This week I want to talk about the fitness mindset! It is that time of year when we start to panic about summer. Whatever your relationship with fitness is, spring is a wonderful time for new beginnings. If you are already in a fitness plan then now is a good time to switch it up, break through the plateau and forge ahead. If you are a complete beginner now is the time to decide to repair your relationship to exercise and really give it a chance. Not just for summer but for LIFE!

 

Years ago, before I became a personal trainer, it was hard to get me to even go for a walk. I absolutely hated it. After years of putting myself though punishing fitness regimes, I had built up a really negative relationship with exercise. Not only that but I had gained weight from my yoyo approach. I did not have a fitness mindset!

 

The key for me and for many of my clients, is NOT to start on a journey to “get thin”, but a journey to repair your relationship to exercise.

 

Just as with the diet mindset, there are huge problems with the fitness mindset that are pushed at us by the fitness industry. Many people have the all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to exercise. If you aren’t hammering your body you aren’t working hard enough, if you aren’t doing cross-fit then you might as well not bother and so on… This is so intimidating for people who never want to join a gym and have no intention of lifting weights. It makes you think “Why bother?”

 

The good news is you can lose weight, get fitter, work on your agility, strength and whatever you choose from the comfort of your own home if you want to! How you approach your exercise in the beginning is going to be key to your long-term success. It is YOUR own business and your OWN journey. Just as with healthy eating, the path you choose is your own!

 

If you think “Once I lose weight I won’t have to exercise like this anymore” then already you are setting yourself up for a fall. The key is to work on your relationship and work towards something that you WANT to keep going at. You can and will cultivate confidence, pride, self-respect and self-belief through the process. Why would you ever want to stop that?  Start something that you DON’T want to stop!

 

Noticing the benefits as you start your journey is also important. I’m not just talking about the weight loss benefits but all the others! You go less red, it doesn’t hurt as much, you don’t get as stiff at the end of the day, you breathe a little easier, you start to have more energy! You can notice ALL of these benefits before you even lose a pound on the scale. Focusing on these aspects of your fitness helps you to create a healthy relationship to fitness and a strong fitness mindset.

 

Constantly watching the scale isn’t measuring the most important effects of your effort. All the other benefits are so key to your success!

 

Whatever form of exercise you choose, it is important to have mini targets in your exercise regime so that you aren’t just trying to ‘burn fat’. Setting targets gives you a goal that you can see right away and get instant gratification from.

 

If you are just starting out then 3 important things for you to consider are:

 

• Decide what fitness means to you- Is being fit, going for a hike with your family? Hitting the gym? Learning to run a 5k? What do you want to get from your fitness? Try to pick something other than a weight loss goal. We want to start to look at weight loss as a happy by-product to your new relationship with exercise rather than the sole purpose. Exercise can and does nourish your soul when you learn to enjoy it for it’s many benefits.

 

• Decide how much time you can give to it- Everyone is busy, if you hate exercise then you will resent it for eating into your family time, ruining your weekend, meaning you don’t have time to relax. The goal is to see it as a privilege and a way of respecting your body rather than a punishment. If you are coming from a negative headspace with it, then try not to schedule in time you aren’t prepared to give. Otherwise it will make your relationship worse! Start out so small you barely realise you are doing it! How long, how many times a week can you really give to exercise without resenting the hell out of it?

 

• Decide this is a marathon not a sprint- Exercise is not just a means to an end but a way of life. If you want to be one of those people who bounces out of bed and loves it then you have to look at this long term. This is a journey to respecting your body, treating it well and being mindful. It doesn’t happen overnight. You have to want to change your relationship with it. Be patient! Becoming connected with your body in a way that you will enjoy exercise isn’t about pounding it in the gym right off the bat. There is a certain connection that you need to forge before all that stuff.

 

I started out with walking and it is now my go-to form of exercise whenever I don’t want to work out! Some people do really well with swimming or even jogging. It is up to you what you choose but if you commit to the relationship with exercise rather than the activity itself then you will get much further!

 

Walking gave me the confidence to move on with my fitness and try other things. It was just the beginning! Once I had cultivated a relationship with exercise, I wanted to take things further. Slowly it became a part of my life and one that would be missed if it wasn’t there. This is where you want to get to! You don’t want to have something in your life that you fight everyday but secretly hate!

 

As always, drop me comment below, plus don’t forget to join my private Facebook Group if you haven’t done so already……and remember The Full-Bodied Evolution Members Club has a wealth of materials and a growing community of like-minded people to help you on your weight loss journey! Plus, you can always find me on both Instagram and Pinterest for more lifestyle food and fitness tips!

….and don’t forget to listen to The Full-Bodied Evolution Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!