Keep falling off fitness goals? Here’s maybe why.

We all know someone who has trouble getting on and staying on board the health and fitness train. Chances are, we are that someone. Here are some common reasons why most people fail to start or stick to their goals:

Setting a future date. You keep the beginning of next week, next month, after a holiday, event or the beginning of a new year as your target day to start or restart your fitness journey. How about the very next day the thought crosses your mind? Experience shows that farther the targeted date, greater the chances of not starting. Most people would then also become more prone to throwing all diet control out of the window (having given themselves a future deadline) and wanting to “live it up” till then. You are not headed out to war. Rather, you are embarking on finding a better you. Why postpone a good thing?

Become a sudden Ninja Warrior. Once you begin, you are suddenly in a hurry to make up for lost time. Now that span may be a long time (or all your life) of not having shaken or stirred yourself but it must all be set right, RIGHT NOW! While the drive to take charge and usher in change is good and necessary, this unrealistic expectation, is quite likely, setting you up for failure from the word ‘go’. You may need a lot of work to set things right, may not be able to sustain sudden intensity and are most likely to crash and burn. Injuries of body and spirit are for real. Give yourself a chance. Target smaller goals with realistic timelines. Think of it as a long run versus a sprint. You’ll only get stronger along the way and your continuous efforts will serves as the much needed deterrent from going astray.

You expect your trainer to be a miracle maker. You expect your trainer to deliver results. Well, its YOU who needs to deliver them. Your trainer (provided you have done due diligence in choosing one) is your guide. She/he wants you to succeed as much as you, because your success is their success too – professionally and personally. They can give you the most well intentioned plans but if you aren’t seriously honest and regular in following them, nobody can deliver results. So the onus is on you, fair and square. Which means, you need to step up and take ownership of your results for any success.

You may be penny wise, pound foolish. If you are looking for a good trainer and/or a good facility you have to recognize there will be a cost involved. Good trainers keep incurring continuous expenses in furthering their knowledge of the science and making themselves more capable of delivering safe, sound and effective solutions. They have invested in their education and for them its their profession. Quality across industries usually doesn’t come free or at throw away prices. Fix your budget and figure the best you can get in that. Your focus should be clear so that you don’t go changing trainers and facilities too often. It won’t get you results, can get demoralizing and it can make you abandon the process. Personal training is usually more expensive than group trainings for the absolute, undivided attention you get. You could switch between formats as and how you progress to reap benefits of both and also keep costs under check. Don’t make the mistake of looking for personal trainings at group training costs. And if you are being offered that, it would bode you well to check the credentials and experience of the person offering it.

Your definition of “fit” may be skewed. Being fit is a more inclusive state and an ongoing process than most people recognize. And being thin is most certainly not the only criteria. Fitness encompasses cardiovascular and muscular strength along with flexibility, balance and stability. It’s quite possible that you could be fit (or fitter) without looking like that shirtless guy popping out of pictures flashing his packs and biceps or that person running for long on the treadmill. It is about developing overall capabilities and continuously working upon them. So choose your inspirations wisely. And realize it takes sustained work to get there. Assess your current reality realistically, decide what is important for you and get to work.

One lapse and you give up. You are only human, like everyone else. Even the most driven can stumble along their chosen path but they accept it for what it is – just a momentary falling off – and resume their effort to get back on track. You need to do the same. Don’t make these lapses reasons for aborting the plan altogether. Accept them as part of the process and move on. Remember, this is just a station. Not the journey.

You mistakenly treat pursuing a healthy and fit lifestyle as one devoid of all fun. This is a big flaw in thinking. Most harbour the attitude that one can either “live life” or “be fit”. People become fit and healthy by making lifestyle choices that get them there but it doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy themselves. They do. It’s just that they have become a lot smarter at doing it than the rest. They have learnt when to give in and when to pull back. Why shouldn’t you become smarter too?