Deciding To Get Healthy

When it comes to working out, it's a choice someone has to make themselves and not a choice their friends or family can make for them. I like to think of it more in terms of deciding to get healthy simply because that is much more appealing than "working out". Somehow, the mind hears the word "working" and the idea instantly becomes less desirable. This means less people will be interested in the process altogether.

Making the decision

No matter what the risks may be in regards to health, it's a choice you have to make. You have to figure out why you want to become healthy. Some common reasons people decide to get healthy include:

• Increase self esteem
• Health concerns
• Looking for a new challenge
• Having fun
• Losing Weight

These are all great reasons to decide to get healthy. The first thing you want to ask yourself is how much desire do you have to reach these goals?

Mentality

It's so easy to say you're going to go down the path of getting healthy but it's another thing entirely to actually start. Some start, more never start and those that do start have a hard time sticking to it!

This is because it's all about your mentality. Most people have gotten lazy since the invention of cars and the reduction of farm work so waking up in the morning after a day of exercising will make people feel they need to take a rest or a day off because they can barely move.

It's time to talk about having a healthy mentality!

Healthy Mentality: Understanding what your body is going through before you even make the decision to get healthy.

This is going to require some research on your part. Most people that haven't worked out in years aren't going to know what's going on with their body when they are sore the day following an intense fitness session.

They are going to think they've pulled a muscle or that their soreness is just too intense and that they've probably picked the wrong program entirely and that's when they stop.

Having a healthy mentality is going to give you the motivation to keep going even when you think you've done too much. It's the research you're going to do (and I'm going to help you with) that's going to enlighten you with what is happening to your body.

I will say one thing for now on soreness you experience after your first fitness session: That means it's working and your body is getting used to it.

Now, lets discuss the unhealthy mentality.

Unhealthy Mentality: The act of giving up as soon as you're presented with a challenge.

Remember how I stated that one of the reasons people decided to get healthy was because they were looking for a challenge? Surprisingly, it's usually the very same people seeking a challenge that give up when they are given a challenge.

I guess the saying "be careful what you wish for because you just might get it" would apply here.

I think the issue is more common with men since they tend to have their ego to deal with. They want to appear tough for their buddies so they can "lift things up and put them down" and they don't realize how much effort they really need to put into getting healthy in order to reach their goals.

Avoiding the Unhealthy Mindset

Before you even THINK about abandoning your decision to get healthy, I'm going to mention some great ways to keep you motivated and avoid the unhealthy mindset:

• Write down your daily fitness goals, even if it's only 5 push-ups and 10 jumping jacks. Small goals give you a sense of accomplishment.
• Keep your reason for deciding to get healthy written somewhere that you can see it daily. You are going to want to brand your reasons in your mind so you don't get side-tracked.
• Do research! Understand what your body is going to experience when you're getting healthy. This way, you're not freaking out when you're barely able to move and you'll know how to help the symptoms of a body that isn't used to physical activity yet.
• Have fun! Don't view getting healthy as a chore. It's a time that you should cherish and consider a treat to yourself so you're able to feel amazing about yourself. There's nothing more satisfying to the human ego as a sense of accomplishment.

Whatever your reasons for making your decision to get healthy, you're going to face the challenge of wanting to quit. One way to avoid this temptation is to constantly remind yourself why you're doing this.

This is a journey. I think viewing getting healthy as a journey will help you look forward to the daily tasks you do.

Don't view getting healthy as torture! Stop postponing your start date and realize there isn't a better time to get healthy than now.

Don't try to take on too much at once. Stick with one program or do more physical activity every day. Keep doing these activities and programs until your body gets used to it and then move on to something more challenging or find ways to make your current program more challenging.

Too many people try to take on too much at once and getting healthy is not just an exciting journey that should be taken slow for safety reasons, it's also something that should be enjoyed so you're not mentally overwhelmed!

Your Decision is Made

Congratulations! You've decided to get healthy! The trick to being healthy is remembering that it's something that is a way of life. That means once you've reached your goal, you want to either maintain that state of health, or keep going.

It's up to you to decide. It depends on your reasons for getting healthy. Realize that your goals can change as you complete each journey. Your reasons can change as well!

You've made your decision, now hold it dear to you and never lose sight of your ultimate goal.