How to Design an Exercise Plan That Actually Meets Your Goals
In this article you will find:
The journey of Sara, who is making one of the most common (and biggest) mistakes
The simple (and more effective) solution to try instead
A quick exercise to try so you can go from goal-getter to RESULTS!
Moving your body, exercise, fitness… Whatever you like to call it, it is all too easy to overcomplicate finding ways to move your body in a way that feels good and contributes to your longevity, energy, and well-being.
So how do you actually make this happen?
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen after coaching hundreds of people to achieve their next level of health and performance is: We jump into trying to execute a movement game plan without taking the time to align our actions with our goals and intention.
For example, let’s follow the journey of Sara.
Sara knows she wants to move her body more. She has a good friend Jenny who is loving her new yoga class. Jenny has a new glow about her, and her flexibility has really increased! Sara decides this must be the perfect way to increase her daily movement and sets a goal to join Jenny in her evening yoga class three nights per week to start her own journey pursuing pure yogi bliss!
What does it look like for Sara three weeks into her new yoga habit?
Sara is rushing to attend the evening class with her friend and the expense of the classes has started to add up. Unfortunately, trying to squeeze yoga into her day after work stresses Sara out more than it serves to reenergize her.
So where did Sara go wrong?
Before looking around to see what others are doing, Sara could instead pause for a moment and to align her actions with her true intentions. This is where the magic happens, and we empower ourselves to find that sweet spot where our movement game plan actually accomplishes the results we desire!
The Simple Solution Is...
Before jumping to find THE perfect way to move your body, start by hitting pause to find YOUR perfect way to move your body. Ask yourself, “What am I looking to accomplish by moving my body?” Then, dig a little deeper. Ask yourself, “What is it that I am looking to feel?”
When Sara asks herself, “What is it that I am looking to accomplish by moving my body?” she realizes while becoming more flexible would be great, she’s more frustrated with how her body has lost strength over the years.
Then, she asks herself how she's looking to feel. Sara realizes she’s feeling exhausted from her busy work schedule, and she’s frustrated with how work situations are leaving her feeling drained and eating away at her confidence. She wants to feel more energized, strong, and confident. When she really stops to think about it, she just wants to feel more like the strong, capable, and free-spirited girl she knew in college before corporate life!
The Game-Changing Action to Take:
Design yourself a movement game plan to align with the way you are looking to feel. Select a time of day and type of movement that is most realistic and flexible for your specific life circumstances.
For Sara, her movement game plan now looks much different:
She starts each day with movement, knowing it is her most realistic and flexible time to fit it in. Even if it's a rest day, she starts every morning with a few of the yoga moves she most enjoyed in class. Practicing at least 5 minutes of yoga every day is so doable and it makes her feel so alive and well!
Since Sara wants to focus on increasing strength, she downloads the Peloton App. The monthly cost is budget friendly, she doesn’t have to squeeze an additional gym commute into her busy schedule, and she has a variety of classes to help her meet her goals!
Finally, she sets a reminder on her work computer to take at least two ten-minute walk breaks during her work day, one at 10AM and another at 3PM. Stepping outside to see a little bit of nature and feel the sunshine on her face has been restorative and energizing!
Now, a few weeks into her game plan, Sara is feeling stronger, invigorated with energy, and is enjoying a greater sense of calm and confidence in her life.
Takeaways For You To Try
Before jumping into a new way to move your body, stop to ask yourself what you are looking to accomplish and how you are looking to FEEL. Explore options that align with helping you to meet your SPECIFIC goal. Finally, select a TIME of day and a TYPE of movement that is most REALISTIC and FLEXIBLE for you.
BONUS "Biggest Bang for Your Buck" Action to Take:
As soon as you determine how you are looking to feel, immediately do one small thing that makes you feel that way. Ex: You want to start a new running habit so you can feel more fit and athletic. Purchase yourself a new running shirt so you can feel like the athlete you are well on your way to becoming. This simple step can make all the difference in helping you to go from dreamer to doer!
Here are the exact prompts you need to design your own effective game plan:
What am I looking to accomplish by moving my body?
How am I looking to feel?
Some options that could help me meet my goals are:
One way I will move my body to accomplish my goal is:
The time of day that will work best for me is:
One thing I will do RIGHT NOW to feel more (insert way you want to feel) is:
Awesome Additional (and FREE) Resources
You now know a simple way to design yourself a plan that actually meets your goals AND empowers you to live a more aligned and vibrant life! Moving your body in a way that feels good and actually contributes to your well-being is just a few steps away.
If you're looking for additional resources:
Check out my FREE training where I show you effective and sustainable strategies to maximize your mind-body performance. Fill out our quick form to receive an invitation to view the training at BreakingThroughWellness.com.
I firmly believe it is possible for YOU to accomplish any goal you desire!
Check out Badass Breakthrough Academy and our free training to discover how you can put in the work one time and maximize your health & performance for a lifetime!
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Wishing you a vibrant & healthy journey ahead!