Fitness for real life means developing a workout plan you can do, no matter how busy you are. If you’re a beginner, take a deep breath.  Moving from a beginner to someone with a regular fitness activity can happen. And if you find something that you actually look forward to doing—what a bonus!

There are four key aspects of developing a workout plan that develops fitness for real life.

Goal Setting

Having a “why” is always important.  Without a goal, your likelihood of staying committed to your new habit declines significantly.

Try stating your why in a positive: I want to gain fitness.

Well, of course you do!  Let’s be more specific: I want to be able to walk up the stairs to my office without getting winded.  BOOM.

That’s a goal.

Maybe you want to run a 5K. Or perhaps you want to learn to do a pull-up. Another goal for your fitness for real life could be taking three hours a week for yourself to work out. Each of these goals is measurable.

Now go get ‘em!

Finding Time

Before you tell me you don’t have time to work out, try asking yourself this:

Can I hold a conversation about Game of Thrones, Call the Midwife, Top Chef, or the standings of the current college sports season?

If so, you can find time to create a sustainable exercise program.

Fitness for real life starts with your calendar. Those pockets of time that are currently going to Netflix viewing are the times for your workouts. Try it…just one hour, once a week to start. You can do it!

You can also use your social time as workout time. By encouraging your friends to meet you for a group exercise class or an evening of SUP, you’re helping them develop fitness for real life, too.

If time is really your biggest struggle, check out my FREE 5-Day Fit in Fitness Challenge! I know we can bust through this roadblock together.

Balancing what you want vs other priorities

Go back to your goal.  If it’s something like energetically walking up the stairs at your office, balancing your want and other priorities isn’t such a big deal.  You can achieve your fitness goal simply by taking the stairs more frequently. If your goal, however, is something like running a road race, you must realize the time commitment it will require.

Acknowledging that some other things in your life will have to shift and being willing to let go of them helps.  Maybe binge watching your favorite show becomes the recovery activity after your workout rather than your go-to weekend event.

Take an earnest look at your life and make sure your goal is realistic.  Can you find enough pockets of time to achieve your goal without getting injured? If not, you need to adjust your goal or adjust your calendar.

Cost of Fitness Endeavors

Finance…the dreaded reality.  Some activities are inexpensive, and some can cost thousands of dollars to even get started.  Assessing how much money you have to budget for your fitness endeavors is an important component of your adherence.

Fitness classes are popular for beginners because they are guided workouts. Many gyms and studios run special offers for new participants, so do your research before you start. (Hint: asking friends to let you know of deals where they workout can benefit you both!) Programs like Class Pass allow you to sample lots of types of group classes at a more affordable rate.

Many newbie exercisers choose walking because it is easy to do and the cost is minimal. Investing in a good pair of walking shoes is worthwhile. Even if you need to save up for them, you can start walking today!

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