How to Get Past your First Month of Exercising
Look, it doesn’t matter what gender you are or what race you are. Sticking with a workout program is tough, in fact, about 50% fall off before 6 months. So, whether this is your 4th first month of exercising or it is actually your first month of exercising, it is good to soak in that fact. Because for those who are taking another shot at it, you can find comfort in knowing that you’re not the only one. And for the newbies, you know now to take this a bit more seriously. The good news is that over time, people push thru to the other side. They get past their first month, then their first year, and so on and so on. There are thousands of examples of this, but it’s not easy. Which is why you’re here and why I’m here. I’m here to show you that there are certain activities that you can do to help raise your chances of sticking through your first month of working out. And these are them.
Schedule
Alright, so first and foremost you need to recognize that this is a mental battle. Sure, your body is going to go through some pain, but your mind is going to be the one telling you to stop. And it’s pretty effective at doing that. So, we need to cement certain things in place and create triggers to deter our minds. To start, you need to preemptively strike against the “I don’t have enough time, to workout today.” Because this is a very common reason why people don’t show, it makes sense you know you haven’t been doing this before and this is a change to your schedule. Life comes at you quick and some days are more hectic than others, but no matter what kind of day it is, you need to make it to the gym. So, sit down and look at the week or weeks ahead of you and find that perfect time to workout each day. Place your workout at a time that can not be moved, no matter what might happen that day. A trick to this is to start waking up early and getting it out of the way. But no matter what you choose, you should know when you’re working out each day, how long you’ll be working out, and what you’ll be doing. Thinking this way will put working out in the front of your mind, which will help you stay accountable and stick with the routine.
As Cliché As It Is, Have Goals
Next is, you need to write down why you are doing this. Right now, the reasons are very fresh in your mind and you may even feel a certain type of way. So, write it down. Because there’s a high chance that 2 weeks from now, you will be ready to throw in the towel and you won’t remember why you even started. Open up a notes file on your phone and write down some goals that you want and why you want to exercise. Do not rely on your memory and do not rely on you staying this motivated all the way through. You’re going to have some tough days ahead of you and tough days can dilute your thinking. Writing down what’s on your mind at your most motivated will be the thing that pulls you back. So do it.
Focus on Recovery
Ok, so the workout time block that you have is set in stone, it’s there in the future, just waiting for you to show up and you’ve captured your current thought process. Now, before and after you show up to the gym, you need to make sure that you are helping your body out through this process. This means you need to do two things: Drink a lot of water and eat healthily. Doing both of these things will help your body recover in-between workouts and the better your body is recovered, the better chances you have of working out the next day. So, give your body what it needs by drinking water and eating healthy. I would also suggest implementing some sort of late-night stretching routine. Stretching is going to help loosen up the stiffness that your workout program is probably causing. And stiffness and soreness can deter some of the best from working out, don’t think it can’t happen to you.
Be Delusional
Lastly, you need to convince yourself that you will get thru this first month, no matter what. There will be times that you do not want to workout, your body will be sore and the donut will be looking extra tasty. It’s guaranteed to happen. So, know this and be ready for it. When it comes up, recognize it and identify it as a hurdle. A hurdle that must be overcome and preemptively deciding that you will get over all hurdles, will greatly increase your chances of succeeding.
Ok, so these are just some of the things you can focus on to help you get thru your first month. Again, the first month is difficult… for everyone. If you make it, great, and if you don’t, don’t worry there’s always next month.
