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Back to Fitness & Exercise Archives
Maintaining an Exercise Program:
Setting Yourself Up To Win
by Rich RothmanMaintaining a workout program can be a very rewarding experience. It makes a big difference in more ways than one: from how you look and feel, to your overall mood and state of mind. But how do you maintain a workout program over time, when work, kids, hobbies, and so forth demand much of your time? Well, with proper planning, you can set up a complete exercise program to help you reach your fitness goals, whatever they might be. Here are a few steps you can take to help support you in accomplishing your fitness goals.
Get a workout partner or hire a coach. If you look at any great master, such as an athlete or a musician, they have one thing in common; they all enlist a coach or have people to support them in bringing out their very best. They are not alone. Simple and obvious in theory, but how often do we do the same? This alone can make the difference in having a workout program last over time. You are less likely to pull a "no-show" with someone waiting at the track or at the gym at 6am. Furthermore, working with a coach will keep you on the edge and will push you to do things you might not ordinarily do on your own. Have you ever said, "Oh, I'll just do twenty minutes on the treadmill today, that's OK," when you normally do thirty? Well a coach will have no part of that and will keep the little negotiator at bay that lives inside your mind!
Create a realistic workout schedule. If you've been reliable in working out three times a week for several weeks or months in a row, you might think to yourself, "I can probably do four times a week. I think I'll change it up". Well, many times you are right and you succeed at it. But what if you start out and four just doesn't work in your busy schedule? "Over-committing" is a recipe for failure. Dave Edwards, a certified personal trainer says, "Once you don't make it, that sense of failure sets in. I've seen many a successful program go down the tubes because people try to bite off more than they can chew."
Mr. Edwards says that if you can only workout three times a week, and you really want to step up your workout, change the intensity of your workout. Try different exercises, take a spinning class or enroll in a yoga class, possibly increase the time of your workout if your schedule permits. This avoids the plateau that many people experience in maintaining a fitness program. Keeping your workout fresh is of utmost importance and can keep you motivated.
Join a Class or a Club. If you belong to a gym, you already know there are several classes you can take such as aerobics, step classes, kickboxing, yoga, cycling and so much more. You may even already do this. If you don't belong to a gym, look and see if there are wellness centers, schools and clubs that offer classes.
Why? Because exercising in a group is fun. Often times, you can meet new friends and classes can be a time to get together and have fun exercising.
Joining a club, such as a local cycling or a swim club, can be a great challenge and a rewarding experience. You can meet people with similar interests. Usually, they meet at set times and locations, several times a week. They offer the opportunity to challenge yourself, and often times there are better or faster participants that will push you to work harder (if you've got a little friendly competitiveness in you, and who doesn't?).
Hopefully, by implementing some of these ideas, you'll find yourself sticking with your workout program and meeting the goals that you've set out to accomplish. Good luck and keep moving!