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Tips To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed By Fitness
Madhura MohanYou start with great intentions - new exercise routine, new nutrition plan, and all the new gear you bought for it. But before long, the pressure you are feeling is becoming way too much. You have too many workout plans and routines, too many diets, so many different opinions as to what is the "correct" way to do all this; and instead of feeling good, you feel overwhelmed.
The reality is that fitness should not be stressful but rather should be a source of energy and empowerment; it should compliment your life, not take over your life. Yet, many athletes and people going to the gym and many of the beginners fall into the trap of doing too much or trying to accomplish things too quickly or listening to everyone else instead of themselves and their own bodies.
The question is: How do I eliminate feeling overwhelmed by being fit and learn to love fitness once again?
This blog is filled with tips for how to build a fitness routine that works for you based on your desired outcome (joy). There are no rigid guidelines or specific programs here; but rather, useful examples that can be applied regardless of what type of exercise you do.
As you read through this blog, take some time to think if you are exercising for enjoyable purposes (joy), or simply because it was something to do (box checked). Does exercising leave you feeling more energized than tired? At the end, you will walk away with a system of easy-to-use tools to allow you to achieve success in fitness and create an equilibrium in your physical health and well-being.
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Simplify Your Routine
People often find themselves feeling pressured with an overwhelming amount of choices in the fitness industry due to all the different options such as HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Yoga, Strength Training, Cardio and many other "musts" that exist in the fitness industry.
Therefore, the key solution is to simplify your workouts. Find 2-3 exercises you really enjoy (the ones that you look forward to doing) and do them with as much frequency as possible... no need to master every possible workout trend, just have a schedule where you consistently are moving in a way that feels good for your body.
Reflect: What's an exercise you truly enjoy doing? (Walking, Dancing, Lifting weights, etc.)? Build your workout program around that, rather than chasing down any and every new exercise trend.
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Focus on Small Wins
Big, scary goals tend to create a lot of pressure and tend to lead us to a point where we feel overwhelmed — we might want to drop 20 pounds in 30 days or run a marathon without training. Instead of that, try looking for small wins you can achieve now.
- Move your body for 10 minutes
- Drink more water
- Stretch before bed
These are all small goals, but they will help make you feel better about yourself and build some confidence about yourself over time through momentum. Eventually, those small, little wins can become larger wins as well as turn into overall permanent improvement.
Interactive thought: What is one little win you can make a commitment to do today? Write it down. This will be the first thing that allows you to start being consistent.
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Tune Out the Noise
Fitness advice is all over the web — from the influencers on social media to blogs, trainers, and peers — but too much information can often lead to confusion or hesitation about what to do. You hear "lift heavy" from one influencer and then "do yoga daily" from another, leaving you feeling stuck. To get around this, simply turn off the chaos by using one trusted source or program and commit yourself to following it until completion — without rushing to switch to another source/program every week.
Quick Test: Do you have five different people/places of accountability for your fitness routine that you are following at once? Pick one that best fits your routine and stick with it.