Four ways to get back on track

DITCH ‘ALL-OR-NOTHING’ THINKING

Are you thinking too big? You may be delaying your return to exercise because you have scheduled intense workouts five days a week from now until the end of time. Take a step back. Reintroduce yourself to the gym with baby steps, like trying one Group Fitness class a week, and going for a 15-minute walk, two or three days a week. Gradually add more time and intensity. At the end of each week, take a look at how you did. Concentrate on the healthy choices you’re making and remember consistency in working out and healthy eating is more important than perfection. Be kind to yourself. Being healthy is for life; don’t give up at a bump in the road. Miss a workout? That’s okay. Just get back to the gym for your next one.

ADD ON

Instead of making certain foods off limits, focus on adding more vegetables, fruit and water to your diet. Great ways of incorporating these are by juicing, steaming, roasting, in soups, or raw. Vegetables are especially important since they are one of the most nutrient-dense food substances. By consuming 5-6 servings of vegetables a day for two weeks you will notice a huge difference in your energy levels, digestion, and appearance. If you’re looking for some inspiration in your kitchen, sharpen your knives and give ones of these recipes a try.

GET HELP

Hiring a Personal Trainer has many benefits, but one of the greatest is accountability. When you’re returning to exercise, it can be easy to make excuses to not go. Each personal training session is an appointment with the gym to better yourself. When someone is waiting for you with your workout planned, it makes it harder to press the snooze button and sleep through your workout.

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

Take credit for your hard work; you know all the effort and sweat you put in. Admire what you’ve done, look back at how far you’ve come and celebrate that accomplishment. Knowing that you are doing the things you set out to do can push you forward more than anything else.