It is very good to keep fit (jogging, working out at home or
the gym, eating healthy and so on) because of the many health benefits that come with it. But
many a time, people start a fitness program with the thought that the journey
to those fitness goals is going to be a rosy one. By the time they attempt some
programs for one or two weeks, they lose enthusiasm because of the type of
discipline and patience, in weeks of consistency, required in order to start
seeing the results on their body, and therefore slump back to their old lazy,
unhealthy-eating-habit, chubby selves.
The reality is keeping fit and getting results is not a day or
a week's job. You have to know right from the very beginning that it will need
discipline and patience. To develop this discipline and patience, you should
have as a guide, the following acronym called SMART:
1. S is Specific, meaning you should have in mind what you wish
to achieve with starting a fitness program: do you want to lose a certain
amount of pounds in weight; develop your muscles; or improve your endurance
level. Having a specific target will help keep you going on days when you're
likely not to be in the mood.
2. M is Measurable. You should find ways to measure
periodically, maybe weekly or every two weeks, the impact of your fitness
program. It may be discouraging sometimes with little to no or even worsening
results, but this helps you critically evaluate yourself to find out and
correct what you might have done wrong in the preceding weeks as regards your
fitness.
3. A is Attainable. Before you begin your fitness journey,
ensure you plan it in such a way that you will be able to faithfully adhere to
the earmarked fitness activities, without regular impedance from your work
schedule and other engagements you have on a daily basis. This means if you
work till evening, you should have your fitness activities inserted in the
early morning or late in the evening when you will have time to actually work
out. Planning in this way and sticking to it will help you make your fitness
activities a subconscious routine which is one of the best things that can
happen to you.
4. R is Realistic. Before starting out on that fitness journey,
you must have realistic expectations; if your belly is ballooned out with fat,
don't expect to have six packs after one month of fitness activities. Instead,
bear in mind that that belly fat will probably take months to burn before
another work starts on toning your abdominal muscles to six packs. So, measure
your waist circumference monthly and track and celebrate those tiny centimetres
that disappear as a reduction in abdominal fat.
5. T is Transparent. You should be able to share your fitness
activities and the gradual progress you're making with friends, colleagues and
even with social media friends on a periodic basis. Being transparent in this
case is not forcing you to share your fitness journey; it is more of a choice,
but it can help keep you motivated to continue: friends encouraging you and
those who may start looking up to your fitness journey and progress as an
inspiration to start their own fitness journey.
You can get a kind of fitness diary where you can draw up a
weekly schedule using the SMART guideline. You should be honest with yourself
in the area of requirements needed for your fitness activities (going to the
gym, waking up very early to jog, stopping unhealthy eating habits and so on), and
possible constraints such as unplanned emergencies that may come up in your
workplace or other engagements, taking extra hours or days and your fitness
program in those periods.
There's no rule on working out every day of the week. But try
and make it at least 2 times a week. And don't beat yourself or get discouraged
when urgent work engagements mess up your fitness program day. Make up for it
the next available time.
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