Three Hacks for Sustained Fitness
Let me start by acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for staying in shape. So instead of promising one, I’d like to offer a few hacks that have worked well for me, and to challenge you to try them for yourself.
1. Vary Your Workout Structure
Think about your go-to workout structure. It might be reps and sets at the gym, a long jog, or a high intensity interval workout. Now think about why you chose that workout structure. Was it because it’s the most effective and enjoyable form of exercise for you, personally?
Probably not.
It’s more likely that you were taught or persuaded into thinking that this form of exercise was the way to guarantee results, and you’ve committed to it despite not enjoying it enough to do it indefinitely. The solution? Realize that there is a workout structure out there that you will genuinely enjoy, and find it through trial and error.
There are countless ways to structure a workout and spice up otherwise dull movements — you just need to find the ways that work for you*.
*Here is a longer Medium article about this specific hack: https://medium.com/in-fitness-and-in-health/moving-beyond-sets-and-reps-fb8438bbdc47
2. Pick a Different Workout Objective
If you lift weights, have you ever actually asked yourself if you care whether or not you can lift more weight? Or if you’re a runner, do you really care if you can run continuously for some amount of time without stopping?
These may seem like silly questions, but they are questions worth asking yourself because a misalignment between what you actually want and what the workout is designed to give you can be a major drain on your motivation.
The results you’re seeing, for example, may no longer motivate you, or you’ve achieved the goal you set out to accomplish and aren’t sure what to do next. If that’s the case, take a step back and redefine your objective. If you reached your goal of running a half-marathon and are not motivated by the prospect of a full-marathon, try improving your mile time, or try another form of exercise altogether.
And if you aren’t seeing any results, double check that your workouts are designed to give you what you want. I once spent 4 months lifting weights in college as a means of slimming down, and unsurprisingly got nowhere. I finally tried running instead, and reached my goal in 3-weeks (true story).
3. Flip the Company You Keep
Many people start working out one way and never consider changing it up to see if they’d actually prefer doing it a different way. This is a huge mistake! Finding a different setting can do wonders for your motivation once you realize that showing up is what’s important, and not the reason behind it.
For example, you might find that the social aspect of a class is just as enjoyable as the workout itself, or that the time to yourself is so valuable that solo workouts become a cherished retreat.
Either way, you need to be honest with yourself. If working out in a group makes you feel self-conscious or otherwise inhibits you, try something more independent. If you get easily distracted and bored working out by yourself, find a partner or group (even a virtual one) that offers structure and variety.
The unifying theme with these hacks is experimentation. It is absolutely within you to get in shape and stay in shape without making yourself miserable or possessing superhuman willpower. The trick is understanding that you must figure out “the how” for yourself.
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