Fitness Tip of the Day #11

FITNESS TIP OF THE DAY:

No matter how hard it seems … be patient!

Regardless of what your fitness goal may be (i.e., lose weight, shed inches, increase strength, improve athletic performance, etc.), it takes time for our bodies to adapt and change. Rome was not built in a day … and neither will your body!

There are only two things we truly have control over when it comes to our fitness goals:

1. Our actions (the exercise we do, the food we eat, the amount of sleep we get, etc.).
2. Our thoughts (about ourselves, others, choices we need to make, our future, etc.)

Although having a magic wand, that we could wave in the air and make results appear out of thin air, would be nice to have … that’s not quite how it works.  It takes consistent effort, dedication to a well thought out program, mental focus, and perseverance to get real results (that are designed to last).

With consistent work, it takes approximately:

• 4 weeks before you will start to see your body changing
• 8 weeks before your friends and family will see a difference and
• 12 weeks before the rest of the world takes notice

Patience is a Virtue

It’s inevitable there will be times you don’t want to workout or put in the effort.  It feels impossible to get motivated, your muscles feel tired and weak, and our “inside voice” tells us to give up.  Because most of us are both impatient and our own “worst critic”, looking in the mirror fails to keep us motivated because we don’t notice the changes that are actually occurring.

Be STRONG, stay FOCUSED, and FINISH what you started!

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Reaching your fitness goal is a journey that takes time to reach.  Realize that it takes time for everyone (there are no exceptions).  Take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and one victory at a time!