By trade, I’m a fat loss coach. For that reason, I’m going to tell you the 3 mistakes you are making with exercise. By personal revolution, I’m a Body Freedom Coach, and that’s why I’m spilling the beans and giving you free workouts in October.
THAT was a mouthful. Let’s break it down and simplify.
Despite working with hundreds of women since my own transformation, I don’t have a secret series of exercises that will help you lose the weight. I don’t have a mystical power to motivate you to move your body. I don’t have any special physiology to share that you haven’t already heard or read elsewhere.
So why bother reading on? Because you DO need to know the 3 mistakes you’re probably making with exercise right now. And then I’m going to help you through them.
1. You feel locked in to big workout programs or long commitments in your workout schedule. Not good. Doing more exercise isn’t always good for your mind or your body. In fact, it can set you back. When you know you have to spend a large amount of time and/or high frequency at the gym, it’s more difficult to work up the steam to go. Sure, you may be chomping at the bit when you start a new plan, but how long does it last? Do you fizzle out? If so, you aren’t alone. Or maybe you never even start because the thought feels too daunting. Yep, not alone in that one either.
Solution: Consider your current workout plan. Can you see yourself on this same schedule in 12 months? Then it’s time to reorganize your plans. Look for the minimal effective dose when it comes to exercise. This means exercise as little as possible to get the results you desire.
2. You’ve lost track of joy in movement. Exercise discussed in #1 is usually more goal-driven, like fat loss, endurance, strength. If the time scale is tipped heavily on the side of reaching a goal, there is little time, energy, and/or desire to find ways that are fun, rejuvenating, relaxing, and grounding.
Solution: Look for ways to move your body that make you smile or help you unwind. Some examples are walking, stretching, dancing, playing with your kids. Movement for fun is as important as (and sometimes more so) goal-driven exercise.
3. Your language is harsh when it comes to exercise. Following your workout schedule becomes a way to punish yourself for food choices, to burn off excess, to battle the bulge. There are thousands of phrases around how we view exercise, and most are in the negative light. Using this mentality sets you to feel like you are going into battle, and when you don’t see the results you want in the timeframe you desire, you feel defeated. And then it’s back to square one.
Solution: First of all, when you work on #s 2 and 3, your language naturally softens, because have a more relaxed approach and simply have more time to get your head above water. Next, be aware of the words you choose when you talk to yourself or others about working out. Do you sound like you dread it? Or do you enjoy that you get to move your body? If exercise sounds like the bad guy, it’s time to find new words to describe it.
When you are overcommitted to inappropriate exercise for your goals, lose track of moving in a way that makes you happy, and continue to use harsh language about getting your sweat on, you give one big thing away:
FREEDOM.
Freedom from rigid rules, hectic schedules, and negative self-talk.