Hey, we made it through the last year. Now, let’s look ahead at a plan to thrive in 2021.
Most of the people I talk to are looking ahead. Sure, we’ve had our time of coping, hiding out, waiting for this pandemic to subside. Yes, if you’re like the rest of the gang, you did your share of comfort eating, channel surfing, and fantasy avoiding.
But you know what? Enough is enough. Spring is around the corner.
If you’ve been feeling like exercise is the last thing you want to do, we all get it. It’s a common thought pattern.
Let’s look at three ways shifting these patterns can help you thrive in 2021.
Mental Patterns
“Don’t believe everything you think.”
Challenge your thinking patterns. These often show up as very familiar thoughts. You could say they are like unwanted guests that show up just when it’s time to sit down for dinner.
You know the ones I mean?
These are the unwanted thoughts that keep us from getting active. They may sound like these familiar yarns:
- “I don’t have time to exercise.”
- “I’m too old.”
- “I can’t afford to do it.”
- “I’m too out of shape.”
- “I’ll look stupid.”
Recognize any of these nasty patterns? If so, you can rely on the folk wisdom, “Don’t believe everything you think!”
Be bold. Take an active approach to weed out these intruders. They may be on a very familiar first-name basis when it comes to familiar thoughts. But, they do not belong in your mind, emotions, or life. Not if you want to have a healthy, active lifestyle.
Habit Patterns
“You have to crack an egg to make an omelet.”
We all have habits. Some are healthy and some, well…not so much.
If you notice that your habits are less than optimal, don’t despair. You can start small and make teeny-tiny changes. As you do this you’ll get more confident, stronger, and healthier.
For example, let’s say you used to love running. But, it’s been a few months or more since you strapped on your shoes and headed out.
If that’s sounding familiar, make a change in your expectation. Start with a tiny habit, such as walking to the corner. Then, each day adds a little more. You can do this by time, such as adding a minute per day. Or you can do this by distance, going to the next lamppost or corner.
Once you get moving in any form, you can adjust the variables. If you’re tracking time, build up minute-by-minute, to 30 minutes. Then, introduce periods of faster walking, jogging, or running.
Some people swear by this kind of intermittent exercise approach. They find it helps to keep each workout engaging and exciting. Plus, they have a clear path to stay focused on continuous improvement.
A few years back, I did this very approach. When I started, I could barely make it to the end of the block. I built up incrementally. After a few months, I felt comfortable to walk-run for an hour. Several months later, I was running for 2.5 hours and loving it.
I never would have believed this was possible.
Exercise Patterns
“Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
We all have some attitudes about intense exercise. Let’s be honest. We can start by agreeing that we have a problem. The problem is the weight gain from COVID-19. It’s been called “Covid-curves” and “Quarantine-15.”
You might know it as, “those jeans don’t zip shut anymore.” At least, that’s what many of us know it as. Forget the scale. Forget the numbers. You just want to get into those favorite jeans again.
If you have some frying pans that have been holding you back, they could look like:
- Waiting until late afternoon to get moving
- Avoiding exercise at all
- Skipping more than 3 days in a row
- Not getting out of sweatpants all-day
- Drinking and eating for comfort
It doesn’t have to stay this way. You can get into gear and into burning off the pounds.
You can challenge your thought patterns, explore your habit patterns, and adjust your exercise patterns. In a short time, you’ll be thriving in a healthy 2021.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
