A good deal of my writing lately has come from conversations or comments from you, the reader, for which I am eternally grateful. I recently received a comment from a reader who had restarted her fitness regimen, only to be sidelined with a nagging injury. Understandably, this has impacted her motivation, adding to an already frustrating situation. She referenced this piece I wrote about a month ago about the privilege of working out, but it can be daunting to stay consistent, especially after a setback.
In the best of times, sticking to a fitness routine is not easy. We have kids, work, injuries, extended family, sickness and numerous other obligations that come with being a grown up. I certainly have not been immune to interruptions in my own routine. I had COVID in May. A couple of weeks later, I experienced a freak arm injury and more recently, on a routine run, my Achilles ligament tightened to the point where I needed to take a week off from running. I realize I’m not 20 years old, but there wasn’t anything specific I could point to as the cause of the injury.
Since receiving that comment, I’ve thought a lot about how frustrating it can be to be willing and able to workout, only to experience setbacks that can be both physically and mentally debilitating. Adding to the frustration is that fact that your fitness levels may have declined after a layoff creating additional challenges with motivation and consistency.
A Framework
First, a bit of background. A few years ago on Father’s Day, my boys filled out forms that required them to complete statements about me, like my dad is funny because he makes dad jokes, or my dad is really good at Spike Ball. The very last statement read: my favorite thing about my dad is and one of my boys completed it with “he keeps moving forward.” I carry their words with me (literally) every day and as hard as things get, I try to always keep those words at the forefront of everything I do.
I share this because it provides the backbone of the framework I’ve come up with. It’s called MIME and stands for Motivation, Intent, Mindset and Execution.
Motivation
Spend some time defining why you are exercising or working out. It could be almost anything, but the more personal your motivation, the more likely you are to stick to your fitness plans. Write it down and revise it as you begin to achieve your goals. It’s a really important first step in the fitness journey.
Intent
Intent gets back to one of my first posts, which you can read here. As I define it, it’s more than just words in your head. It’s scheduling time (as much or as little as you have on a given workout day) to exercise, just as you would schedule a visit to the doctor or a meeting with a client. I spend 30 minutes every single morning, including weekends, not only reviewing my upcoming day, but figuring out what time that day I can fit my workout in and what activities I will complete for that workout. To me, motivation and intent are two very important steps to getting back on track or staying on your fitness schedule.
Mindset
Motivation and Intent are vital, but you also need to get yourself in the proper mindset. I personally struggle with workouts later in the day, especially if the day was particularly taxing. It can become easy to blow off exercise and punt to tomorrow, but that becomes a slippery slope. Take 5 to 10 minutes to unwind, meditate, stretch, change into workout clothes, or whatever it takes to prepare your mind for your workout. I used to think meditation was a waste of time, but 5-10 minutes (I use the Calm app) of meditation helps me switch gears from work to exercise. Perhaps for you, it’s a brief walk or stretching routine. Whatever it is, spend the time you need to get your mind right.
Execution
If you’ve spent the time on motivation, intent and mindset, completing your workout should not be a challenge, but a few words of caution, especially if you’re starting out or trying to get back on track. Make sure as you’re planning your workouts that you are setting realistic and achievable goals FOR YOU AT YOUR CURRENT FITNESS LEVEL. If you were running 5 miles before an injury, don’t expect to come back and run 5 miles the minute you lace up your shoes. You need wins to build consistency and setting your intent every day and then achieving YOUR goals will help build consistency and reduce the risk of further injury.
If you find yourself struggling after injury or sickness or just with general consistency, give this approach a try and share your comments or suggestions for making it better.