It doesn’t take long for a problem to become clear to most people. When a problem arises, it is usually obvious. You can look at a situation and know very quickly that there is something wrong. When that something starts, there is usually no denying that it is there.
Finding a problem is not hard. In fact, we often find more problems than we need to. This is true in all areas of life and it is most certainly true in health. We can find problems day and night in any activity that we are trying to do. Think about a typical day and ask yourself:
How many things could’ve gone better today?
Or
What did I see that I didn’t like?
Or
What happened today that frustrated me, made me angry or embarrassed?
Even these three questions could lead to a list of things on a normal day. We find little things in everyday life that add up and drive us crazy if we don’t manage them. Luckily, we usually get over these things pretty quickly. The little annoyances stay little and we move on. The next little thing that happens is usually associated with the last thing, so there isn’t much of a cumulative affect.
In health, there is a different story. Health is all about the little things. We try to make it about big things like diet and exercise, but it is really about the little things. Health is nothing more than a series of habits. The degree that your health is relates to the habits that you apply on a day to day basis.
When we go about your day and apply these habits, we run into roadblocks and get stuck. We get thrown off track. We don’t keep going because we get frustrated and feel like we can’t make it where we want to go.
As we get deeper into this, it is alreadysounding more and more ridiculous. I am picturing some hilarious situations where people are doing day to day activities, but getting thrown off by typical little things. What if instead of shaking it off and pushing through, they just gave up. What would that look like? What would it look like if…
- Someone walking through the airport got bumped into by another person causing them to drop their bag. The bag is heavy, so it takes some effort to pick up. “Too much effort, I guess I’ll just leave it here.”
- A person driving to work and encountering a traffic delay. They are going to be late for work, so rather than going in late, they get so frustrated that they decide not to go at all. “I can’t make it on time, so I just won’t go.”
- Another person goes to the shower and stubs their toe on the way in. This has happened before and it drives them crazy. It is frustrating and annoying and it hurts. For those reasons, they don’t want to go through this anymore, so they stop going into the shower. “I don’t want to stub my toe, so I won’t go in there anymore.”
These are just three scenarios that come to mind when I think about letting little things get to us. Sure, we complain about the day to day annoyances. Sure we get frustrated. We may even do silly things out of anger. We may let things bother us enough to feel like we are having a bad day. But we never quit. We never quit the day, just because it gets tough.
Why do we quit health? We know that we are going to do certain things during our day. We are going to work, school or events that we have on our calendars. We will be where we need to be for who we need to be there for. We will do everything that is asked of us, day in and day out. Even when things get challenging, we will find a way to keep going.
That is how important our day is. That is our life. All we have is each day. We are on a mission each day to accomplish our tasks and we take great pride in that. The key to health is making sure that it is part of the day. If you quit on a health goal, you are quitting on part of your day. We know what would happen if we quit on all or even part of a day’s tasks. On most days, we would run into serious trouble.
We know that isn’t an option, so we don’t do it. We just need to make health part of that list of “must-do” activities. We have to make health part of the day. We have to make it part of the day so we can’t skip it, pass it by or quit it. Don’t quit on your health by quitting on your day.
Showing posts with label Time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Time. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Want to Live Healthy: You Can
Living healthy is not easy. The more we see in the media, the more problems seem to be plaguing our country. If you are human, which I think you are if you are reading this, you likely see the problems and may even be experiencing some of them yourself.
Health is not something that comes easy to anyone. There are many people that have made it easy for them, but only after many years of hard work and practice. It may look easy for them now, but they had to build those habits. They had to work their way to where they are now. When you see them in action, it looks easy. It may even be easy for them now, but trust me, it was not easy to start and there are still difficult times for them when it comes to sticking with the routine.
The difference between healthy people and unhealthy people is nothing more than the habits and routines that they have worked on for a long time. Even with new habits, the process is the same for healthy people. They know what it will take to make something stick, so they do it and do it until it is part of their routine.
Unhealthy people look at these people and think that the process is easy for them. They think that it is hard for themselves, but easy for the healthy people and they think that the difference between them and the healthy people is the ease. That is not true. No matter how much you struggle with health, there is a way to do it. You can be successful.
You can also fail. This is not what you want to hear, but failure is always a possibility. If you are trying something new, you can fail. If you are working to include new habits into your routine, you can fail.
Now that we have that out of the way, we can discuss some real solutions. Here are some solutions to help you realize that you can:
Stop Fearing Failure
If you acknowledge that failure is an option, you can get over the fear of failure. The fear of failure is worse than failure itself. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that successful people are able to fail and keep going, try again or simply find a better way to do something. There is always another way to do something, so if you fail, simply try again, try something different and you will eventually succeed.
Determine Plan B
If you have another option, failure will be pretty short. The problem with falling short of a goal is that it leaves you feeling like you missed the mark. Well, it’s true. You did miss the mark, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try again. If you have a plan for getting back on track or a secondary goal that will allow you another option, you can succeed or simply limit the impact of a small failure.
Don’t Expect it to Be Easy
Health is not easy. If you expect it to be easy, you will be disappointed. The most common reason for failure is poorly managed expectations. We’ve all been there. You set out to try something new and expect it to be easy. When we run into one little issue, it is enough to derail us. We didn’t see it coming because we expected it to be easy. Success is not easy and often takes a lot of practice. If you go into it knowing this, you can reach it. If you go into it with the fantasy that it will be easy, reality will quickly catch up to you and failure will not be far behind.
So, what are you goals? What is the new habit you want to make part of your routine? No matter what it is, you can do it. How do I know that without knowing what your habit is or what your routine looks like? I know that you can because it isn’t as hard as you think it is. If you can move forward without fear of failing, have a plan B in place because you know that failure is possible and expect a few challenges along the way, you can do it.
It’s not rocket science. It’s not brain surgery. Health is hard, but it’s not that hard. We can all do it. You don’t have to run marathons or lose a hundred pounds in a week. All you have to do is come up with a simple plan that works for you. Determine what habit you want to improve and go improve it. Notice I said improve and not change, eliminate or create. We already have many habits. If you can improve just one habit gradually, you can make a significant impact on your health.
Can you improve your health? Of course you can. Is it going to be easy, of course it won’t be easy. But no matter what it is you are trying to do, if you are focused on your health and willing to create a realistic plan, you can do it. Trust me, you can.
Health is not something that comes easy to anyone. There are many people that have made it easy for them, but only after many years of hard work and practice. It may look easy for them now, but they had to build those habits. They had to work their way to where they are now. When you see them in action, it looks easy. It may even be easy for them now, but trust me, it was not easy to start and there are still difficult times for them when it comes to sticking with the routine.
The difference between healthy people and unhealthy people is nothing more than the habits and routines that they have worked on for a long time. Even with new habits, the process is the same for healthy people. They know what it will take to make something stick, so they do it and do it until it is part of their routine.
Unhealthy people look at these people and think that the process is easy for them. They think that it is hard for themselves, but easy for the healthy people and they think that the difference between them and the healthy people is the ease. That is not true. No matter how much you struggle with health, there is a way to do it. You can be successful.
You can also fail. This is not what you want to hear, but failure is always a possibility. If you are trying something new, you can fail. If you are working to include new habits into your routine, you can fail.
Now that we have that out of the way, we can discuss some real solutions. Here are some solutions to help you realize that you can:
Stop Fearing Failure
If you acknowledge that failure is an option, you can get over the fear of failure. The fear of failure is worse than failure itself. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that successful people are able to fail and keep going, try again or simply find a better way to do something. There is always another way to do something, so if you fail, simply try again, try something different and you will eventually succeed.
Determine Plan B
If you have another option, failure will be pretty short. The problem with falling short of a goal is that it leaves you feeling like you missed the mark. Well, it’s true. You did miss the mark, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try again. If you have a plan for getting back on track or a secondary goal that will allow you another option, you can succeed or simply limit the impact of a small failure.
Don’t Expect it to Be Easy
Health is not easy. If you expect it to be easy, you will be disappointed. The most common reason for failure is poorly managed expectations. We’ve all been there. You set out to try something new and expect it to be easy. When we run into one little issue, it is enough to derail us. We didn’t see it coming because we expected it to be easy. Success is not easy and often takes a lot of practice. If you go into it knowing this, you can reach it. If you go into it with the fantasy that it will be easy, reality will quickly catch up to you and failure will not be far behind.
So, what are you goals? What is the new habit you want to make part of your routine? No matter what it is, you can do it. How do I know that without knowing what your habit is or what your routine looks like? I know that you can because it isn’t as hard as you think it is. If you can move forward without fear of failing, have a plan B in place because you know that failure is possible and expect a few challenges along the way, you can do it.
It’s not rocket science. It’s not brain surgery. Health is hard, but it’s not that hard. We can all do it. You don’t have to run marathons or lose a hundred pounds in a week. All you have to do is come up with a simple plan that works for you. Determine what habit you want to improve and go improve it. Notice I said improve and not change, eliminate or create. We already have many habits. If you can improve just one habit gradually, you can make a significant impact on your health.
Can you improve your health? Of course you can. Is it going to be easy, of course it won’t be easy. But no matter what it is you are trying to do, if you are focused on your health and willing to create a realistic plan, you can do it. Trust me, you can.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Your Health: Are You Playing to Win?
Winning and losing is clear and there is seldom confusion as to which side you are on. When you talk about a sporting event, the winning team is clear and the losing team is clear. In an individual competition, you know who wins and who loses. It is not difficult to understand who is on which side.
Health is something different. You are constantly playing, so there is winning every day and there is even losing every day. You can lose daily and still be healthy. As long as you are able to win more often then you lose, you are still able to live healthy. That is where the trick comes into play. You have to understand that in order to truly live healthy. Many people try to win all day, every day, but it doesn’t work. When it doesn’t work, they quit because they think they lost. That is where the real strategy begins.
Winning vs. Losing
Winning is easy. Winning is getting what you want and doing what you set out to do. Winning makes a day go smoothly. Winning brings you results you want. More accurately, winning is the result you want. You have to play to win in order to win. It sounds simple and even sarcastic, but it’s true. Winning is something we all want, but until we start playing to win and expecting to win, we don’t win and we will never win.
Losing on the other hand, is difficult. Losing is not getting what you want and not being able to do what you set out to do. Losing makes things rough and challenging. Losing doesn’t bring you the results you want and it means that you are getting results that you don’t want. Losing is what we dread and what we hope never happens, but it does happen. Once we realize that losing happens, we can get on with it and keep pushing forward.
Offense
In health, there is offense and defense. Just like a game, there are multiple parts in each game and you have to be able to focus on if you want to win. Just like sports, it is easy to focus on offense. The offensive part of the game is easy and fun. Some people think that exercise is like offense because they like it and it is easy. Others think diet is like offense because they are better at picking and choosing healthy foods. Whatever you think is easier in your healthy routine that is your offense.
Not only is it important to know that it is the side that is easier for you, but you also need to know how to use it to your advantage. When a team is better than another team, they are able to score more points and put themselves into a better position as the game goes on. The team is able to take advantage of each situation and build a lead to ensure that the other team can’t come back. Even if they score more as the game goes on, with a big enough lead, they won’t come back to win. The team that used their offense to build a big lead is able to hold on and win the game.
Defense
Defense is a very important part of any sport and it is certainly an important part of a healthy routine. Defense is not fun. Defense is not glamorous or pretty. Defense is gritty and takes hard work. Defense brings results because it helps you take care of important things. During a game, defense helps you keep the other team from winning. Defense allows you to establish a baseline and keep things close when the other team is on the move. If you can put a solid defensive strategy into place, you can ensure that it never gets too bad. You never get too far behind and are always able to come back when your offense is play again.
Health is really just a balance of offense and defense. If you can take advantage of opportunities to score more points and advance your offense, you can build a lead. If you can keep your defense strong and keep things under control, you can keep the game close until you are ready to go back on offense.
Putting it all together
In order to win in sports, you have to do both. You have to be able to play offense and defense at a high level. The better you are at each, the more likely you are to win each game you play. The same is true in health. You have to be able to manage both sides. The key to remember with health is that you are playing games all day every day. You are playing offense at breakfast, defense after and each time you are making an eating choice or exercising, you have the opportunity to build a lead or defend to prevent falling behind or to protect your lead.
Each day, you have the chance to win or to lose. You are making choices all day that determine whether you are going to win or lose. The choices are not always easy, but the results are clear. When you put in the effort to build you routine in all areas, you are playing to win. Wanting to win is great, but the action of putting your routine together is the key to actually getting there. Are you playing to win?
Health is something different. You are constantly playing, so there is winning every day and there is even losing every day. You can lose daily and still be healthy. As long as you are able to win more often then you lose, you are still able to live healthy. That is where the trick comes into play. You have to understand that in order to truly live healthy. Many people try to win all day, every day, but it doesn’t work. When it doesn’t work, they quit because they think they lost. That is where the real strategy begins.
Winning vs. Losing
Winning is easy. Winning is getting what you want and doing what you set out to do. Winning makes a day go smoothly. Winning brings you results you want. More accurately, winning is the result you want. You have to play to win in order to win. It sounds simple and even sarcastic, but it’s true. Winning is something we all want, but until we start playing to win and expecting to win, we don’t win and we will never win.
Losing on the other hand, is difficult. Losing is not getting what you want and not being able to do what you set out to do. Losing makes things rough and challenging. Losing doesn’t bring you the results you want and it means that you are getting results that you don’t want. Losing is what we dread and what we hope never happens, but it does happen. Once we realize that losing happens, we can get on with it and keep pushing forward.
Offense
In health, there is offense and defense. Just like a game, there are multiple parts in each game and you have to be able to focus on if you want to win. Just like sports, it is easy to focus on offense. The offensive part of the game is easy and fun. Some people think that exercise is like offense because they like it and it is easy. Others think diet is like offense because they are better at picking and choosing healthy foods. Whatever you think is easier in your healthy routine that is your offense.
Not only is it important to know that it is the side that is easier for you, but you also need to know how to use it to your advantage. When a team is better than another team, they are able to score more points and put themselves into a better position as the game goes on. The team is able to take advantage of each situation and build a lead to ensure that the other team can’t come back. Even if they score more as the game goes on, with a big enough lead, they won’t come back to win. The team that used their offense to build a big lead is able to hold on and win the game.
Defense
Defense is a very important part of any sport and it is certainly an important part of a healthy routine. Defense is not fun. Defense is not glamorous or pretty. Defense is gritty and takes hard work. Defense brings results because it helps you take care of important things. During a game, defense helps you keep the other team from winning. Defense allows you to establish a baseline and keep things close when the other team is on the move. If you can put a solid defensive strategy into place, you can ensure that it never gets too bad. You never get too far behind and are always able to come back when your offense is play again.
Health is really just a balance of offense and defense. If you can take advantage of opportunities to score more points and advance your offense, you can build a lead. If you can keep your defense strong and keep things under control, you can keep the game close until you are ready to go back on offense.
Putting it all together
In order to win in sports, you have to do both. You have to be able to play offense and defense at a high level. The better you are at each, the more likely you are to win each game you play. The same is true in health. You have to be able to manage both sides. The key to remember with health is that you are playing games all day every day. You are playing offense at breakfast, defense after and each time you are making an eating choice or exercising, you have the opportunity to build a lead or defend to prevent falling behind or to protect your lead.
Each day, you have the chance to win or to lose. You are making choices all day that determine whether you are going to win or lose. The choices are not always easy, but the results are clear. When you put in the effort to build you routine in all areas, you are playing to win. Wanting to win is great, but the action of putting your routine together is the key to actually getting there. Are you playing to win?
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Hard to beat someone that never gives up (Personal Wellness)
Health is something that we all talk about. It is something that we all think about. Is it something that we all are doing something about? That is where things get a little less clear. We all want to be healthy. The difference between wanting to be healthy and being healthy is a finer line that most people think.
Let’s think about a healthy routine for a minute: you have to exercise, eat mindfully and take time for yourself to do these things on a daily basis. While everyone is busy wanting to live healthy, those that are living healthy are busy…living healthy.
What is the difference? Well, it’s not a matter of will or determination. It is not a matter of being stronger or being a healthy person or not. Living healthy comes down to the ability to keep going. The ability to get up when you’ve fallen down is the only way to live healthy.
The great baseball player, Babe Ruth once said: “It’s hard to beat someone that never gives up.”
This is true in all areas of life. Since we are talking health, let’s keep it focused on that area. How often does living healthy get difficult? That is a trick question, because living healthy is always difficult. The day to day can be a challenge and keeping it going week in and week out, month in and month out gets even more challenging.
The key is to keep going. When things get difficult, you have to find ways to overcome the challenge. When you get knocked down, and you will get knocked down, you have to do three things:
1. You have to decide that you are going to get up.
2. You have to figure out the best way to get up.
3. You have to decide where you are going to go when you get up.
Try it
When you set a goal, you are trying to do something. When you are simply thinking or talking about it, you haven’t tried anything yet. It may be take energy to focus on the goal even before you get started, but you haven’t gotten started yet. When you start trying, you will be putting in real energy and real time.
Get up and try again
This is a good start, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be set-backs. When you get started and start getting some progress made, there are going to be days that get difficult. There will be challenges that make you wonder if you can keep going or not. There are even going to be moments that make you feel like you can’t go on.
That’s right, there are going to be times that you have fallen and don’t know if you can get back up again. Guess what: you can get back up again.
Where will you be if you quit?
You have to keep going. You have to get up and you have to move on. Where will you be if you don’t get up and keep going? What will you have accomplished? Have you reached your goal? Are you going to be satisfied if you stop now? Probably not. That is why you have to keep going.
What progress DID you make?
It is one thing to say that you want to keep going. It is another thing all together to actually do it. That is where thinking and talking turn into doing. You have to look at where you were when you fell down. Did you get as far as you wanted to get? Probably not. Now it is time to think about what you need to do to keep going. You have to pick yourself up and get moving again. One way to do that is to look at the progress that you DID make. When you can look at your routine and realize that you made some progress, it is easier to start getting back on track because you are not starting from square one again. You don’t have to go back to the beginning.
What’s next?
Now that you have decided to get back up again, what are you going to do? What is the plan? The sooner you set a plan and get going on it. When you get your plan in motion, you are free to make choices and do what will make it work for you. If you run into challenges, you have to remember the reasons you started doing this in the first place. If you still want to reach your goals, why would you stop pursuing them? Why would you give up?
After all, if you don’t give up, you can’t lose. That is the beauty of health. The more you do, the more you get. As long as you get up and keep going, you get results.
When Babe Ruth was talking about not giving up, he was right. Baseball takes perseverance and determination. So does health, but in health, you are even more likely to succeed if you are willing to keep going. As long as you don’t give up, you can’t lose when it comes to health. In other words, it is hard to beat someone who never gives up.
Let’s think about a healthy routine for a minute: you have to exercise, eat mindfully and take time for yourself to do these things on a daily basis. While everyone is busy wanting to live healthy, those that are living healthy are busy…living healthy.
What is the difference? Well, it’s not a matter of will or determination. It is not a matter of being stronger or being a healthy person or not. Living healthy comes down to the ability to keep going. The ability to get up when you’ve fallen down is the only way to live healthy.
The great baseball player, Babe Ruth once said: “It’s hard to beat someone that never gives up.”
This is true in all areas of life. Since we are talking health, let’s keep it focused on that area. How often does living healthy get difficult? That is a trick question, because living healthy is always difficult. The day to day can be a challenge and keeping it going week in and week out, month in and month out gets even more challenging.
The key is to keep going. When things get difficult, you have to find ways to overcome the challenge. When you get knocked down, and you will get knocked down, you have to do three things:
1. You have to decide that you are going to get up.
2. You have to figure out the best way to get up.
3. You have to decide where you are going to go when you get up.
Try it
When you set a goal, you are trying to do something. When you are simply thinking or talking about it, you haven’t tried anything yet. It may be take energy to focus on the goal even before you get started, but you haven’t gotten started yet. When you start trying, you will be putting in real energy and real time.
Get up and try again
This is a good start, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be set-backs. When you get started and start getting some progress made, there are going to be days that get difficult. There will be challenges that make you wonder if you can keep going or not. There are even going to be moments that make you feel like you can’t go on.
That’s right, there are going to be times that you have fallen and don’t know if you can get back up again. Guess what: you can get back up again.
Where will you be if you quit?
You have to keep going. You have to get up and you have to move on. Where will you be if you don’t get up and keep going? What will you have accomplished? Have you reached your goal? Are you going to be satisfied if you stop now? Probably not. That is why you have to keep going.
What progress DID you make?
It is one thing to say that you want to keep going. It is another thing all together to actually do it. That is where thinking and talking turn into doing. You have to look at where you were when you fell down. Did you get as far as you wanted to get? Probably not. Now it is time to think about what you need to do to keep going. You have to pick yourself up and get moving again. One way to do that is to look at the progress that you DID make. When you can look at your routine and realize that you made some progress, it is easier to start getting back on track because you are not starting from square one again. You don’t have to go back to the beginning.
What’s next?
Now that you have decided to get back up again, what are you going to do? What is the plan? The sooner you set a plan and get going on it. When you get your plan in motion, you are free to make choices and do what will make it work for you. If you run into challenges, you have to remember the reasons you started doing this in the first place. If you still want to reach your goals, why would you stop pursuing them? Why would you give up?
After all, if you don’t give up, you can’t lose. That is the beauty of health. The more you do, the more you get. As long as you get up and keep going, you get results.
When Babe Ruth was talking about not giving up, he was right. Baseball takes perseverance and determination. So does health, but in health, you are even more likely to succeed if you are willing to keep going. As long as you don’t give up, you can’t lose when it comes to health. In other words, it is hard to beat someone who never gives up.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Best Time to Exercise
Exercise is something that we all want to do. Even if you are not doing it regularly, it is something that we all agree that we “should” be doing it. Well, you are right. You should be exercising, working out, or just finding a way to move.
No matter what you call it, you need it to live. You need it to be healthy. You needed it to feel good. You need it to have the energy you want. You needed it to ward off diseases. You needed to lose weight or you need it to maintain your weight. We get more benefits from exercise, but I think you get the picture.
The only way to get the benefits from exercise is to exercise. That’s right, if you don’t do it, you don’t get any of the results from it. You can think about it all you want, but until you do it, the body gets nothing out of exercise. This sounds sarcastic or even condescending, but it is reality. Many people that I talk to on a regular basis are saying that they are thinking about, trying, planning to, you name it and they are doing it. The only thing that they are not doing is exercise itself.
One of the questions that I keep hearing: “When is the best time to exercise?” The answer is not as complicated as you might think. In fact, the answer is as simple as it gets. The best time to exercise is the time that works for you. The best time to exercise is during the time that you have to do it, the time you like to do it the most or simply when you can do it.
This isn’t the answer a lot of people are expecting. You’ve heard from one source or another that claims that there are times that are better than others to exercise, but there really isn’t a difference between morning, afternoon or evening. The difference lies in your routine, your head and your preferences. If you like working out at a certain time, you will stick with it. Many don’t see “liking” exercise as a realistic option. Well, even if it just the time that you can fit it in and fight through it, you will stick with it.
I don’t recommend one time of day over another. When getting started, it is important to try multiple options to see which will work. Actually, before you even try to get started, I recommend sitting down to think about your schedule. It is easy to pick a time and say you are going to go. It is more difficult to actually make that work for a long period of time.
So, how do you know which time to try? Well, that can be simple too. Let’s take a look at some of the key points of morning, afternoon and evening exercise:
Morning Exercise
Getting up in the morning is easier for some than it is for others. It depends on your age, schedule and personal preference, but more importantly, it depends on how your body works. I love morning exercise. When I wake up in the morning, I generally feel pretty good. Am I tired? I am tired on many days, but others I am not. On the days that I feel tired, there is a bit of a struggle to get going. But once I get going, I have another level of energy that I cannot get anywhere else.
My morning exercise is what gets me where I need to be in order to start the day.
The other benefit of morning exercise is that the mornings are consistent. Depending on your schedule, you probably start work at a certain time each day. You probably leave your house around the same time and get to your destination at a certain time as well. We all have a routine that takes us through the process. If exercise fits into that, you can make the most of your morning by waking up and getting your workout out of the way. This not only gives you the benefits of exercise, but it also allows you a mental victory to start the day. When you’ve already taken care of exercise for the day, you don’t have to worry about when (or if) you are going to do it later. It’s done and you can get on with your day.
Afternoon Exercise
Exercising in the afternoon works well for many people. It allows you to have your morning routine. For some that morning routine is hectic enough. This way, you are not worried about that and you can sleep in a bit compared to the morning exercise schedule. One thing that you can’t do is control the afternoon schedule. Many people have meetings, calls and other obligations that move fluidly throughout the workday. As meetings start to move in and out of your schedule, it becomes difficult to set time aside for exercise.
One solution is to go after work is over. Many like to bring gym bags or other equipment to work in order to go right from work to their exercise destination. This works great if you have the energy after a long day of work. You also have to have the resolve to go despite the other options in front of you. There is TV, food, couch, family, more work and countless other things that creep into the afternoon. They all make it harder, but they can be overcome.
Evening Exercise
Many of the same challenges exist in the afternoon and evening. Evenings are treated like mornings in many situations. I talk to people that say that their evening is the only consistent time of the day. Their mornings are crazy, afternoons are the same, but evenings are the part of the day that they can control. Control is a good word to think about when it comes to exercise. We all have a certain degree of control. When you choose to make time for yourself, you are taking control of your schedule and putting what you want into it. If you are letting your schedule run you, you are likely not getting the exercise you need.
Evenings also have their drawbacks. For starters, many are ready to fall asleep shortly after work, making the evening a tough time to exercise. If you are awake and ready for action, the evening can be a great time to get your exercise. The only other caution with this time of day is the after-effects. Much like the morning exercisers feel a burst of energy after exercise, so do the evening exercisers. If this burst is enough to keep you awake at night, you make have problems with evening exercise.
As you can see, there are pros and cons to all times of the day. I’m not going to pretend that exercise is supposed to be this perfect activity that you love every single time and you can set aside a magical time of day that makes it easy. It is all about finding the most pros and the fewest cons. The best time to exercise is the time that has the most pros for you and the fewest cons. The best time to exercise is the time that works for you.
No matter what you call it, you need it to live. You need it to be healthy. You needed it to feel good. You need it to have the energy you want. You needed it to ward off diseases. You needed to lose weight or you need it to maintain your weight. We get more benefits from exercise, but I think you get the picture.
The only way to get the benefits from exercise is to exercise. That’s right, if you don’t do it, you don’t get any of the results from it. You can think about it all you want, but until you do it, the body gets nothing out of exercise. This sounds sarcastic or even condescending, but it is reality. Many people that I talk to on a regular basis are saying that they are thinking about, trying, planning to, you name it and they are doing it. The only thing that they are not doing is exercise itself.
One of the questions that I keep hearing: “When is the best time to exercise?” The answer is not as complicated as you might think. In fact, the answer is as simple as it gets. The best time to exercise is the time that works for you. The best time to exercise is during the time that you have to do it, the time you like to do it the most or simply when you can do it.
This isn’t the answer a lot of people are expecting. You’ve heard from one source or another that claims that there are times that are better than others to exercise, but there really isn’t a difference between morning, afternoon or evening. The difference lies in your routine, your head and your preferences. If you like working out at a certain time, you will stick with it. Many don’t see “liking” exercise as a realistic option. Well, even if it just the time that you can fit it in and fight through it, you will stick with it.
I don’t recommend one time of day over another. When getting started, it is important to try multiple options to see which will work. Actually, before you even try to get started, I recommend sitting down to think about your schedule. It is easy to pick a time and say you are going to go. It is more difficult to actually make that work for a long period of time.
So, how do you know which time to try? Well, that can be simple too. Let’s take a look at some of the key points of morning, afternoon and evening exercise:
Morning Exercise
Getting up in the morning is easier for some than it is for others. It depends on your age, schedule and personal preference, but more importantly, it depends on how your body works. I love morning exercise. When I wake up in the morning, I generally feel pretty good. Am I tired? I am tired on many days, but others I am not. On the days that I feel tired, there is a bit of a struggle to get going. But once I get going, I have another level of energy that I cannot get anywhere else.
My morning exercise is what gets me where I need to be in order to start the day.
The other benefit of morning exercise is that the mornings are consistent. Depending on your schedule, you probably start work at a certain time each day. You probably leave your house around the same time and get to your destination at a certain time as well. We all have a routine that takes us through the process. If exercise fits into that, you can make the most of your morning by waking up and getting your workout out of the way. This not only gives you the benefits of exercise, but it also allows you a mental victory to start the day. When you’ve already taken care of exercise for the day, you don’t have to worry about when (or if) you are going to do it later. It’s done and you can get on with your day.
Afternoon Exercise
Exercising in the afternoon works well for many people. It allows you to have your morning routine. For some that morning routine is hectic enough. This way, you are not worried about that and you can sleep in a bit compared to the morning exercise schedule. One thing that you can’t do is control the afternoon schedule. Many people have meetings, calls and other obligations that move fluidly throughout the workday. As meetings start to move in and out of your schedule, it becomes difficult to set time aside for exercise.
One solution is to go after work is over. Many like to bring gym bags or other equipment to work in order to go right from work to their exercise destination. This works great if you have the energy after a long day of work. You also have to have the resolve to go despite the other options in front of you. There is TV, food, couch, family, more work and countless other things that creep into the afternoon. They all make it harder, but they can be overcome.
Evening Exercise
Many of the same challenges exist in the afternoon and evening. Evenings are treated like mornings in many situations. I talk to people that say that their evening is the only consistent time of the day. Their mornings are crazy, afternoons are the same, but evenings are the part of the day that they can control. Control is a good word to think about when it comes to exercise. We all have a certain degree of control. When you choose to make time for yourself, you are taking control of your schedule and putting what you want into it. If you are letting your schedule run you, you are likely not getting the exercise you need.
Evenings also have their drawbacks. For starters, many are ready to fall asleep shortly after work, making the evening a tough time to exercise. If you are awake and ready for action, the evening can be a great time to get your exercise. The only other caution with this time of day is the after-effects. Much like the morning exercisers feel a burst of energy after exercise, so do the evening exercisers. If this burst is enough to keep you awake at night, you make have problems with evening exercise.
As you can see, there are pros and cons to all times of the day. I’m not going to pretend that exercise is supposed to be this perfect activity that you love every single time and you can set aside a magical time of day that makes it easy. It is all about finding the most pros and the fewest cons. The best time to exercise is the time that has the most pros for you and the fewest cons. The best time to exercise is the time that works for you.
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