Instead of seriously thinking about and creating a lifelong fitness plan, the average person has a very short-sighted approach. Most fitness goals center around quick results you may be searching for. A few examples would be losing weight, training for an event, or getting a better body for a summer vacation or class reunion. However, fitness should be viewed as a lifelong goal. When you incorporate fitness into your life, you’ll live longer, be healthier and happier, and ultimately you’ll be able to age more gracefully.

What Is A Lifelong Fitness Plan?

Lifelong fitness means making fitness a part of your life. It’s about creating a fitness habit that supports you to get and stay healthy. It requires a balanced approach. Train too hard, and you put yourself at risk for injury. Train too little, and you’re not doing enough to achieve your goals. In a nutshell, lifelong fitness is the ability to stay healthy and fit as you age.

Let’s look at a few strategies ( I love) you can begin implementing today to make fitness a part of your life.

Incorporate these strategies into your life to create your lifelong fitness plan:

Uplevel Your Mindset to Create a Lifelong Fitness Plan. The benefits of exercise go way beyond having a buff body. It extends into increasing the overall health and physical function of your body. Condition your mind to understand that exercise bulletproofs your health and ensures your body’s proper operation. Not to mention nourishing your internal organs and increasing blood flow.

View exercise as a treat and not a punishment. Don’t view exercise only as something that you have to do. In other words, reframe your thoughts to say, for example, I am so happy and blessed to have this opportunity to love, care and nourish my body by making it stronger and healthier, thereby increasing my longevity. See your fitness program as a method of self-care whereby you can feed your mind, body, and spirit.

Set Realistic Fitness Goals- When setting your fitness goals, challenge yourself, but don’t overdo it. Too much zeal can often cause you to quit before you get started. Also, keep in mind your unique season of life. A fitness program for a 20-year-old might look a lot different than that of a  woman in her 40s. As the body changes, honor it.

Take Baby Steps – Instead of setting high goals that may seem overwhelming or impossible, strive to set realistic goals and make lifestyle changes to support them. For example, someone who hasn’t exercised in years may feel burdened by the idea of exercising for an hour a day. That type of goal might be difficult to follow through on.

Instead, you could probably exercise for ten minutes a day. Gradually increase the time you exercise week to week from ten minutes to fifteen to twenty, and eventually, you’ll be at that hour mark. Your life will be able to adapt slowly, and your body will too. Baby steps are life (style) changing.

Choose Enjoyable Activities – Fitness doesn’t have to mean just “exercise.” Identify activities that you enjoy or are interested in. Like to dance? Take a dance class or go dancing once a week. Enjoy getting out in nature? Try hiking on the weekends. Love to play tennis? Join a recreational tennis club. Focus on moving your body and having fun. Make fitness a part of “your” life.

Be Consistent– Consistency is one of the most essential tenets of habit formation. It becomes a habit when we create and stick with a new routine over time. It no longer requires our precious emotions, drama, or discipline. You no longer have to decide whether to engage in your fitness activity. Once you reach this point, the mind space of exercising no longer drains your willpower because you’re on autopilot. You have crossed over. Consistency may take you farther and even longer than intensity.

Build your community – One of the hidden benefits of many fitness activities is that others usually do the same activity. For example, if you enjoy running, you could join a club. If you loved soccer as a kid, then enter a recreational team. Love to dance? Join a studio and take regular classes. Community is essential to a feeling of identity and well-being. When your community supports fitness and good health, it’s a win-win.

Don’t Give Up! Whatever you do, don’t stop until you win the war over establishing a sustainable lifelong fitness regimen that works for you!

Be creative by doing little activities throughout your day to increase your fitness. Be the person who parks at the back of the parking lot, takes the stairs, and walks daily for fresh air and sunshine. Your future self will thank you for it, and you’ll reap the immediate benefits of a lifelong fitness plan.

Be well and prosper,

Elaine xx