Since reopening, we've had lots of conversations, with lots of people about lockdown and their fitness goals, and we've noticed that there's a phrase that seems to come up quite often.....
"I need to get back on track."
But what does this mean? If you really think about it, our track is our track, and we're always on it. It's more as question of are we still moving and in which direction. Are we moving forward on that track towards your goals, standing still or going backwards.
The problem of thinking of yourself as either being on or off the track, is that you're either making progress or you're not, which kinda leans into the ‘all or nothing’ mindset, which can be problematic.
Whether it's work, school, kids or a combo of them all, there are gonna be times when you have to prioritise other things over your exercise and nutrition. We get that, it's perfectly normal, and happens to us too.
These are the times when you may feel tempted to give up, take a break or "pause" your health and fitness program and then resume when your training and/or nutrition plan when things return to normal
But the thing is, this 'pause button mentality’ can really sabotage your health and fitness progress.
One of our goals as your coach, is to help you break this pattern so that you continue moving forward in the right direction to your chosen destination.
How can you break this pattern?
Let’s say in ideal world, where everything is perfect, you’re able to train 3-4 times a week, eat 3 perfectly healthy meals every day that support your goals, hit your 10k steps daily, and sleep like a baby 7-9 hours every night etc
In that scenario, you’ll likely achieve all your goals both inside and outside of the gym.
But the thing to recognise is that you can still make progress even if things aren’t perfect.
When work gets tough and you have less time to train, what if instead of stopping you train less often or do shorter sessions.
If you can’t get to the gym, try and get a walk in, or do some gentle movements at home. These days, there are lots of follow along home workouts on the likes of YouTube.
Or if you can’t train at all, don’t worry, stay on top of you nutrition, and make sure your get a good nights sleep so you have the energy to face the next day
If you’ve had a tough day, and don’t feel like preparing a super healthy meal, grab a low calorie ready meal.
Of if you fancy getting a take away, have one, but instead of going all out and then regretting it later, choose a slightly healthier option, or be sure to stick to a healthy portion size and avoid overeating.
If you’re unable to get your 10k steps in on one day, don’t worry, just get in what you can, and then get them in tomorrow. You can always try and get an extra walk in on another day when you have more time.
If you’ve had a bad day, where everything has gone wrong, don’t write off the rest of the week. Write of the day, and start with a clean state the following day.
Remember, there is always something you can do (or not do) that will move you closer to your goals.
And doing SOMETHING, regardless of how small is ALWAYS better than doing NOTHING.
If you’re struggling, ask for help. Having a coach or even just a workout buddy can go a long way towards helping you stay accountable …and not getting discouraged when things don’t go as planned.
Remember, there is no such thing as being "on track" or "off track." We're ALWAYS on track. It is just a question of whether we are moving, and in what direction.
So instead of stopping, or moving backwards, continue moving forwards, even if it has to be at a slower pace until things settle down, and then when you’re ready speed up again
Hope this helps 🙂