Here is one of my “true life” stories based on a real client. We will keep her name confidential, but for this short article we will call her Maria.
Maria has 2 small kids; 1 husband that is always at work, and a very stressful job she does from her home office. Although Maria shows up for her 2 sessions of personal training per week she can’t seem to get her cardio in. When asked what the big issue was… she replied ” I hate doing cardio, all I think about is how much stuff I have to do, and all the things that aren’t getting done. ”
SOLUTION: DISTRACT YOURSELF.
“Self Talk” during times like these can be very helpful. I tell Maria to tell herself “its only 20 minutes out of 24 hours,” when she trys to push it off on to another day or time. I also give her tips like … covering the time on the elliptical machine with a fitness magazine. If that isn’t enough I tell her to cover the machine, and put on ear phones to either listen to the tvs or listen to an ipod. My personal favorite is my bodygugg. I am so focused on how many calories I am burning per minute that I foget about the time.
This may sound simple yet when people think about their own health and fitness they draw a blank. They have no problem doing things for others, going to the grocery store, cleaning the house, etc. However, when it come to them and “their” own personal time they give it away. Make sure that you are saving a little “you- time” in your day … even if it’s only 20 minutes.
Adria Ali
(CES, PES, CPT, BS)
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