Being fit and getting in shape starts first in the mind. If you have trouble staying consistent, finding your routine, or battling willpower, you must avoid 3 fitness mindset mistakes. Starting here could change everything…
Healthy living has become such a buzzword. Associated with many other buzzwords.
…detox
…self motivation
…wellness
I admit, I’ve followed the healthy living trends just everyone else in my ‘space’. I’ve thrown charcoal on my face, gulped down celery juice, namaste’d in my high-rise yoga pants, and ate more kale than most do in a lifetime.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great and all (and I’ll never deny my love of kale), but the things that we think make up healthy living aren’t actually things or programs or fads or even food.
I’ve been lucky enough to talk to many women during my years in this healthy blogging/coaching career of mine, and it’s always the simple things that are missing.
I miss them too at times. Because it’s easy to get caught up in the veggie noodles, intermittent fasting research, and foam rolling.
It’s ‘sexy’ to try a kickboxing pilates cardio class on a paddle board on the water. It’s cool to have the latest heart rate monitor and air fryer.
It’s not as interesting to get to the basics of healthy living. But it’s the thing most of us miss. The fundamentals…The mindset. And unfortunately many women are making 3 fitness mindset mistakes that distract them from the real focus that is the foundation for real results.
The journey to living your best, healthiest life isn’t black and white. But there are 3 fitness mindset mistakes that may be holding you back.
Fitness Mindset Mistake #1: Assuming it will become a habit
Tough love alert – you’ll never just magically fall into a habit of working out. Habits are automatic and many times unconscious: brushing your teeth, biting your nails, or locking your car doors. Despite what some may believe about building a habit of working out, I don’t know many (any) people who are able to skip the ‘whole conscious decision making’ to decide that physical fitness is a priority in their lives. The truth is, some patterns or behaviors you can automate, and others you have to put in the work.
Fitness ‘habits’ are not magical unicorns some people grasp and others don’t. Making fitness a part of your life is a choice. Every.single.day. Even if most days the choice isn’t an easy one.
Instead of hoping you can create a habit of working out, focus on making a choice and showing up for yourself. Be accountability for your choices and it will pay off in the long run. It may never become a natural habit, but at least you will become familiar with trusting yourself to follow through and keeping the commitment you’ve made – and that is the most important step!
Mistake #2: Needing time and structure for a workout
You don’t need an hour to workout. You don’t need a gym. You don’t even need structure. If you struggle to find the time to work out or stare at fitness equipment and have zero clue what to do, here’s the deal – it doesn’t really matter. What matters the most is making the moments count.
The hardest part of keeping a fitness routine is getting started and continuously showing up. So instead of focusing on all the barriers, just start somewhere.
Maybe that’s 15 minutes between school pick-up and dinnertime to just move. Maybe it’s climbing a few stairs the last 5 minutes of your lunch break. Or perhaps it’s busting out a few tricep dips and pushups during a commercial break.
Finding the opportunities for little yes’s eventually leads to more momentum for bigger yes’s.
So next time you don’t think you have all the pieces in play to start or stick to it, you must shift the focus from dwelling on the barriers to just taking action in any way possible. ACTION -> MOMENTUM -> OPPORTUNITY that equals RESULTS.
Mistake #3: Giving the fall all the power
Everyone starts with the best intentions, but sometimes the fall is inevitable. The new years resolutions, the healthy eating vows, the workout schedule. I’m pretty sure that you’ll fall off the wagon at one point or another (we ALL do), but there is no wagon – there’s simply a journey with a path that YOU create.
Oftentimes the bump in the road can send us into a complete tailwind that takes weeks, if not months or years to bounce back from. So stead of practicing resiliency, we practice the role of the victim.
Here’s the deal, the people who seem to have it together aren’t the ones that don’t fail, they’re the ones that brush it off the fastest and get back to business.
They schedule the workout the next day. They deal with their emotional baggage. They make a plan to get rid of the junk food and eat real food and they stick to it.
Fail. Learn. Brush it off. Bounce back. Then repeat. Repeat again and again and again.
These 3 fitness mindset mistakes are common barriers for women trying to make fitness a natural part of their lives, but can easily be fixed with a little clarity, refocus, and a whole lot of grace!
Interested in learning more about mindset as a tool for successful goal-setting and making healthy living easier? Sign up to be on the Physical Kitchness email list for exclusive mindset help and a refreshed way of thinking delivered directly to your inbox, plus exciting previews of what’s to come to get individualized help! Sign up below.
For more posts to help your healthy living journey, check out Controlling Cravings, Pulling Yourself Out of a Funk, and The Enemy of Overwhelm.
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