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Studies have shown that seven out of 10 people who start an exercise program drop out within a few months. One problem is that most people jump into exercise without doing any planning up front. They’re just not prepared for the commitment involved. Are you ready to make exercise part of your lifestyle? Find out using the questionnaire below, which was developed by Sherri McMillan, MSc, co-owner of Northwest Personal Training & Fitness Education in Vancouver, Washington, and 1998 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year. She has discovered that people who stick with exercise buy into the following four “Laws of Success.”
1. The Law of Possession: “If it is going to be, it is up to me.” Understand that you need to take ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of your exercise program. It may be tempting to blame your husband or kids or shift responsibility to your group exercise instructor or personal trainer, but you will be the one who actually exercises! Loved ones can support you and fitness professionals can help educate and guide you, but you must be willing to give up a sedentary lifestyle.
2. The Law of Effort: “Anything worth achieving is worth working for.” Exercise takes discipline, willpower, character, persistence and a commitment to delayed gratification. Starting and staying with an exercise program requires hard work, but you can do it!
3. The Law of Consistency: “I have to stick to the game plan.” Researchers have found one characteristic common to those who adhere to exercise: They move toward their goals one step at a time and are committed to constant, never-ending improvement. Consistency and persistence are key to achieving results. If you get off track for a week or so, it’s no big deal. However, if you are regularly tempted away from your program, you will not succeed. Regardless of busy work schedules or lack of energy, you must keep exercising. For example, if you want to be 10 pounds lighter 10 years from now, it is not what you do over the next eight weeks that matters; it is what you do over the next 10 years.
4. The Law of Self-Efficacy: “If I think I can or I think I can’t, I’m probably right.” If you immediately start questioning whether you can make the changes required to live an active lifestyle, you are going to have a difficult time. You must believe you can do it. But don’t think you have to make the changes alone. Get support from a personal trainer, an exercise instructor, friends and family, and/or online exercise buddies.
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I feel like I have put off exercising long enough. I used to be very small and then I gained a ton of weight. I took charge of my eating habits and lost 10 pounds from drinking only water and low calorie/sugar/carb foods. While this is great, it’s only ten pounds. And I’m not toned. I did the diet because I kept making excuses that with school, work, and my boyfriend I was far too busy to work out. The truth is, I can definitely set aside 30 minutes everyday to run, or even just workout in my room if the weather isn’t nice outside. I need to keep myself from doubting myself as silly as that sounds. It’s up to me to improve me.
Well I have to say that starting college has been a distraction from my usual exercise routine. It is not an excuse just the facts. Although, every thing I’ve read about making time makes sense because at the end of the day I am the only one that is standing between working out or not. I lived in San Diego California for many years and the brightness of the sun with the warm weather made me feel happy about getting fit, not to mention everyone around me looked very fit so that was my incentive while I lived there. However, moving to Washington sorta slowed my metabolism down because it is cold and somewhat gloomy. It seems that school plays a factor in me not getting my derriere to the gym which I had been a part of for years, 24 hour fitness was like my second home and now I live in the boon docks that the only work out equipment I see is a recumbent bike, treadmill and weights which I own. Yes seemly it would be easy to hop on it and sweat away but the brain juices flowing all day at school run out by the time I get home. Subsequently, I have started a new routine to workout 30 minutes every day whether it’s 10 minutes here 15 minutes there I make it a priority since I need to lose at least 35 pounds due to my arthritis acting up. I think I am going to join Thorbeckes in Centralia so I can see other people looking fit which will make me want to get fit myself. Incentives or eye candy helps me , what ever works right?
I’m ready to start exercising again! I took a break but I have the equipment and mindset to keep myself going!
I am ready to start exercising! I revised my workouts and thought them through and I am ready to start!
I am ready to start exercising! I have been changing my eating habits and have been planning and saving some great workouts to do to slowly incorporate them into my daily lifestyle! Ready for this great mindset and change!
I am ready to start exercising again. Last year I was consistently in the gym and looking back at pictures you can defiantly tell I was in the gym. Since the summer I haven’t been in the gym nearly as much and I have gained my weight back. I make many excuses of why I can’t exercise but I know I can make time for it. I miss working out, it makes me feel better about myself. I can also make a better effort to not eat right before bed and that would also help, especially because it’s usually carbs that I am eating. Instead of eating I should do a short work out to keep my mind busy.
I’m tired of neglect, and I want to build some good habits.
I feel ready to exercise. I feel ready because my body is craving the pumping of blood while my muscles work. It feels so good. My mind is ready to exercise. I see an active lifestyle as a long term way of living, not just a fad to lose weight. The laws are all in my favor.
I am ready to return to exercising and I really miss my gym. I will never take my gym membership for granite again. I started a new job about 2 months ago, a desk job, and have already gained 10 pounds between the desk job and no gyms being open.
I am definitely ready to change up my workout to see some better results. I need to work on consistency and following through on my workout plans instead of becoming preoccupied with everyday life instead! Ready to see some change!
I need to follow through with my workout plans and not just give up. I am prepared to challenge myself to be consistent and work hard.
I would definitely love to change up my workout routine and work on the things I lack. Due to asthma, I tend to feel lightheaded to where if I overexert myself it will be bad. I would like to slowly work on bringing my stamina back up to its former glory a.k.a. when I was a kid but I am getting more active with how much I run around at.
For a long time, I have regretted going on a diet or even considering following a diet plan, because every time I do, it always fails, or I am unmotivated. I have also grown to love who I am and my body regardless of others’ opinions. When I do diets, I typically like to have another person there so we can support and motivate each other. I am not too good at cooking which is why I have bad eating habits in the first place. My mom works a part-time job at McDonald’s and comes home to watch my sister’s daughter every day. My dad is a long-haul truck driver so I never see him except for Saturdays if he comes home. In turn, leaving me to cook and clean for myself. I am aware that it sounds like I am blaming my parents, I am not, but cooking every day after a long day at work or school can be exhausting. I also cannot afford a bunch of greens to implement in my diet weekly. I have a job, but I am in a running start and I want to have decent grades, so taking time off from work seemed like the smarter option. I am excited to try to start working out and attempt to better my health.
I am done putting of healthful habits, I am ready to become more active and better myself long-term.