Stay Fit. If you’re trying to follow a healthy lifestyle so that you can stay fit, then you’ve probably noticed that it’s no walk in the park. Getting fit is difficult, but staying fit can be just as hard, which is why many people seem yo-yo between periods of fitness and slumps.
There are many reasons why people feel that it is difficult to stay fit, including:
- It takes a lot of time.
- Working out and healthy meals are becoming boring.
- It’s too expensive.
These are all legitimate challenges, but they can also all be overcome if you get a little creative. In this article, I will go over both why these reasons are more than just excuses and how you can overcome them and continue your lifetime commitment to fitness.
The Difficulties of Staying Fit
Many trainers and fitness experts take a “no excuses” approach to fitness. They say there is no good reason for your commitment to wane, and the challenges we describe below are “just excuses.”
We like to take a different approach. We believe that the challenges are truly a problem for many people looking to stay fit, but we also believe that there are ways to work around them so that you don’t have to give up on fitness when it starts to get hard.
Staying Fit Takes A Lot of Time
It’s true! Despite what many fitness personalities believe, staying fit takes a lot of time. Just look at the facts:
- You need to work out: The American Heart Associate recommends that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts per week. That’s a little more than two hours. It might not sound like much, but that isn’t the only time you need to commit to working out.
- You need to fit in a shower: Of course, you’d need to shower anyway, but you need to pair that shower with the workout, or you may end up needing to take an extra one later in the day.
- You need to change: You need time and space to get changed before and after your workout.
- You may need to drive or walk to the gym: Depending on where you live, the commute time to get the gym can be burdensome.
- Eating healthy: Preparing healthy meals instead of eating out or preparing processed foods takes a lot of time, especially if you’re cooking for multiple people.
- The dishes: Seriously, all of the dishes from making delicious healthy meals, and all those little plastic containers for bringing your lunch to work add up!
So, the time that it takes to get in a workout can really start to cut in. For someone that has a lot on their plate already, those extra hours can add to their stress levels.
The Fix: How to Find the Time for Fitness
So, yes, we would say that finding the time to follow a healthy lifestyle is challenging, especially when it is so much easier to skip a workout or pick up takeout on your way home from work, but your healthy lifestyle is going to add years to your life. Who doesn’t have the time for that, right?
There are several things you can do to help make staying fit take less time:
- Work out at home. You can save on commute time, and the time it takes to gather your gym things by working out at home. Staying fit doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be a gym rat or lift weights. Home workout videos, calisthenics, and running can be done at home in a short amount of time.
- Schedule your workouts. If you don’t have time to work out and you don’t schedule out your time at all or use a calendar, you may not be using your time wisely. Time management can help you find more time and use your time to reach the goals that are important to you.
- Learn how to batch cook and meal prep. You will be amazed at how quickly you can put together a week’s worth of lunching and dinners once you have batch cooking and meal prepping down. If you’re cooking for just yourself, it can take about two hours. Meal prep will also help you build in portion control.
- Do shorter workouts. Any workout is better than no workout. If you don’t have enough time during a busy season of life, keep up the habit with shorter workouts so that you can keep the habit up. If you up the intensity of those short workouts, you’ll still see many health benefits.
Staying Fit is Getting Boring
While many people thrive when they have solid routines, some people start to feel stuck in a rut and get bored with it.
And let’s face it. Lifting weights or running on a treadmill for 30 minutes can be kind of boring, but working out doesn’t have to be this way!
The Fix: How to Make Staying Fit Fun
Staying fit doesn’t have to be a drag. There are so many fantastic ways to make working out and eating healthy fun:
- Change your work out. If your work out routine is getting old, change it up. Try something completely different from what you’re used to. Take a Pilates class, swim laps in the pool, join a recreational basketball league. Changing your routine will help you work your body out in a new and exciting way!
- Multitask. While you workout, many people listen to music, but you could also listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or even watch TV if you’re on a treadmill. This can help your workout feel like less of a chore.
- Try new recipes. If you’re eating healthy food, it is easy to just make the same few recipes over and over again, but it can also get really boring. Try making a healthier version of your favorite comfort food or take out. If you try one new recipe a week, you’ll have significantly increased the number of meals you consider your regulars.
Staying Fit is Expensive
Staying fit can be expensive, depending on your approach to working out and your dietary preferences. Here are some of the expenses associated with being fit:
- Gym memberships
- Workout clothes
- Equipment
- Transportation costs
- Cost of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Time spent on being fit can mean less time to earn money for self-employed
- Education costs
- Personal trainer costs
You might not run into all of these costs, but you can still see that they can add up. However, it is important to recognize the cost of not staying fit. Medical bills, sick days, and lack of energy all have their own costs.
The Fix: How to Make Fitness Affordable
Thankfully, there are several things that you can do to help decrease your fitness-related expenses.
- Skip the gym or find a low-cost gym. Some gyms aren’t all that expensive, and if even those are too expensive for you, try at home or outdoor workouts.
- You don’t need fancy workout clothes. A pair of shorts and a tank top are all you really need to work out. Marketing companies will have you believe otherwise, but they’re just trying to sell you clothes.
- Shop smart. If your food budget is getting out of hand, you should first try batch cooking and meal prep, and then you should shop wisely. Stores like Aldis sell organic fruits and vegetables at a much lower cost than most grocery stores.
Is it Really Difficult to Stay Fit?
It can be challenging to stay fit, especially in the busy, fast-paced world we live in these days, but there is always something you could do to make it a little easier to stay on track. And the longer you stay on track, the easier it will become because all the good habits you’re working on will become second nature. So don’t give up when things get hard! You can do hard things!