Last week we introduced you to JOE’s new fitness expert, Bogdan Merkes. This week, he gives you the perfect start to achieving your goals.
Many people who start a new exercise regime give up before they start. So why do most people have trouble making exercise a regular habit? Well, there are numerous different factors for each individual, but here are three of the main ones based on my experience.
1. You have unrealistic or too many goals
You decided you want to go on holidays and want to get the beach body in two months? Forget it.
If you’re new to exercising or you’ve been out of shape for a while now, you’ve spent years looking and feeling the way you do, do you really think you’re going to reverse that in two months?
Often we set out to do too much. We want to do cardio, lift weights, eat healthy and stop (or maybe cut down) drinking alcohol. Well, you cannot focus on multiple goals, if you’re trying to do so much. Or you might start with one goal, but then get caught up in another (to stop procrastinating, for example), and lose your focus on the first one.
2. You make things too difficult for yourself
You set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to spend two hours in the gym doing cardio then weights then abs!” This sort of exercise philosophy is counterproductive. You might do it for a few days but then your energy will soon run out and it becomes a drag to do it. It makes me worry about a person who would train this way because it shows little or no knowledge about training, possibly even performing exercises and routines the wrong way. In the long run this may have a negative impact on your health, possibly leading to over-training and injury.
3. You just don’t have enough motivation
Have you ever suffered from being incredibly motivated one day and the next day you lost motivation completely? The problem with motivation is that it fluctuates on a regular basis. It is directly linked to goal setting and the challenge we may face. If one or the other, or both, are greater than your ability for it, you will quickly start to lose your mojo.
Four simple steps to stop wasting your time and get you on track
So how do we solve these common problems? Here’s a simple approach to get you in the right exercise habits and keep it up for the long term.
1.The science of goal setting
“All winning teams are goal-oriented. Teams like these win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims.” – Lou Holtz
You should set a single easy, specific and measurable goal. There are several keys to this.
A goal is defined as a “written, specific, personally meaningful, and challenging statement of intent, which has a measurable outcome and a completion date”.
- Written: If you’re serious about your goal make sure you write it down. Unless you do, this goal is not important to you.
- Specific: Being specific is important. It allows you to focus on the task ahead and keep distractions out of the way. And I don’t mean that your specific goal is “exercise” what I mean is the type of exercise you’re doing, what time of the day and where you’re going to do it. You must set a time make it an appointment you can’t miss, and then stay true to it.
- Measurable: For example, you’re going to target to run a mile each day and gradually increase that by 10% each week, or you’re going to start by doing three sets of 10 press-ups and increase that by one set or two more press-ups per set each week. You need to have a target to shoot for.
- One goal: Stick to this one goal for at least a month. Don’t start a second goal during that 30-day period. If you do, you are breaking your first goal!
Top tip 1! An everyday “trigger” is important. I recommend that you have one. For example, you might always brush your teeth right after you shower. The shower is the trigger for brushing your teeth, and because of that, you never forget to brush your teeth. Now find something you will do before you exercise. Is it right after you wake up? After you’re finished work? Right when you get home? As soon as you take off for lunch?
Top tip 2! DO NOT set a goal that’s too difficult. Make it easy to start with – setting goals you can’t achieve will slowly start to erode your motivation, so start easy and gradually increase your targets.
2. Log your progress on a daily basis
The key to seeing progress and making sure you’re staying motivated during a measurable goal is to get into the habit of keeping daily logs.
Top tip! Make it a habit to log it right away. Don’t put it off, and say you’ll do it before you go to bed. Do it right after your workout. No exceptions. Keep the log simple: date, time, and what you did are plenty, so no excuses.
3. Report to others
I think this can play a vital role. You can keep a paper journal. You can also log it online for others to share and view. Why not set up a blog about your goals and track your progress?
Top tip! Make sure you get someone – a friend, a family member, a workout partner or your trainer – to expect to see your tracked progress on a daily basis whether online or in your paper journal. Make sure they know about your goal, and that you are going to report to them. They will then help you every step, every day.
4. Add motivation as needed
The first three steps might be enough for you to get the habit going. But if not, don’t just give up. The real secret of success is to adopt an attitude that removes motivation from the equation. A good way to do this is to make the decision to do what you need to do even when you don’t feel like doing it.
My top tip! If you miss two consecutive workouts, you need to look at why, and add a new motivation. Rewards, more public pressure, inspiration, whatever it takes – add one additional motivator at a time and then see if it works. If you miss two more consecutive workouts at any time, add another motivator. And so on, until the exercise habit sticks.
And the great thing is that these four steps are not just about exercise – you can use these steps to start any habit.
Bogdan Merkes is writing a column every Wednesday until the end of September. If you want to learn more about his services check out ultimatefitcrew.com or like his page on Facebook. Check out more articles from Bogdan on his blog at bogdanmerkes.com, and you can also follow him on Twitter. All comments/questions/suggestions gratefully accepted.
[Main picture: SashaW via Flickr/Creative Commons]
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