Fitness Tips

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Find Your Fire

fire
 

If you read my blog/newsletters frequently, you already know how important it is to set clear fitness goals. If you'd like to brush up on why it's important, head here. 

Now that we are on the same page--I want you to forget about what you just read. Seriously, forget about the final result for a moment; the number of pounds you want to lose, your ideal finishing time, or the weight you'd like to lift. Instead, I want you to focus (really focus) on the how much effort it will take in order for you to reach that goal. 

Your inner fire needs to be burning daily in order for you to find the motivation to accomplish your goals. Too often, I find that clients have tunnel vision for the final result. What if your fitness goal realistically takes you a few years to achieve? When I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to be a track state champion. Guess how long it took me to achieve that goal? FOUR YEARS! It took me all the way up until the final race of my senior track season to reach that goal. 

If I had had tunnel vision, you better believe I would have lost momentum at any point within those three years. My commitment to putting in the daily work, however, never waned. I celebrated every small victory, like improving my mile time by even a few seconds. Let your fire burn bright every day and your end goal will surely follow. 

*image by Flickr


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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip : Goal Get 'Em

finish line
 

I am sorry to say this but I have some devastating news to deliver. Without fitness goals, your health will suffer.

What do you mean by 'fitness' goal?

Here are some examples of fitness-related goals that I have heard clients mention: squat 300 lbs, rehab an injury, look like a million bucks at my class reunion, complete a marathon, or get fit for my daughter's wedding. The more specific your goal is, the better. It's also good to have a realistic date in mind for achieving that goal.  

Why is it important to have fitness goals?

Because it's rare for people to do things just for the heck of it. Goals give you the gumption to get up at 5am for that intense spin class or avoid getting up for seconds at the buffet line. Having that one goal in your mind will help you make healthy decisions, even when you are tired or worn out. 

What happens once I achieve my fitness goal? 

You create another one! Goals are the fuel behind your success--without them, you just are just meandering around. Stop meandering, set your fitness goal, and GOAL GET 'EM! 

*image by Flickr


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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: The 90 Day Challenge

New You
 

Think about something that you’d like to improve or change in your life, then pull out your calendar and highlight this date:

Wednesday September 16, 2015

What is so special about this day? Well, it is exactly three months from today. Studies show that if you do a daily activity for three months straight, it will eventually become a habit. 

When it comes to fitness and nutrition, we live in a society that expects immediate results. Unfortunately, this isn’t realistic. Cutting sugar out of your diet for a week is not going to get you a body like Gwen Stefani. Not only is this expectation detrimental to achieving your goals, when you don’t start seeing the immediate results you crave, you may start to feel discouraged and give up. 

DON’T GIVE UP.

Creating new and positive changes in your life takes commitment, effort, and most importantly — time. Challenge yourself for 90 days. For 90 days straight put of all your energy into that positive change that you are trying create.

  • Keep a food/fitness journal.
  • Announce your progress on social media so that your friends and family hold you accountable.
  • Only put food in your cart that will help you meet your goals.
  • Recruit a friend to do the 90 day challenge with you.

Whatever you need to do to keep your head in the game— DO IT! 

If you stay focused during the these next three months, eventually “the challenge” won’t be a challenge at all. The habit will be so engrained in your daily life that you will no longer dread it. Instead, you will crave it. 

As my wife likes to remind me, Rome wasn’t built in a day — but, if you lay a few bricks every day, you will be amazed at how much progress you can make in a few months. Are you ready up for the challenge? 

*image by Julia Caesar, Unsplash


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