The single most important factor in your fitness development is CONSISTENCY. Often times, we look at our fitness much like a specific race or event. You train for several weeks, even months. But once the race is finished and checked-off the list so is our drive to maintaining the changes we made to get there. However, developing a lifestyle of fitness is so much more than that. It is the continual drive to keep moving forward, being relentless to become the best version of yourself.
I know what you’re thinking. Sure. Easy for me to say. You spend hours in the gym during the week. This might frustrate you, but it’s not necessary. I know not all of you have the time to devote hours in the gym daily and hours cooking meals every night. I myself make it a priority to train as if I did NOT work in a gym.
A couple of years ago, I decided to STOP living the gym life. Lifting weights in between appointments, running with clients, and sometimes jumping in on their sessions all stopped. Admittedly, this made things really difficult. Running my own business, along with a busy family life, leaves little extra time just for me to workout.
This was especially tough last year when training for the Spartan Race Ultra Beast. Training outside of work was a choice I had to make everyday and some days were better than others. But guess what? It happened. Consistency was crucial. These are the lessons, I’ve learned, and applied to maintaining top level fitness in the real world:
PREPARE your meals ahead of time. Take one day (it really only takes about 20 minutes) to prepare and pack meals and snacks for the week. My wife and I always have a bunch of pre-made lunches and prepped dinners in the fridge. When you come home dead-ass tired and have an entire family to feed, this makes choosing a healthy meal way more likely than that easy call to the pizza place. Also, having those lunches in hand makes eating on the fly healthy and convenient.
Admittedly, I eat a lot of the same meals all week long. But guess what? Do you also know who eats the same thing often? Your DOG, and really, do you know anyone who is happier than your dog? Check my weekly newsletter, for quick healthy meals.
Drink WATER. ALL day long.
MOVE every day. It does not have to be the most rigorous workout or even at the gym (Back Pocket Workouts) you just really need to be consistent. Long sessions in the gym are great, but how many of those can you honestly fit in?
For me, I have only one long workout per week. I shit you not when I tell you that I trained for a 32 mile obstacle course race 20 minutes at a time, and I was successful!
STRETCH. ALL day long. Stand up, reach for the sky, then touch your toes. Rotate. Bend side to side. Stretch the wrists and forearms. Get out of your chair often and move a little. (Mobility Workout)
GO TO BED. Honestly, most of your unhealthy choices happen late at night. Do you really like to wake up fat and tired?
BE RELENTLESS. MOVE FORWARD. MAKE PROGRESS.
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