The holiday season is upon us. In the many years that I have been working as a personal trainer, this is the time when many clients slow down in their training or stop altogether. There are always “reasons” as to why, but the bottom line is most people have simply chosen to abandon their fitness goals entirely due to the inconveniences that accompany the holidays. In other words, they have allowed their health and their fitness goals to shift in their priorities. Even if you’re going to become inconsistent, it would be better to train less than to not train at all. So, for those out there who are slowly falling off the training wagon or who fell off a long time ago and are thinking about getting back on – or for those who may have never been on the wagon in the first place – this message is for you.
The big question at hand then is – when is the best time to get started? While it’s popular to wait until the new year as we make our resolutions, the truly best time to begin training – in a word – is NOW. I know how popular it is to swear to yourself and others come January 1st, “This will be the year I will get in shape”. I submit to you the notion that you need not wait for the “right time” to begin training. Neither should you wait for the right time to quit smoking, drinking too much or overeating for that matter. The holidays will be no less fun for the sake of some much-needed moderation. I am urging you not to be like the many people who are waiting for the right time to get started. Many people say they are waiting to “get their head into the game”, “to get their attitude right” or to “get serious”. All these things amount to waiting to get motivated. Motivation is a feeling. Instead, I propose you begin to practice getting disciplined. That means doing what you should do, not because you feel like it but rather because it’s time. If you mean business, then there is no time like the present. Start with the first step today. Don’t resign yourself to the fact that you’re just going to gain 10 pounds (or more) over the holidays while you “enjoy” yourself and then after that, you’ll turn over a new leaf and start exercising. Start taking responsibility for your health and begin making better choices today.
In closing, let’s not wait for the right day or the right feeling or the right phase of the moon or for Mercury to be in retrograde. Stop waiting and take action today. Consistent, healthy habits require discipline to maintain. If you are going to let feelings dictate when you are going to begin training, then you are already starting on the wrong foot. Feelings are uncontrollable and unreliable. The actions we choose to take are what we can control, though. When you start taking action, it has a way of positively influencing your feelings. So, make a decision, get a plan, and get going. If you really want something, you will make it a priority. This is about your health, and you are worth it.