June is Summer Strong month here in Koko Centerville. Today I am sharing the post that is on our leader-board here in the club. I hope the 5 things I have learned over the past 6 years in fitness will get you on the right path sooner than I was.
At 50 years old I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis. It was then that I started to take aging very seriously. The doctor told me that the only way to reverse it was to put weight on my bones. He told this to a person who never set foot in a gym or exercised in her entire life outside of high school gym class. Thus began my venturing into weight training. I did go to various gyms for 10 years, but not much happened in the way of results because I had no idea what I was doing. Then I found Koko at 60 years old. Now, at 65 in that pic, I grew muscle at an astounding rate and reversed my osteoporosis. All due to Koko’s Smartrainer. I weight train 3x a week and haven’t missed a workout in 4 years. It took me the first 2 years to realize a few things about how to get these results. These are the things I want to share with you so you can start to see results sooner than I did.
FIRST, AND FOREMOST…
It’s all about consistency. I didn’t know this my first two years, until my daughter was getting married and I had to “get in real shape.” That’s when I began to rigidly adhere to 3x a week with weight training. Five weeks in I felt my core tighten and that did it. It clicked. Since then I have learned that motivation comes and goes, but showing up and doing the work creates the results.
SECOND – LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE
As my journey continued well after the wedding, I realized that whether it’s new workout clothes, a certain sneaker, or a supplement, no one thing makes you fit and there are no hacks to get there. It’s about doing many small healthy things for positive results that build up over time. I learned to eat and move for my health and not for a weight goal.
THIRD – HAVE A PLAN
Wandering around a gym to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then grabbing a salad is not a plan. (Although for 10 years I thought it was.) Your workouts need to be planned and fitted to your body. With Koko that was taken care of for me. Next came food and all that comes with it. Finding a healthy meal plan and prepping food for the day so I am never without anything to eat at least every 3 hours, is a mainstay to a healthy lifestyle. Scheduling food and workouts in my life soon turned into habits akin to brushing my teeth. Which brings me to number four.
FOUR – STAY POSITIVE
Feeding your mind with negative thoughts begets negative actions. The realization that your mind really can create your reality is very powerful. I once heard someone say a fitness journey is about your mind-set evolving from who you are to who you aspire to be. For me, that has proven to be so true. Buying the gown and visualizing how I wanted to look in it kept me motivated. Positive visualizations of your future self can help you stay true to your fitness routine. This brings me to number five.
FIVE -THINK YEARS, NOT MONTHS
Many people cycle through workout programs looking for fast results. Rarely does this work. You need to COMMIT to a more sustainable regimen for ONE YEAR before you entertain anything else. I did and 6 years later I am still here. My now life-long routine consists of weights 3x week, cardio, and yoga 2x a week. My eye is on the “future me.” I am looking ahead at what I want the 75 -year-old me to look like and focus on the things I still want to be doing at that age.
Sitting here now watching 6 women do weight training and cardio warms my heart. These ladies are preparing for their future selves. They, along with me, want to be driving and lifting their grandchildren 10 years from now.
And so, as another day goes by, is it never too late, you are never too sick, and you are never too old to establish an exercise routine to prepare for the rest of your life. Let’s go – Summer Strong – consistency, the big picture, have a plan, stay positive and yes, look to your future in years, not months
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