"A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water."
I'm sure you have heard that quote before, but do you know the exercise version? It is:
"I was doing really well until _______."
You can fill in that blank with got sick, injured, married, divorced, started school, pregnant, won the lottery, changed jobs, etc... They are all be valid excuses, but still they are excuses.
"You have to be mentally strong to get physically fit."
Here are 5 ways to get mentally tougher with 5 other quotes for you. Can you figure out who said them?
1. Learn to handle stress properly.
A recent survey said that in a group of 681 women 93% listed their stress levels at moderate to high. Stress can make you fat, sick, old, and cause you to die early. Not good. Have you ever heard of the Stew and Chew response to stress? People get really upset then start eating or drinking to deal with stress.
Finding a healthy outlet for stress is crucial. Exercise is great for stress relief, listening to music, petting a dog, talking to a friend, etc... can help you to de-stress. What works for you?
"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are."
2. Balance caring for yourself with caring for others.
This is a HUGE one for women. What happens to everybody else when something happens to you? There are certain things you have to do, but you gotta find YOU time to stay sane. You are not being selfish by taking time away from your family by exercising. You are doing this for them in the end.
"If you don't take care of yourself one day you won't be able to care for others."
3. Do the work it takes to achieve your goals.
This goes back to, how bad do you want it? The quote says it all on this one.
"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and get to work."
4. Anticipate and be able to handle the challenges that will come up.
What happens if your car breaks down? Don't have anybody to watch the kids? You have to travel? There is a zombie apocalypse? Get a plan! Have a go to workout you can do any time, any where. Have healthy snacks at your desk, purse, or car for those times when you don't have time to get anything else. Plan eating strategies that you can easily execute when your week gets crazy
"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."
5. Get yourself back on track after you get stuck.
This is a tough one, but the most important one. Giving up is not an option. It is not a big deal if you make a mistake, it is going to happen. Just throw yourself back into the mix and get back with the program. No self induced, guilt trip needed. All will be fine if you just keep coming back.