Set A Workout Routine and Stick to It

We often look to start a new workout routine to stay healthy, lose weight, get strong, and perform our best.

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The problem is getting started and finding the best option for you.  Some people know what they want and how they want to do it; others have no clue where or how to start.  Both types of people have the same issues when starting, taking the first step.

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What steps can you take to make that next goal become a reality?

1.     Transform the mind

2.     Set the final goal and forget it

3.     Focus on what you need to do today

Transform the Mind

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 Before you even begin to make the changes you desire, you must believe it is possible.  If you don't think it is possible, then now is not the time for that goal, and that is okay; start with the goal you believe will happen, no matter how small.

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When you can look ahead and imagine what life would be like if you committed more time to improving yourself, that is the time to begin.  

Picturing that perfect beach photo in that stunning bathing suit that fits like it was made specifically for you, accenting the definition of all the hard work you put in.

While we dream about what achieving our goal would be like, it never feels like it can become reality.  Everybody has the ability to make a dream become reality if they believe it will happen.

It's easier said than done, right?  You will never know if you don't set your mind to it.

Set the Final Goal and Forget it!

Well, almost forget it; instead, store it in the back of your mind.

Setting a goal for yourself, like saving money, losing weight, or getting into a better career, can always lift your spirits, especially when considering how nice it will be to accomplish that goal.  However, dreaming about it constantly can pull you away from what needs to be done.

Keep a photo somewhere that might remind you of the outcome of the goal.  Try writing it down and displaying it in your home, your car, or any space that allows you to see it and remind you what the hard work is for.

A daily reminder that gives you a few seconds to reflect on the goal and what you need to do.  You aren't forgetting about the outcome but you aren't constantly wondering when it will be a reality.

Focus on what you need to do today.

Imagining what it will feel like to accomplish the goal you set for yourself is a great way to motivate yourself.  The only way to get there is to focus on the daily tasks.  

Such tasks should be small, surmountable goals like steps on a staircase leading to the top of what seems like a mountain.  

Looking at the top of the mountain may induce emotions that can be overwhelming.  Excited to get there, yet daunting to realize how far you must go.  These emotions can be challenging to handle on top of everything else in your day-to-day life.

Instead, look at the next step, or five, each representing another day or week to complete what is necessary to reach the top of the mountain.  Yes, it will take some time to get to the top, but if you find a steady pace you can hold, you will reach the top and look back at the time you once only dreamed of accomplishing this goal.

The First Step

The first step is sometimes the hardest; if it is too big, you waste time and effort making the step, and you fall back down. Too small and you don't make a change that is meaningful leading to very little progress if at all.

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Take for example the options below that some people do:

1. In trying to lose weight, you start by drastically changing your diet.

2. you want to build muscle, so you go to the gym for 2 hours, pushing your limits.  

Both options are not bad, but for some people, they are a few steps further up the mountain than they thought.

Start with simple steps:

-       less sugar in your coffee

-       parking far from the entrance to any store you stop at

-       slowdown when eating

-       use the stairs and not the escalator or elevator

Start with one step and move on to the next every day, continually adding to the last one.

Sometimes, the first step can be reaching out for the handrail you didn't know was there the whole time. Providing the assistance you need to complete those first few steps and every step along the way.  Our professional coaches at CrossFit Inguz have been getting members through those first few steps on solid footing and up the mountain since 2013.  

Stepping into the doors at CrossFit Inguz can be the first step to reach the top of that mountain.