The man was born with an exercise personality. And a deep, orange tan.
If you're reading this, I'm assuming your health is a priority. You may have even made exercise a habit already. But is exercise a part of your personality? I saw this quote the other day:
"It takes 21 days to form a habit, but it takes 6 months to make that habit a part of your personality."
-Brian Tracy.
I had never heard that and found it really interesting. Too may people look at exercise as just a necessary evil that is just another part of their day they just have to get through. It doesn't have to be like that!
A study named the top reasons people kept going for a group of long term exercisers (people who on average had been working out for 13 years):
-Fitness
-Feelings of well-being
-Pep and energy
-Enjoyment of the exercise
-Making exercise a priority
-Sleeping better
-Feeling alert
-Being relaxed
-Weight management
-Appearance
Those make just about everybody's list. So how do you make exercise part of your personality?
You have to start with exercise that is fun and interesting to you. Not your friend or what someone else thinks is fun. I have friends that think running 31 miles in the mountains is a fun afternoon. Being airlifted off of Monte Sano is not my thing, so I do other activities. Some things you just can't force.
Next, find a way to exercise among other people. Preferably people you like, but watching someone you don't care for fail miserably at burpees can be good for you too (that's a little excerpt out of my upcoming book Chicken Soup and Burpees For the Soul). Exercising with a partner or in a group will keep you motivated, accountable, interested, and committed.
Find a time that works for you. The two best times are either first thing in the morning or right after work before you go home. An object at rest stays at rest, I believe that is the Hippocratic Oath of Archimedes Pythagorean Theorem. Or something like that, school wasn't my strong point. Either get up and get it rolling or get off work and keep busy until your workout. The couch has magical Star Wars tractor beamesque powers, so stay away. Life is all about momentum, so once you got it stick with it.
Once you fid that time that works, make that YOUR time. For everyone else in the world that hour does not exist to them. You have 23 hours in the day to give to others, just take one for you.
And one last thing, reward yourself! It's ok to pat yourself on the back. I love me some me, so I don't need people to tell me I did a good job because I tell myself that all the time (you can read more of that here---> Yes I can if you're into that kind of thing). Celebrate the small victories in life, not everyone has them.