Getting Moving

The winter months can be tough and I often find myself ( and many of my clients) hunkering down to ride out the winter until sunny days arrive again in the early spring.  This often leads to the blues or depression, an increase in eating thus leading to weight gain and an increase in isolation.  One strategy to over come the winter slump is keeping a watchful eye on self care.  Self care through exercise adn eating healthy.

In my practice I often hear people that want to get moving, taking new classes, going for walks, starting to run and I come across two challenges. The first is getting started.  How do you get up early to head to the gym before work, or commit to going after work, and once there what do you do?? Figuring out what is going to be a comfortable start for you in crucial.  Are you going to be comfortable joining a gym and if so what kind, and will you go alone or with a friend. If not a gym, can you find a walking group or are you motivated to do workout tapes at home? All of these are extremely important in the preparation phase of change.  Having a sold plan will allow you to meet your goals more successfully.

So step 1 is develop a plan, what do you hope to accomplish and how are you going to go about doing that?  I have a very good friend who I have run several half marathon or marathon relays with who has set a plan to run a bunch of half marathons this year and has even gotten a personalized training plan to PB at a local race.  That is a clear and reachable goal, that is what your looking for. 

Now comes the hard part. So okay, I ordered new sneakers, or a cut yoga top and pants and a new mat, and I went to the gym this week now what.  How do you keep going, how do you stay committed? I find this to be the more challenging of the two.  Working in a gym, I hear people that come to class and they say things like, oh don't worry, classes are big now but wait a few weeks and all those "Resolutioner's" will be gone.  Is that what you want, to be known as someone who isn't going to make it through their commitment?  I think not! 

Step 2, This is your chance to keep those gyms packed, but again you have to set a plan, make the commitment and here is the key, make it specific and attainable and then share it with people that will help hold you accountable.  It's easy to say yeah I'm gonna work out, that's vague, what does that mean, I did squats for one minute? I took the stairs? All of that is working out, but the key is to say I'm going to go to the gym for 30 minutes on three days a week. See what classes if any you would like to take and plan accordingly, schedule child care, pack your clothes, bring a healthy before workout snack for late afternoon (or whenever you are planning to work out).  Maybe even hire a trainer.

It's the specificity and the sharing that make our plans successful and not just another failed New Years Resolution.  I know I was there for years, always waiting to start, and now I help people get moving, my how things have chanced. 

How are you going to get moving this winter??

Namaste