Getting Back on the Exercise Bandwagon

My schedule has recently gone from being sparsely sprinkled with appointments to being overloaded by information, tasks, and deadlines. During this time I found it incredibly difficult to get myself in the gym to work on my fitness. Needless to say I didn’t make it there for several weeks, and as a result I lost gains in muscle mass, muscle endurance, speed, and stamina. As I saw my progress start to wane, I struggled to find time to get back in the fitness groove. Below are a few thoughts that I had to remind myself of in order for me to get back on the exercise bandwagon.

“You don't have to do all or nothing.”

For some reason I felt that if I wasn’t able to consume a healthy amount of water, eat the right foods, get the right amount of rest, or sit down and develop a new program, all was lost. I gave myself the excuse that in order to achieve proper results, everything needed to line up and be executed with textbook accuracy.

While it’s true that healthy living is a combination of all these practices, using those same practices as excuses to do nothing does not help. To get back on the bandwagon you have to start somewhere. I could have just drank as much water as I was able to. I could have just eaten as healthy as I could. I could have gotten as much quality sleep as possible, and I could have just started with exercises at home. Health doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

“It doesn’t matter what the other people in the gym are going to think.”

Yes, it’s true I fell victim to the “What will everyone think?” pattern of thought. I was too concerned about what my fellow soldiers and the other gym rats would think of me to go to the gym. After a while, I couldn’t push up as much weight or run as fast as I once could. I dreaded the looks and potential questions I would receive when it was revealed that I was all of a sudden weak and slow. I had to remind myself that this journey called fitness is about me and my life, health, and happiness. What anyone else thinks doesn’t matter. (Unless it’s a compliment!)

“I’ll just wait until the time is right.”

I’m sure none of these sound like a statement that any busy professional has ever told themselves, but on the off chance that this sounds familiar, stop it now. The time may never be right. That project you are going to finish will be replaced by a new one. The block of time you are expecting to open up will be filled again.

Since the time may never be right, you have to make time. If fitness is truly important to you, you must take the time to do it. This means making it work for you in your schedule, with your body type, for your goals. After all it is your fitness program and at the end of the day it is all about you.

If any of these or similar thought have been the enemy of your fitness goals I challenge you to get rid of them and get back on the wagon. The longer you stay off, the harder it will be to get back on. Do something active today!

Anthony Fowler is a certified Army Master Fitness Trainer who has been a fitness and nutrition enthusiast since he was 19. He has tried everything from Kefir to Tribulus in his quest to gain muscle mass and maintain a healthy lifestyle. He is a husband and father of three, and aspiring chef who enjoys lifting heavy weights, cooking healthy meals, and sharing his knowledge and experiences with anyone who will listen.

Main Photo Credit: DenisFilm/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: GuilleRusso/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: etorres/shutterstock.com