“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” ~Life's Little Instruction Book, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
While fitting fitness into a busy life along with children, work, volunteer obligations and other commitments doesn’t necessarily equate to the accomplishments famous historical figures managed to fit into their days, we do tend to use lack of time as an excuse for not staying in shape. Despite such rationalizations, making time for exercise is possible, even in the course of the busiest days. However, it means prioritizing time for working out and putting it on your schedule just like PTA meetings, social gatherings, and other obligations. It is not enough to put it into your schedule, though- while that is a first step, it also requires motivation to put that plan into action and keep it in action.
Different people are motivated by different means: some posses internal perfectionism, others thrive on competition, yet others require external incentives. Finding the right source of motivation can help you prioritize fitness, fit it into your daily routine and follow through on those good intentions to get in shape.
Sign up for a race One of the best ways to stay committed to an exercise routine is to register for a race or event. Once you have invested money and put a concrete goal on your calendar, it is much easier to stay focused and motivated. Work backwards from the date of the race and plan out your training schedule, then write it out on your calendar or a log used just for exercise. Let friends and family know you have signed up; or better yet, recruit some of them to join you. Training with friends is another great way to stay motivated and on track. You can find a complete list of local running events at www.runwashington.com.
Log It! Keep a detailed log of your workouts, including time of day, duration, average heart rate (if you are wearing a heart rate monitor), mileage or distance covered, how you felt, weather (if exercising outside), and any other relevant information. You can keep this in a traditional calendar, a computer spreadsheet, or on one of the many free web-based exercise/workout logs. Looking back at your accomplishments and your progress can be extremely motivating, as can the fear of looking at a week that is totally blank! Our children are motivated by gold stars, so why not apply that same principle to your workouts and put a gold star on the calendar every day you reach your exercise goals?
Another way to document your workouts is through an online blog. Knowing that others are following your progress can help keep you on track, as can becoming part of an online community of fitness bloggers. Search for bloggers with similar interests and backgrounds, and help encourage each other to achieve your fitness goals.
Cold hard numbers Some people are motivated by numbers and concrete figures. Luckily, there are a myriad of devices available to satisfy techies. Something as simple as a pedometer will measure steps, distance, and calories burned. As an Omron Team GOsmart ambassador, I was given a pedometer to use and was surprised at how motivated I was each day to fit in more steps. The recommended number of steps each day is 10,000, which equates to roughly 5 miles of walking. I was surprised at how low my numbers were at first and determined to get to at least 10,000 each day. Wearing the pedometer was the motivation I needed to get in those extra steps.
Heart rate monitors cost as little as $30 and provide instant feedback on how hard you are working. Advanced models will tell you how many calories you have burned, average heart rate, time spent in different heart rate zones, and can keep track of your workouts over time. GPS systems like the Garmin give you the ability to create your own workouts and analyze pace, distance and calories burned. You can even set courses and compete against previous workouts by comparing heart rate and pace—a perfect way to measure improvement over time.
Reward yourself If you are motivated by incentives, establish a reward system. For example, tell yourself if you exercise three times a week for at least 45 minutes each time over a 12-week period, you’ll earn a manicure. Or if you train for and complete a 5K, reward yourself with a massage. The occasional ice cream cone is an acceptable reward, too!
Try to set multiple goals, both short- and long-term, so that you recognize and reward your progress and not just the end goal. The long-term goal is often so far in the future that it can be hard to stay motivated during the days, weeks and months necessary to get to that goal. By setting shorter term goals and rewarding yourself when you reach these goals, you can keep yourself motivated while working towards the larger goal. For example, if your ultimate goal is to run a 5K, set and reward shorter term goals like completing 3 workouts of run/walk intervals of a certain duration or running continuously for 15 minutes several workouts in a row.
Recruit Friends For some people, socialization is one of the major benefits of working out. Knowing that someone, or a group of people, are counting on you to show up for an early morning run, spinning class or gym workout can make the difference between showing up and slacking off. Working out with others with similar fitness goals helps form a support group and cheerleading squad for your efforts, and helps the time spent working out go by faster! For mothers, especially, exercising with a group of other moms can provide much-needed “me” time and adult conversation. If you are interested in running, running clubs like the Montgomery County Road Runners Club (MCRRC) have numerous running groups for all levels that meet on different days and at different times to fit your schedule.
You can take it up a notch and create some friendly competition by designing a contest to see who can log the most miles, take the greatest number of steps each day, complete the highest number of workouts or classes, etc. Websites like www.mapmyrun.com and www.roadtriplog.com allow you to create virtual courses and compete against others to reach the finish line first. Bragging rights are often a great way to motivate yourself to go above and beyond in pursuit of your fitness goals.
Hire a coach As a certified running coach, I obviously believe in the value of having a coach or trainer to help you reach your fitness goals. Having someone other than yourself (and who you are paying!) to be accountable to is a great source of motivation. A good coach will help you identify short- and long-term goals, design an appropriate training program, monitor your progress to make sure that you are progressing steadily and without injury, provide important information relevant to your goals, and offer encouragement and support. An investment in professional guidance can start you on your way to making fitness a regular part of your life, and eventually you should be in a position to keep it up on your own.
Finding creative ways to stay motivated can help you make exercise a priority, and when you make it a priority it is amazing how easy it becomes to find the time in a busy schedule to work out. After several weeks of working out on a regular basis, it will become habit and, hopefully, a necessary and automatic part of your weekly schedule.
Lisa Levin Reichmann lives in Gaithersburg and is the mother of 4 ½ year old boy/girl twins and a 3-year old daughter. She is a marathon runner, duathlete, triathlete and a certified distance running coach. She is currently the head coach of the JCC of Greater Washington’s running program (http://www.jccgw.org/articlenav.php?id=482) and also coaches the City of Rockville’s Run Farther and Faster beginner running program with fellow mom, coach and Rockville resident Julie Sapper (http://www.rockvillemd.gov/recreation).
