Make exercise a daily habit

Please stop setting that silly goal of exercising only three days a week. We all know that three days will turn into two days and then one day and eventually another failed goal. This is common practice. Instead, begin with a mindset change to include exercise as part of your daily routine. Yes, I’m saying it needs to become a daily habit or you might as well go back to your old three-day a week (failed) program.

Have a Positive Attitude

Be positive—you know the results of consistently exercising are second—to—none. Think of the results, not how tired you might be on any given day. If you take on the challenge of exercising every day along with a negative attitude, your new goal will never see the light of day.

Exercise in the morning prior to work

The best way to remain consistent is to exercise each morning before going to work. The excuses are fewer in the morning since you have to get up early and go to work anyway. Whether you work from home or travel to an office, there are too many excuses why you shouldn’t exercise after work, with the most common ones being: “I’m too tired, it’s been a long day, I have too much work to do or I don’t feel well.”

Discipline your evening

Follow a good PM routine that has you winding down and getting ready for bed at a decent hour in order to get ample sleep and feel well rested in the morning. You will have a quality workout if you are well rested.

Establish doable targets

If you’re someone that has difficulties achieving your exercise-related goals, be realistic and start out small. Perhaps walking around the block everyday (assuming you live on a small block) and then after one week increasing your distance by walking around the same block two times.

Make exercise fun

Exercise does not need to be misery inducing. Yet so many people look upon it as a necessary evil with nothing but sweat and pain. If this is you, it’s time to get creative. How can you make it fun? Do you like variety? Do you need a partner? Do you need support? Do you need incentives? Do you like to dance? Do you like being out in nature? Is it more fun when it’s a group setting? Do you like to compete against yourself or others? Try out different exercise possibilities and find what’s right for you. When exercise becomes fun, it becomes natural and that is the goal.

You don’t have to attend a gym

Our bodies need some form of exercise on a regular basis, but you don’t have to go to the gym each day.

• Clean your house or apartment once a week at a fast pace
• Wash/wax your own car
• Take long brisk walks to the store, or around the block at work
• Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator

You have many options—just do it!

Establish phrases-play mind games

Train your mind to believe exercise is not a supplement; it’s an integral part of your life. Use negative phrases or positive affirmations/techniques to train your mind (see Chapter One).

Repeatedly tell yourself the following negative phrases:

• You’re pathetic and you need to get your fat lazy butt out of bed earlier and go exercise.
• You look like crap—get off the couch and do something about it.
• You can’t walk down that beach with that big stomach. Go do something about that disgusting gut.

Utilize the following techniques for positive reactions:

• Visualize yourself enjoying exercise, winning at it.
• Think of an image that gets you excited about exercising.
• Imagine being admired by your friends for how fit you are.
• Give yourself a pep talk.
• Hook up with someone, such as a trainer, a coach or a loved one who really wants you to succeed.

When it comes to our body, society has turned us into wimps by telling us we are at the mercy of our body. For example, if you have a cold, society has pontificated for eons to take it easy and rest. If you don’t have a fever there is no reason to take it easy. Go do your workout. Of course, you need to be in touch with your body and listen when it says enough is enough, don’t injure it. But also keep in mind that in order to excel at anything, you need to constantly challenge yourself. The same goes for your body. Great athletes always push their bodies past any and all barriers.

A fun way to challenge yourself is to manage your exercise routine by numbers. It’s exhilarating to beat your previous best. Create a daily log and write down a few key stats. Below are a few examples:

• While doing cardio keep track of your average heart rate and the number of calories burned at the twenty-minute mark. Then each day push yourself to beat the previous day’s number by just a little.
• If you bench pressed 155 pounds for the first time—congratulations for attaining your goal—now change your goal to 160 pounds and make it happen again.
• Your weight training routine consisted of one set per exercise this entire month—next month increase it to two sets per exercise.

Change your exercise routine frequently

If you do the same thing every day you will eventually get bored and burnout. Change it up!