Maintaining your fitness is not just about the idea of running a 9-minute mile today, tomorrow and next month. Maintaining your fitness embraces the concept of staying consistent and maintaining habit.

We all live busy, hectic and on-the-go lives. The nature of today’s world is one where we cram 25 hours worth of things into a 24-hour day. Combine that with “other” factors (weather, mood, illness, traveling, etc.) and we are faced with a difficult time in maintaining our fitness.

Over the next few posts, I’ll give “Fitness-Maintenance Obstacles” and ways to overcome them.

Today’s obstacle: “My bad mood during the winter doldrums has kept me from maintaining my fitness.”

Overcoming it:

1.  Breathing, meditating and yoga are all forms of fitness. Each of these will help to release a bad mood. Focus on your breath and be present in the moment.

2.  Love spin class? Spend time on it (or any other activity) that keeps you engaged and de-stresses you. Don’t give in to the mood and weather when you know how much you love the activity.

3.  Visualize yourself completing your workout and feeling inspired, revitalized and invigorated post-workout.

4.  Listen to your favorite music either pre-workout, during working out or both. Music changes moods, lifts spirits and can keep you going.

5.  Focus on your fitness-maintenance goal, or set another lofty goal (think summer marathon)! When you focus on the “then,” oftentimes you are excited for the “now.”

6.  Prepare. Always have your workout clothes, equipment or gym bag handy. Be ready to pick up and get moving. This will take the added step of, “I don’t feel like getting my stuff together” away.

Remember again that consistency is the key to maintenance. Don’t tell yourself when you wake up in the morning, “I have to work out for 2 hours today otherwise I’m not maintaining my fitness.” Instead, tell yourself, “I’ll do what I can, with what I have and in the time allowed to maintain my fitness.” This might only be 20-30 minutes. That’s okay! You are moving and staying consistent. Maintenance is a marathon; not a sprint.

What are some ways that you overcome the obstacle, “My bad mood during the winter doldrums has kept me from maintaining my fitness”?

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