You do not have to work out everyday to be fit and healthy. There, I said it. The secret is out.

 

If you are one of the millions of people who have made the decision to get healthy and went into it like the light just turned yellow but you have enough time to make it through, you may have experienced a lull after a couple of weeks … you “got off track”, you “fell off the wagon”, then you gave up until a later date. This cycle of start and stop isn’t caused by your lack of motivation, lack of accountability, or laziness. This cycle is caused by unrealistic expectations. 

 

Hundreds of people I’ve worked with have come to me after YEARS of this same cycle only to find that I prescribe them to workout three days a week, which sends them into a panic. ‘But how will I lose all of this weight?!’ What do you think would produce more results, working out 7 days a week for one month or working out three days a week for one year? If you guessed three days a week, you guessed correct. 

 

Running the yellow light and heading down the road of punishing workouts and fad diets will end in a ticket or the next red light. Instead, you could sail through a green light and head down a road less travelled … a road with no stop lights. This is not about lowering expectations. This is about raising your standards.

 

The expectation that you will workout every single day and lose x amount of pounds in x amount of months is a very low vibration goal. The standard that you will fit working out into your lifestyle and eat with intention for the rest of your life is a very high vibration goal. One is just mean, and the other ends in being better, happier, and healthier. 

 

There are 40 some days left in 2017, that is 40 some days you have to decide not to go into 2018 rushing through the yellow light. Today, right now as you are reading this, you could stand up and perform 10 squats. Boom. You just started. Today, whenever you are hungry, you can decide to eat something you know will make your body feel good after you eat it. Done. You’re now on the road less travelled … the road with no stop lights. 

 

Now that you know you don’t have to workout every single day to be fit and healthy the journey should seem a lot less daunting. The magic number doesn’t have to be three days per week either. Maybe 10 minutes a day daily feels like a good starting point for you. Maybe you would enjoy five days a week for 30 minutes. There is no magic number, there is no magic trick. It’s simple, really: one is better than zero, consistency is better than burnout. 

 

This holiday season presents you with potentially five days of actual holidays, that leaves a lot of days leftover for you to play an active role in your own life. Lower your “expectations”, and raise your standards. If the thought of not knowing what to do seems overwhelming, start with the basics. Pushups. Squats. Planks. You’ll be able to find a free how to demonstration of each of these exercises with modifications to start from where you are on youtube.

 

Turning those three exercises into a circuit meaning performing 30 seconds of pushups, taking a 15 second break, performing 30 seconds of squats, taking a 15 second break, performing a 30 second plank, taking a 15 second break and repeating for rounds turns those three exercises into a circuit. That means you turn your strength training into cardio and make your workout more time effective, getting more bang for your buck.

 

If you give this circuit a try I would love to hear from you how it goes, I’m always available through social media or email! Lower your expectations and raise your standards. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 

 

Sweat & Smiles, 

Melissa