Achieving Consistency in Fitness

As a Personal Trainer, I meet a lot of people with zealous goals such as getting fitter, leaner, obtaining visible abs in a few short months. And they want to achieve their goals in a short time frame without making alterations to their priorities and lifestyles. Many do not realize the amount of work it takes and the number of sacrifices they have to make in order to achieve their goals.
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On the other hand, I have had the pleasure of working with several clients who have been able to reach their fitness goals, attain a substantial amount of progress in their fitness goals with my help and guidance. And one of the major factors that lead them to seeing results is Consistency. Consistency in showing up for PT sessions, consistency in doing cardio on their own, consistency in their diet and nutrition.

With that said, let’s look into ways in which you can achieve consistency in order to achieve your fitness goals.
 
1. Stop the guilt
When guilt starts sweeping in because you missed a day or two of training, or if you had a hick up with your diet, immediately stop! Feeling guilty about a mistake you made is not going to undo it. The train of thoughts that follow that emotion will only hinder your progress. So stop the guilt thought process and start thinking about how you are going to make up for the lapse in discipline. Work out longer the next day, or eat more vegetables instead of carbs the next day. Been missing your PT sessions? Make it up by doing extra sessions the following week. That’s how you build discipline. By “punishing” yourself in a productive manner and that is how you gain control of your fitness journey.
 
2. Realistic workout schedule
Many times I have clients telling me that they would like to have PT sessions 3-5 times a week if they can. I usually discourage them from doing so. Firstly, because more sessions does not always mean quicker results. In fact, it creates a burn out and a lot of times I am not able to push them as much as I would like to because of that. Even doing PT 3 times a week can be really texting if your body if not used to staying active. I usually recommend doing twice and maximum three times a week. On other days, I ask them to do something they enjoy. Like a workout video, running or swimming.
 
3. Build a relationship with your trainer
There will be tough days, days when you really do not want to work out. Days when nothing seems to go right and all you want to do is go home and relax. Those are the days when the relationship you have with your trainer comes in handy. Try thinking about the things you can share with your trainer or the jokes you can crack during your training session, sharing jokes you saw online about working out. It is going to be hard to be consistent with your training if you dread seeing your trainer. Especially if it is after a long day at work. Professional personal trainers use several techniques to make sure they always present a pleasant energy when working with their clients.
 
4.Track your progress
Keeping a journal and keeping track of your progress in terms of training, hours of exercise, energy levels, how training made you feel and your food intake will help you stay focused. It may seem like a hassle at first if you are not used to journaling. You could use an app on your phone and just jot your thoughts down during your commute for a start. Sometimes having something to look at to see how much work you have already put in will discourage you from giving up.
 
5. Knowledge is empowering
Read fitness forums, blogs, articles to see how people deal with the difficulties they face in training. Maintaining a constant interest in fitness related matters would help you stay on track for a longer time and eventually integrate it permanently into your lifestyle. It also gives you something to talk to your trainer about during your rest breaks!
 
6. Set a date
So you got busy or got tied up in life’s messiness for a few weeks. You lapsed in your training. Stop ignoring your trainer’s messages! Let him or her know when you will be able to resume training and give updates when you can. Commit to a date in which you would be ready and keep your trainer accountable to your return. When you set that goal it will be easier to get back on track.
 
I hope these pointers were helpful. Cope with the obstacles that lay before you in achieving consistency. The key is in never giving up. Do not think about the time it is taking you to achieve your goal but rather focus on the process. Try and enjoy it as much as you can and the results will follow in due time. Your trainer is there to guide you, make use of them