Make Exercise Non-Negotiable

As a society, people are living more sedentary lifestyles than ever before. When I was a child, I would be outside every chance I got. I would be playing sports, hide and seek, or in the woods building a fort. I was doing something active! Those activities are more of a rarity these days. It is much more common to see children playing video games, on a tablet, or watching TV. Unfortunately, adults are just as bad. They are either on their computers or in front of the TV.

If you look at human history, we are moving around less now than ever before. This is a major problem. Since we are not moving around enough throughout the day with our regular activities, we need to schedule in exercise. Sounds easy, right? The problem is that people tend to make excuses why other things are more important. “My favorite show is on tonight”. “I’m tired after a long day of work”. “I don’t have time to workout”. These are all excuses, and they are keeping you from something that we desperately need as a society, more exercise!

The answer is easier than most people want to believe. Most people consider exercise optional, and they simply say that they will do it when they have time. The trick is making, and scheduling time to workout. Personally, I know that I have trouble working out when I get home from work. I am tired and would much rather relax. So how do I handle it? I workout in the morning. I get up early to make sure that I can not only get in my workout, but also get ready and make a healthy breakfast. Do I want to get up early? Not particularly, but I know that it is more than worth it.

The key is to decide that your workout is non-negotiable. It is a scheduled part of your day, just like going to work. If you need to, consider it part of your work day. Pick a time, a place, and an activity. Whether it is a workout at home or you are going to the gym, you need to know what the plan is ahead of time. If you don’t, you are more likely to start making excuses again. “I couldn’t decide what to do”. I even suggest going as far as setting your clothes out for the workout the night before. Get as much ready as you can, schedule it in your planner, and commit.

Personally, the easiest way for me to stay consistent with my workouts is to follow a Workout Program. There are some great programs out there that give you a simple structure to follow. One of the best ones I have seen is Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix. It does a great job of combining exercise and nutrition in a super easy to follow program.