10 ways to get & stay fit in the long run.

Diets and workouts in the western world tend to be short term. They might yield results, but those results are short term also. Diets don’t work because they aren’t long term. Most people can’t stick to a diet for over a month. Exercise programs are intense and they burn you out so that you don’t want to work out over the long term. So obviously the way to get results is to workout over the long term, but how?

1. Start small and slowly

I believe this is the most important key to getting long term results. You can’t burn yourself out or else you will eventually stop your routine. You need to start with small quantities of exercise and work your way up to harder more intense workouts when you get stronger. You need to start with workouts that aren’t too hard. Than every week get slightly harder and more challenging, but hopefully they won’t get too much harder because you are building up muscle along the way and getting stronger everyday. Start with maybe pushups, pullups, sit ups, and squats, and do a small amount of each. Then each week add maybe, 5 pushups, 2 pullups, 10 sit ups, and 10 squats. This way you could start with 2 pullups and get to 20+ in the long term as long as you don’t burn yourself out.

2. Just do it

Start working out today and just get going. The first step is always the hardest. Once you start it gets harder to stop. Create a simple workout plan today like the one above and do a small amount of the above workouts. Then choose your intervals, and start first thing in the morning tomorrow.

3. Don’t make any excuses

Set a time. I find that the morning workouts are the best for me. Just to workout before I get out the door. If you make excuses and procrastinate than you might end up not working out and you could stop with your routine. 

4. Don’t skip more than one day

Workout every single day and don’t get down on yourself for missing a day. If you miss a day just workout the following day and stick to your routine. If you get mad about missing a day you could jeopardize your entire workout regimen.

5. Hold yourself back

Don’t workout too much in one day. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but if you hold yourself off from doing too many reps than you will be anxious to work out the next day and stick to your routine.

6. Make your goal public

If you tell all your friends and put it on social media than you will feel the need to not let anyone down. This alone will force you to workout more. Although, keep in mind that you don’t want to be too extrinsic about your goals. You still want to have intrinsic goals that you are always striving for like, get a six pack or be able to do 25 pull ups without stopping.

7. Don’t only be motivated by weight

Now I am not worried about my weight by any means, but I have noticed that many people start working out because they want to lose weight, that alone won’t motivate you enough to workout. You will find excuses. What you need to do it, have other intrinsic motivation such as be able to run for x amount of time and not get tired, etc.

8. Failure is good

During failure is when you gain the most. If you fail, pick yourself up and start again because every failure makes you stronger and less apt to fail at that task again.

9. Get a workout partner 

This is great motivation because you can have friendly competitions etc.

10. Have fun

You don’t want to suffer too much. If you have fun than you have a better chance of sticking to it during the long term. Suffering does cause the most growth but you don’t grow if you end up quitting because you suffered too much.

I hope you liked these thoughts about getting fit over the long term, because it is not worth it if you can only keep the results for a couple months.