP
Looking at why you enjoy a certain type of training and if it fits into your goals: One of the main things people point to in there training is enjoying things that are always different from session to session. This is actually a bad thing when looking at actually getting results. The body is an organism and the only way it improves is by adapting to stress that is applied to it, applying a stress that is always changing or not consistent then your ability to adapt is gone.
Also look at what certain types of training take out of you: this mainly speaks to does the type of training promote longevity for your training? Just recently I had a friend and ex-client who took up a group training class that went for 45 minutes. This type of training can be very enjoyable, however, going from training once per week to doing two sessions a day for up to 8 weeks left them with a particularly bad knee issues. This has meant they had to take time off training for an extended period – time not spent training is time spent not working towards your goal.
Now taking a more moderate approach and realizing that maybe taking a slower approach to this type of training (not stopping it necessarily) would have avoided this missed time.
3.FLEXIBLE AND LONG-TERM VIEW TO TRAINING
Being flexible in your approach to training means to me that you take into account each week or month events that might come up that will disrupt your traning schedule and look at ways to still hit your sessions and completing your program. Planning ahead will allow you to know take into account that maybe one week you need to get more sessions in or you will have to organise another time in the week to get your sessions in. By being flexible you don’t miss a session and then miss the whole weeks training because whats the point? By being flexible you will understand that things eb and flow however, being the person who is always pushing ahead in some way wins out in the end.
STRATEGIES TO HELP
If things don’t go perfect then don’t beat yourself up:
Just recently I had a new client who spoke to me about having a lot of momentum leading up to a trip away. They were hitting all their sessions, playing sport and achieving their main goals and then they went on holiday. Arriving back and all their momentum seemed to disappear, all of their drive seemed to be taken away just from having a small break. When I asked more questions about this it came out that as soon as they came back they expected to be able to train at the same intensity and be able to do the same workload in the gym.
By aiming for complete perfection they ended up not getting anything out of their training and actually moved backwards. By having a flexible approach one or two sessions at not your best will not discourage you because of your perspective being more open.
Get feedback from your coach/trainer: Communicating with a professional about upcoming events or things happening in your life can make keeping up your momentum so much easier. They have perspective on your training and understand the best strategies to make sure someone can keep their good habits and behaviors. Two heads are better than one and your coach/trainer is always in your corner
In Closing
“life” getting in the way doesn’t mean taking 6 months to get back on track with your training.
Looking forward and planning ahead you can easily scale back your training. See the warning signs that things might be getting in the way that will affect your goals.
Goals can always change, as are life changes. That’s why it is important that training is for life and we have to be flexible and realistic in our approach.
ARE YOU
- Lacking Motivation?
- Have No Direction With Your Training?
- Goals Are Slipping Away?
- Unhappy With Your Body Composition?
- Wanting To Be Fit & Healthy?
If you answered YES then our 28 DAY FAT LOSS AND BODY COMPOSITION INTENTION PROGRAM is for you
IT INCLUDES
- Your Own Personal Trainer
- 3 x 1 Hour Sessions Per Week
- AM Sessions Available
- Nutrition Plan To Break The Cycle of Dieting
- Learn To Build Habits That Will Stick Forever
- Learn How To Keep Your Results
All for $69 per week for 28 days! Click I’M IN BELOW TO APPLY