“I have not been to the gym once this week”

We all get busy with life and sometimes neglect our gym routine.  We may miss one day, several days, or even a whole week.  Sometimes we don’t exercise because we are too busy (or think we are), stressed, tired, sick, traveling, or just not motivated.  These are all legit reasons for not attending, but also legit reasons for attending.  If you are stressed, or too busy, exercise can relieve a lot of these tensions.  Regardless your reason for not exercising, do not get bent out of shape. I can guarantee your fitness and weight will remain the same.  If you are committed to a healthy lifestyle (exercising and eating properly 90% of the time) your period away from the gym (even if it is a week) will not hurt you. 

When it comes to exercise and nutrition we get stuck in the mindset of “all or nothing.”  When it comes to diet, we think that we have to eliminate all bad foods and deprive ourselves of things we enjoy.  When it comes to exercise, we think that if we miss a few days, all of our hard work has been wasted.  During this time we generally feel guilty, stressed, and disappointed in ourselves.  This is the problem with the “all or nothing mindset.” In order to learn from these experiences we need to do two thing.

1^st – Move away from the “all or nothing mindset.” I am guilty of this mindset myself.  However, If we think we are going to exercise everyday for the rest of our lives, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We need to recognize that this is an impossible expectation. Life gets busy and sometimes we fall of the bandwagon.  But that’s alright, this is what makes us human.  In order to move away from this mindset, we need to recognize that life does get in the way.  Our lifestyle of health is a lifestyle.  If we do not practice this lifestyle for a week, it is not the end of the world.  In my experience, I have found it’s all about mindset.  You tend to think your hard work has been a wasted, but reality – your still in the exact same shape even after a week of eating poorly and not exercising.  If I do fall short of my fitness goals, I see this as a vacation for my body.  I approach the next week with a Spartan attitude. I put in some extra time at the gym and monitor my diet closely.  I work hard for the next week, knowing that my body is well rested, and ready to be challenged. 

2^nd – We need to learn from our experiences.  If we neglect our gym routine, we need to explore the reasons why.  This will allow us to be more successful in the future. If we miss exercise because we are too busy, perhaps we need to reexamine our priorities. Leaning from our past is the key to achieving success in the future.

Final note! Your commitment to health is a lifestyle.  If you are 25 years old and you plan on living well into your 80’s, this is a 55-year period.  I think it stands to reason that missing one week at the gym will not hurt you in the long run.  As long as you’re committed 90% of the time – You are on the right track!