By: Treneice McNeil- Staff Contributing Ambassador & Writer
It’s something about stepping outside at the beginning of fall. Not only does it look different, but it FEELS different. You can feel the shift in the atmosphere: the dreary sky, the crispness of the wind, the color of the leaves. The earth is preparing itself for winter. What may seem like a dark time is a season of preparation. What if we adopted that same outlook for ourselves? What if we accepted the shift in our lives and used them as a time to prepare for the next season?
For example, in fitness, the new year signals a massive transition for many wanting to create a change, mainly in a physical way. But what we want to change will often fade after 1-2 months. The initial motivation is gone, the change isn’t happening as quickly as we want, or it’s more complicated than we thought.
Proper preparation for any change is necessary but often is bypassed because of its lack of importance. Physical fitness isn’t one size fits all, and often what works for one person may not work for another. Many underestimate the mental changes that are necessary to take place to maintain physical changes. So, what can you do about this?
If you want to start a new fitness regime in the new year, this is a great time to start getting ready. If you have been on a specific training regime that’s been ongoing for the last couple of months, this could be an excellent time for a break to reevaluate and allow your body time for adaptations.
You can start doing three things while transitioning and preparing for change.
Ask yourself what you want to change and why. This helps keep you going even after the initial motivation has worn off. Come up with a plan. How you will get there is something, you want to think about. Winging it will/could lead to disappointment due to lack of results, injury, or frustration. Start Practicing. This is huge, the desire to have something may make you think you will magically get it right the first time, and that’s often far from the truth. There are a lot of “roadblocks” that you may have to work around.
To further elaborate on point three. When I say practice, I’m saying practice everything, from the time you plan to work out, Practice working out at home or going to the gym, Practice the type of workouts you will do., Practice preparing the foods you need to eat—Practice, Practice, Practice. The purpose is to find out what works and what doesn’t. When you are nearing your starting point, you will know what will most efficiently get you to your goal.
So, think about fall and other transitions in your life as your time to GET READY!!
Treneice McNeil is a mother of two beautiful young girls, an ACE certified personal trainer and owner of CUTIE FITNESS LLC. CUTIE is an acronym for Courageous, Uplift, Triumph, Inspire, and Encourage. treneicemcneil@cutiefitness.com