How do you create a healthy life? How can you make fitness a lifelong journey? Through the power of habit!
"Old habits are hard to break and new habits are hard to form. That's because the behavioral patterns we repeat most often are literally etched into our neural pathways. The good news is that, through repetition, it's possible to form—and maintain—new habits."
----Psychology Today
Why do you think "diets" don't work? Why didn't that 3 mile run you did daily for one week not change your body? Because they aren't a habit.....yet!
Here at BarreFit, we're all about habit. Sure, spontaneity is good to change things up, but there must be a routine in place to form a habit. But where do you start? Let's make a list.
1. Make a workout routine and stick it as closely as you. Let's say you want to start with 3 barre classes per week. Try Monday, Wednesday, Friday! As your level increases, you can adjust your schedule. Maybe you move to 4 classes per week, or even back-to-back workout days. Whatever you do, choose a schedule and try to stick to it. Do holidays and birthday and vacations happen? Of course, but when you have a schedule that you can rely on, you begin to form a habit. At BarreFit, the workouts are constantly changing. You don't need to change your schedule to keep your workouts engaging and challenging along the way. Form the habit. Pick a schedule. And try your best to stick to it.
2. Pick a healthy eating lifestyle that works for YOU. Don't choose to do a low-carb diet if you know it is something that you cannot sustain long-term. Same goes for shake meal replacements, low calorie or low fat diets, etc. These are not LONG TERM habits that you can form. (And most of the time, they are not long term habits that you
should be forming anyway.) By going on "diets" you can cause all kinds of havoc upon your body. BE CONSISTENT. Choose a clean eating lifestyle and work to change over one thing at a time. If you shock your system, you will have a harder time sticking to your plan. Choose one meal to change at a time. If you know that you LOVE to have pizza on Fridays, consider trying a clean eating version of pizza with a whole-grain crust. You can load it with veggies and lean meats. (Chicken sausage instead of pork, ditch the cheese and add extra sauce...etc). And try to make as much "from scratch" as you can. By cooking things yourself, you will be in control of the ingredients. If you are going to purchase at the store, you should avoid processed foods, preservatives, and ESPECIALLY sugar. Do NOT buy sauce with sugar added in. Sugar is the silent killer. (We'll have more on that at a later time. The evil of processed/refined sugar deserves its own post.) But anyways, make small changes. And stick to them! Work for a long-term healthiness, not the ability to lose a few pounds for a few weeks.
3. Choose activities that support the healthy life you want to lead! If your favorite activity is to sit in front of Netflix with a bag of chips every night, your healthy habits don't have a support system. Yes, we all need a little Netflix binge from time to time, but don't let your lazy habits become the norm! Go outside! Take your dog for a nightly walk. Find a peaceful park and hike with a friend or loved one. Plant a garden and spend time working outside. Get a bike. Push mow instead of ride (great cardio). Encourage friends to engage in fun ACTIVE social time. Sure, sitting in a bar with friends is fun, but wouldn't it be more fun to have a picnic and play volleyball?! Again, everyone needs down time and social events that let you relax, but don't let laziness be the norm. Make a habit of your new active plans by setting regular occasions; a game of pick-up socces once a month with friends, Monday night walks through the neighborhood, Saturday morning bike rides. And if you have kids, they will love it! Get out there any PLAY! HAVE FUN!!! Kids don't have to be the only ones who get to play outside. And....active people live longer. 'Nuff said.
4. Whatever you do, choose what works for you. When you find a program or a healthy, active lifestyle that really works for you, stick with it! You will have a hard time forming a habit if you jump from one thing to the next all the time. Choose to happy. Choose to be heatlhy. And choose what works for YOU.
Here's the strategy, as taught in one of our
favorite self-help books, Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit."
This is what Duhigg calls the "habit loop". Essentially, the habit loop is how all habits begin.
"Duhigg describes the habit loop as the basis for all habits: there is a cue which triggers a routine which brings a reward. Understanding our own habits is the key to changing them or creating new ones. If we can identify the cues that trigger a bad routine, like smoking, we can insert a new routine to get the same reward. Changing any habit, or creating new ones, is possible by really evaluating the cues and rewards that accompany a routine.
By understanding the nature of habits we can not only modify our own behavior, but influence that of others as well, including groups. It is the key to making a business, or endeavor, successful or profitable. Reading is a habit like any other. For some it is a very difficult undertaking, but any task that is repeated over and over many times becomes second nature."
---Book review from "Matthew" at idahodoesntsuck.com
So what do you think? Are you ready to change your habits to create
your fit life? BarreFit is here to help you on your journey. YOU CAN DO IT!
What sort of healthy habits do you guys have? Comment and share some of your favorite active activities! We'd love to hear from you.
---Yours in fitness,
BarreFit
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