Staying on Course to Good Health
By Donna Kostiew
Changing your fitness and diet routines can be difficult, especially if the changes are new to your existing lifestyle. It is important to know the level of commitment that will be needed if you are interested in pursuing a new fitness or health routine before you start. Oftentimes, many people end up being frustrated or angry with the process and eventually lose interest or quit. Don’t let that happen to you. If your desired goals are important to you, then take the time before you start and create a manageable plan.
Staying on Course
Here are five guidelines that may help you enact change and keep you on the right path.
- Understand what is needed - Don’t underestimate the motivation and discipline needed to make a change. It takes plenty of patience, effort, and persistence to reach your fitness goals, and it doesn’t happen overnight. For significant change, a level of commitment that you have never shown before may be needed.
- Be selective with your changes – Pick new habits that you honestly want to add to your life. Don’t base your choices on what your friend is doing or what you just read on the internet. By choosing things you are interested in, the likelihood for success is increased.
- Start small – Beginning new habits in small increments is manageable and puts you in the right position to grow and build from that point with less frustration. If you are successful with smaller goals, the likelihood of continuing with this path to change will increase. Eventually, you will be doing more than you ever imagined.
- Give yourself some slack - Be kind to yourself … the end goal should be about improved health, both physically and mentally. So don’t quit because you had a bad week, just get back into it the best way you know how.
- Embrace and experiment – Embrace the “perceived” boring while also experimenting with your fitness routine. The boring part? Maybe that means drinking flavored water at happy hour or the family barbeque, or perhaps walking is your chosen workout to start with when everyone else is mountain biking. It doesn’t matter how you start, just listen to your body and stick to your decisions. But in doing that, you also don’t want to let yourself get bored with your new routine. Losing interest? Just add a new element to what you are already doing. Try walking in new settings or try a new class at the gym if you can.
Fitness and diet routines can certainly be frustrating aspects towards attaining good health, but with some careful thought and a willingness to be inspired, they can also be some of the most rewarding.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Chino Hills, Calif.
