The Key to Fitness Success

Consistency: The Key To Fitness Success
By Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach®
Not seeing results from your workouts? Getting frustrated with finding the right fitness routine? The problem may not be with your fitness program but with a lack of consistency. Consistency is the key to making exercise a lifelong habit…and getting results. Here are a few tips to help you stay consistent.
1. Exercise in the morning. As the day progresses, tasks, chores, responsibilities and fatigue can often knock exercise right off the list of priorities. By exercising in the morning, fewer distractions come up and can help ensure you get your workout in. Not a morning exerciser? If possible, try to go to sleep a little earlier so you’re not skimping on your sleep. Then, set the alarm to get up 15-­‐30 minutes earlier on the first day. Commit to a “no snooze button” rule and slowly get out of bed. Next, before you leave your bedroom, immediately put on your workout clothes. It gives you that mental push to get your workout in so you don’t reconsider or get sidetracked.
2. Have a plan to prevent boredom. Just as you get bored, so does your body. If you stay with the same routine, you’re body doesn’t have to work as hard to get through it and you won’t see the results you’re hoping to achieve. Could you have one routine for Monday, Wednesday and Friday and another for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday? How about mixing it up with a variety of classes, DVD’s, running routes or fitness equipment? What about changing the levels of intensity on your treadmill by throwing in some sprints, doing some plyometric moves or jumping rope? By creating a plan to keep your routine fresh and challenging you’ll be more likely to stick with it, stay consistent and see results.
3. Set realistic and achievable goals. Your goals should be challenging enough so it’s something to strive for yet realistic enough so that you can enjoy the feeling of success once you achieve them. To have a goal of losing 20, 50 or 100 pounds or getting toned and bikini ready is great, but how can you break that down so it doesn’t seem like a huge mountain to climb? A simple way to do this is to set a yearly goal, then break it down to months, then weeks and finally into what you need to do each day in order to achieve your ultimate goal.
4. Track of your progress. If your goal is to lose weight or train for a specific event, find a way to track your progress so you can stay motivated and enjoy the feeling of progress. It can be as simple as marking days off a calendar, keeping a fitness or food journal, or creating a system of your own. It doesn’t matter how you track your progress as long as you keep it simple enough so you can easily add it to your routine and see how you’re moving towards your goal. There are also some great apps you can download which can help you track your progress along with helping to keep you motivated.
5. Keep it fun. Discover your unique “fitness personality” to create a program you find fun and enjoyable. Maybe that means a class, an organized sport, DVD’s, finding a like-­‐minded fitness buddy, or loading up your IPod with upbeat songs and hitting the pavement. The more you learn about what you need so that exercise becomes fun, the longer you’ll stick with it and the more you’ll see results. It’s all about finding something you enjoy and creating a routine around it so you’ll look forward to getting your workout in.
7. Celebrate success. Once you reach a goal, even if it’s a small one, be sure to celebrate! Whether that means treating yourself to a new song for your music playlist after each workout, some downtime, a manicure, getting together with friends, new exercise clothes or equipment, it’s important to acknowledge and recognize your achievements. It gives you an opportunity to be proud of yourself and keeps you moving forward.
Just as the key to real estate is “location, location, location” the key to exercise results can be found with “consistency, consistency, consistency!” By working towards being more consistent with your fitness, you’ll be on your way to creating and maintaining that sleek, lean, toned and healthy body you want.
Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach®, founder of www.TheMojoCoach.com is a leading health, fitness, wellness, lifestyle, self-­‐improvement expert and THE secret behind some of the healthiest, most dynamic, energetic and successful people today. Sign up for your “10 FREE Strategies to Get You Lean, Sleek and Sculpted”! (These are complete programs and videos) and take the FREE “Mojo Lifestyle Assessment” to see how you score.

Author of:
-The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part
Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best
-A Pocket Full of Mojo: 365 Proven Strategies To Create
Your Ultimate Body, Mind, Image and Lifestyle
www.TheMojoCoach.com