Most of us are well into the holiday swing right now, so if you’re not already into fitness, we’re sneaking up on the time of year when everyone starts to think about getting fit and losing weight. New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner, and we can count on the retail sector to make certain we don’t forget. Watch the sale ads. As soon as you see treadmills and weight benches featured prominently in the ads, you’ll know the time is upon us. With that in mind, its worth taking a moment to c
onsider how to get started setting exercise and fitness goals.
One question I’ve gotten from folks who watched me go through my transition toward fitness is what got me motivated to start. Finding motivation to get started is the hardest part of fitness; the decision to change your lifestyle. The unfortunate reality is that your social network may actually (unintentionally) hinder that change. Research has demonstrated that the behavior of your friends can affect your weight and fitness levels. And, to be honest, our own ability to deceive ourselves is truly unmatched. Men, who are 60 pounds overweight can look in the mirror, and think “…Yep. I’ve still go it…” So, most of us need an overarching reason to motivate us to change. For me, that day came when my Mom noted that I looked as if my blood pressure was up. She’s a nurse. She held me down (just kidding, Mom!), checked my blood pressure, and she was right. Boy was it up! I ended up laying down on the floor of their living room with my feet elevated, thinking to myself how ridiculous it was that someone who was less than 40 years old was in danger of having high blood pressure. That was the day I decided something had to change. I spent the next week evaluating what I could reasonably achieve and setting a goal to run my first 5K in 10 years. That’s where I found the motivation to change.
So, have you had a defining moment, or are you still searching for motivation to make a lifestyle change?
