Commit to Fit: Top 5 Roadblocks to Fitness

Ever said “I'll get fit tomorrow”? Now is the time. Today, is yesterday’s ‘tomorrow’!

None of us are exempt from the need to stay in good shape. Similarly, we all need encouragement and motivation to stay committed to our fitness goals.  

This is where this article's guest comes in. Andrew Bassett is not only a long-time friend, but also a person that continues to motivate people like us, to conquer new fitness summits - despite hearing every possible excuse known to man.

Some time ago, I was in a motel room getting ready for a friend’s wedding, and as I was attempting to button up my pants, the button popped off and bounced off the bathroom mirror and around the bathroom! A slap in the face indeed. 

Perhaps you’ve experienced a slap-in-the-face moment that has reminded you to ‘commit to fit’. But it’s what we do after these moments that matters most. In the podcast interview with Andrew, I asked him to share the 5 top roadblocks people experience on the journey to getting into shape. Let’s be honest with ourselves, and explore these together.

Roadblock 1: Belief

When unpacking the idea of belief, there are a number of components to consider: self-belief, the belief of others, and the ‘why’ that fuels our belief.

Self-Belief

Firstly, it’s about us. Through the recent years of health challenges, I’ve often thought to myself “I can never be well again”. Do we genuinely believe we have what it takes to get into shape? Do we have the belief that we are able to maintain our desired level of fitness?

Our internal dialogue has a tremendous affect on our outward performance. We need to do some introspective thinking, and do a health check on our willpower.

Belief of Others

Secondly, it’s about others. In order to develop a healthy sense of self-belief, we need to surround ourselves with people who also believe in our ability. When we make time to talk to friends and family about our health and fitness goals, we open ourselves up to being accountable.

Be wise and choose people who genuinely want the best for you; they may even feel encouraged to set new fitness goals of their own.

A ‘Why’ that Fuels Our Belief

Thirdly, it’s about our “why”. Rather than simply dismissing this as a cliché, use it to clearly identify your motivation for getting fit. For me, that meant flipping the story (in my mind) from a negative (“I’ll never be well again”) to a positive (“I want to be vital, able to travel and play with my niece and nephew”). What do you believe about yourself? Do you need to flip it?

Roadblock 2: Environment

Is your environment helping you to stay healthy? All of us are motivated by different things, and in different ways. I used to love walking around my neighbourhood in the evenings, but now I enjoy being indoors in the gym. 

When you find the environmental mode that suits you best, you’ll find it easier to commit to your fitness plan. Some environmental modes include:

• Home: outdoors, indoors
• Gym: indoors or outdoor park fitness
• People: Large Classes, Small Groups or Personal Training

Vision boards are another great tool for providing visual prompts, giving you the motivation you need to work toward to your goals. Consider putting together a board that contains photos/text/images of the things you desire (more on this in a future article). 

Roadblock 3: Education

Ever been overwhelmed by the wide range of health and fitness advice? Welcome to the club. Information overload (and misinformation), can create paralysis by analysis, to the point that we don’t start anything.

Seeking advice from a trainer or health professional will help you to develop a plan that suits you, rather that using a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Periodically, I need to remind myself that it’s not a race, and that starting small is better than not starting at all.

Roadblock 4: Money

Debt and rising living expenses are a reality that none of us can escape. Because of this, we can be tempted to view fitness expenses as a luxury, rather than an investment.

A weekly gym membership is usually equivalent to the cost of 3-4 coffees; not a huge sacrifice in the grand scheme of things. Consider ways that you can start for free: walking around the neighbourhood, bodyweight training in the garage etc. Building exercise habits for free, is a great way to test your resolve, before committing to a paid gym membership. 

Recommended: 7 Money Lessons from the Book “The Richest Man in Babylon”

Roadblock 5: Time 

There’s never the right time to start anything new, especially when habits are involved. If you have to 'start' several times to make a healthy habit to stick, take heart and be encouraged that you're in the game!

Between the demands of our careers, family and other commitments, it can seem like there isn't time to work on you. However, if we view flip the perspective around, we'll discover that it's vital that we schedule time to improving us. Why? So that we can serve others better - by being the best and brightest version of ourselves.

Recommended: 7 Time Management Tips + FREE chapter download

Let's Recap

The 5 most common roadblocks to fitness are:

1. Belief (self, others, and 'why')
2. Environment
3. Education
4. Money
5. Time

Let's Act

• What 2 things can you take action on today?
• What is your 'why' for committing to fitness?
• Which people are encouraging you to reach new fitness goals?
• Look at your budget, what does it reflect about what you value?

Let's share

Found this article encouraging? Share it on your favourite social media channel today. #LivetoAccomplish

© 2017 Nathan Shooter™ Distributed by Thrive Media®