CHALLENGE OURSELVES

– our excuse mindset. However, with conscious effort, we can overcome this negative tendency to fall prey to our old worn-out excuses and distorted beliefs.

Here are some steps that help move us past our sedentary “excuse mindset” and into positive activity.

Until health and the many benefits provided by physical activity are placed high on our list of priorities, any effort we put forth will fall short. The first thing we need to confront ourselves with is where our health and an active lifestyle fit into our personal value system. Good mental and physical health should be number one on everyone’s list. They allow us to enjoy all the other conditions and gifts that life generously provides.

Focusing inward and taking stock of our own voice and the messages continually sent to ourselves is a mandatory step towards recognising what is holding us back. Once we come to terms with this negative influence/thought/belief, we can then shift these negative thoughts to a positive mindset.

We need to challenge ourselves and our behaviour. Having honest, personal conversations with ourselves helps to reveal a lot. “Why don’t I want to exercise, what excuse is getting in the way?” “What is preventing me from eating better?” “Where do we currently sit in life” and “where do we want to be” are all examples of questions, we should be asking ourselves and answering with integrity and honesty.

We cannot change our actions until we address our perceptions because our actions are a direct result of our perceptions.

Exercise will improve a multitude of physical and mental conditions. It lowers the risk of cancer and cardiovascular

This one is an offshoot of our priority list. Once we eliminate the negative statements that have been sabotaging our efforts to work out, our next step is to be consistent. All successes in life, whether fitness related or not, have consistent action steps behind them.

We always put important dates on our calendars and our exercise routine should be treated as an important appointment, honoured, and kept consistently.

Fitness is like a relationship; you can’t cheat and expect it to work.

Exercise works. However, having unrealistic expectations when beginning a workout routine is a sure invitation to failure/quit. Your body did not arrive in the state it currently is, overnight, and neither will it shift to a healthier version overnight. It is not about taking one big leap – it is about realistic baby steps, about adopting lifestyle strategies that lead to your health and fitness goals. Tenacity, persistence and consistency pay off and provide a true sense of accomplishment. These are the keywords that lead to success in all things, including stellar health and fitness.

Skip the short-term success idea and reach for long-term sustainability because that’s where true success lies.

Stop expecting the external world to change for you. Look only to yourself - to your inner powers… that’s where the controls are.

One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change the world.