The key to fitness success is consistency

Fitness starts in your mind.  

Ask any athlete what the number one secret is to their success with a sport or fitness, and they will tell you it is commitment. Commitment means that you are in it for the long haul. Commitment rises above bad days, hectic schedules and volatile emotions. Commitment hangs in there when you don’t want to do it, when you don’t feel like doing it and when you don’t have time to do it. True commitment doesn’t depend on how you feel. It depends on your integrity and on living for the purpose you have set for yourself. Are you committed to your fitness and health?

Committing to fitness eliminates the weekend warrior syndrome. A weekend warrior is the person who does little physical exercise during the week, but when the weekend arrives, they blast out of the gate like a stallion on Derby Day. In an attempt to make up for their sedentary behavior all week, this person goes to the gym or hits the pavement, pushing himself to the limit. The result, however, is not what you would expect. They will likely end up with an injury, because their muscles, tendons and joints are not conditioned for the intensity of this exercise.

But they are also not getting in shape, because they are not committed to their routine during the weekday. Physical fitness depends on consistency. And consistency requires commitment. It takes consistent, near-daily exercise to cause your body to make the changes that bring about fitness. For example, your joints and tendons will strengthen, your aerobic base will improve as your body becomes more efficient at utilizing oxygen and ridding itself of carbon dioxide and your endurance will increase.

Doing something consistently is as important, or maybe even more important, than what you actually do. Even if you are just doing low intensity walking, doing it every day is infinitely better than doing something more strenuous only occasionally. But the real rewards come when you not only commit to intense workouts, but you also commit to being consistent with those workouts. 

In order to improve your fitness, you do not need expensive clothes, home-gym equipment or a super intense home exercise video. What you need is commitment. If you are committed, the rest of the pieces will fall into place. You can start today. Don’t overthink this. Just start, and commit to doing something every single day.

Liz Whalen is a personal trainer and health fitness specialist who lives and works in Libby. She also blogs at lizwhalenhfs.com.