If you want to obtain significant results with regards to any health and fitness goal, the key is consistency. Consistency is established by developing a routine.
There are three primary phases in developing an exercise routine that you will go through once you have decided to be proactive in achieving a particular long-term goal:
Phase 1: Initiation of a routine
This is often the most exciting part to your exercise. You’ve made the conscious decision start exercising and eating well. Your motivation levels are sky high and nothing, absolutely NOTHING is going to stop you! You look forward to kicking your old lazy and unhealthy eating habits once and for all!
This initial period typically lasts for a few weeks. Just watch out that you don’t have unrealistic expectations of yourself. Even though you may be really motivated at this point, you need to ask yourself whether or not you can adhere to the promises you are making yourself and what you are communicating to your personal trainer. For example, can you really exercise six days per week? Will you be able to get up at 5am every morning, even in the cold Winter months? Can you really avoid junk food 24/7?
It is typical of this phase to want everything as quickly as possible. Big results are desired immediately. Be very careful that you are not setting yourself up for failure by asking for too much, too quickly, without considering a long-term approach.
This is the ideal time to obtain a personal trainer to set you up in the right direction. Without the assistance of a professional, if you are unaware of what you are doing, you could very easily lose control during phase 2.
Phase 2: Implementation of the Routine
You’ve been exercising for a month and you’re not quite seeing the dramatic changes that you initially expected. You wanted to lose twice as much weight and build three times as much muscle! Is all this hard effort really paying off? Are you ever going to achieve your desired results? How much longer are you going to wait!? Alternatively, you may be seeing results, BIG results, but you are having trouble adhering to the routine and can’t wait to revert back to “normal” eating practices!
You lose that “spark” that you had a month ago and it now becomes acceptable to miss a workout here and there. You’ve also stopped watching what you eat.
Sound familiar? Well, it’s a reality for most people who begin a new exercise and dietary routine. Whether it’s a month or three months, eventually you will come to a point where you may question whether or not your investment into this newly formed routine is really worth all the effort. Motivation levels drop.
During phase 2, this is where it is critical that you find a way to overcome these doubts and struggles that you may have. The intervention of a fitness professional is often invaluable so he/she can advise you, objectively, what you need to do and give you a clear and informed sense of direction to re-ignite that motivation and inner-drive.
It would come as no surprise that this is where most people drop the exercise and nutritional routine altogether and revert back to old habits. This is why most people do not last more than eight weeks with a new exercise routine. Often, these failures are caused by unrealistic expectations, poor direction, inadequate planning and uninformed exercise/nutritional program development in phase 1.
Phase 3: Developing a Lifestyle
Exercise and healthy eating is now part of your everyday life. You don’t consciously think about going into the gym, nor do you consciously think about avoiding junk food on a regular basis. You just do it, automatically. You have created a lifestyle where healthy eating and exercise fits seamlessly into your life and you don’t give either of them a second thought.
It can take anywhere from twelve weeks to twelve years (or more) to reach this point! Some people will never reach phase 3, and alternate between phases 1 and 2 for their entire life.
Unfortunately, it’s a reality that the minority of people survive phase 2 and get onto phase 3. Phase 3 is truly the holy grail of health and fitness. You have found how to integrate a healthy routine into your lifestyle without it creating friction with other area’s of your life.
This is not to say that during phase 3 you do not have goals. Far from it. During phase 3, you continuously assess your progress and set new goals for yourself. However, you do so knowing that these goals are a long-term project and something that is to be obtained with careful planning and execution for optimal results.
If you can get to this point, you begin to truly appreciate the many levels to self-development. No longer is it about weight loss or muscle gain; it’s about improving who you are.
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So hopefully this provides you with some insight as to the phases in developing an exercise routine.
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