Ready, set, keep going!
Q Three weeks in and I’m not used to the routine, what are some good tips to stay on track? A New program participants might be beginning to realize that what they signed up for was not 13, but 39 workouts. They may be wondering, “what was I thinking when I signed up!” But this is a great chance for participants to think back to when they registered. Some people might have been having doubts about their life direction: sensing something’s not right; wondering how they could have an improved life; improved fitness; if that something could be achieved if they signed up for the training. To recall that passion and commitment in the third week of the program is a good idea and it can revitalize that commitment because now you realize that the reality is going to be a little different than the fantasy.
Q With all the priorities in life, it can be difficult to find the time to stick with the program. Any suggestions on how I can make the time for it?
A It’s been said that we find time for everything that is important. Sun Run participants are finding the time to take care of their kids, to eat, to sleep, to go to work, etc.
The question is whether your fitness, your own personal wellbeing, your commitment to your health is up there in your top priorities? People need to think about scheduling things around their fitness rather than trying to find time to fit their fitness program into the rest of their life. Clearing things off your schedule that are of lesser importance will give you the time to fit those workouts in. There’s a saying that if we don’t find the time to create a sense of well- being in our lives, sooner than later we’re going to have to find time to deal with sickness. If we don’t take care of ourselves because we say we don’t have the time, our bodies will force us to take the time to be sick!
Q It can obviously be difficult to stay motivated, how can people move past the starting point? A In every habit change, we have to begin identifying what specifically is wrong. For example, people who join Sun Run Intraining clinics come for many different reasons. First, they’ve decided that they want to make a change in their life. Some people can’t keep up with their kids, some can’t climb stairs without taking a break. What happens in the next stage of change is that people begin to see specific things in everyday life that make them dissatisfied. That list can sometimes grow, but that means you’re becoming aware and conscious of what things can improve.
Next: readiness. You begin planning how you’re going to implement the changes that you began envisioning. Thinking, where am I going to buy the shoes and clothes, how is my meal schedule going to change, how will this workout routine fit into my work schedule? You start marking your calendar. You’re taking the steps.
Then, you take action. You sign up for that clinic but you stick with it. You plan ahead because 13 weeks isn’t short. You look ahead to Week 6 and 7 and you prepare yourself mentally. You might look at your schedule for those weeks and anticipate that it could be a challenging time, but in order to stick with it, it’s smart to plan ahead.
Finally, you need to maintain. A great idea is to make the Sun Run a stepping stone for year- round fitness and activity. Completing the Sun Run is a glorious feeling for people, but after that, the goal to keep it up! All that time that you reserved for fitness and health, make the effort to maintain that year- round. Successful people will stop thinking about what was wrong, and begin thinking about the positives — climbing those stairs, being more active, dropping those pounds, looking and feeling better. The great payoff of committing to a lifestyle of health and fitness, that’s what keeps us going.