Got a quickie for you today.
I think you’ll find this mental trick very valuable. Particularly if you’re struggling to keep up your New Year momentum. And since we all let momentum slide sometimes, it’s a good trick to have in your pocket.
But first off, we got some big news…
For the very first time in our history, we are offering a totally FREE in-person session to anyone new to semi-private training at our Hell’s Kitchen location.
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ←- Mark’s impish squeal of delight
No catch! We want you to experience MFF because we believe you’ll fall in love with the experience. And then you’ll run away from home and join the circus with us.
If you’ve never done semi-privates at MFF, click the link below and book your session.
(AND! If you want a second totally FREE in-person session, all you have to do is finish your booking by the end of the day. So don’t wait!)
Now…
To paraphrase a (Michael Jordan-attributed) quote:
“The best way to get in shape is to stay in shape.”
Two things…
- We all know I’m more apt to quote Tommy Tune than Michael Jordan. I demand you give me credit for making a sports reference.
- This statement is true and obvious. But the most actionable nugget comes from its inversion.
If the best (easiest) way to get in shape is to stay in shape…
Then this is also true: “It’s harder to get in shape than to stay in shape.”
And there are two practical takeaways for your fitness.
First, the more you can keep your fitness airplane in the air by managing your minimum behaviors over time, the less effort it actually requires.
In other words…
- If you’re already working out regularly, training sessions feel easier.
- If you’re already in the groove of eating well, it requires less thought when deciding what to eat for lunch.
- If you’ve been consistent with bedtime, it’s easier to get 7-8 hours of sleep.
So the more you keep momentum going, the less effort it requires. That’s why we love the analogy of “turning your fitness volume up or down” as opposed to “turning your fitness on or off.” (h/t to Precision Nutrition founder and frientor Dr. John Berardi)
However… sometimes life happens. Sometimes we see some major backsliding in our fitness for any number of reasons. That’s ok! And…
We should reasonably expect it will be hard when we’re getting the fitness flywheel going again.
There’s value in “embracing the suck.” It means we expect it’s going to require more effort for a bit. But it also means once we’re back in a groove, it will feel much easier.
Here’s a common trip-up I see:
Ninja works out for three months. They’re thrilled with their results. They feel noticeably fitter when training, and most of all, they’re very proud of themselves for being so consistent.
Then… LIFE!
Ninja misses almost an entire month. They’re eating hasn’t been great either. They don’t feel good about it. In fact, they’re dealing with a bit of shame and embarrassment. Not only that, but when they DO snag the odd workout, it feels much harder. And this creates a feedback loop that makes them less likely to workout, until they fall off completely.
This makes perfect sense! While it’s not particularly helpful, some self-comparison is a pretty normal thing to do. It means you’re human.
But, can you also see it’s unreasonable to expect it to feel as easy after some time away?
By all means, feel your feelz. But acknowledge it’s going to be harder to get back into your fitness groove after some time away.
- Your workouts will not feel as good for a couple of weeks.
- You won’t fall right asleep when your head hits the pillow because your sleeping schedule has been a bit more erratic.
- You’ll be craving that end-of-night-every-night glass of wine (or two) because it’s become a habit.
It’s going to be hard again before it becomes easy again.
When we know this in our bones, counterintuitively, it’s actually a bit easier emotionally. We expect it to be more challenging for a few weeks. We know there’s more activation energy required to get the fitness snowball rolling down the mountain again.
And we also know on the other side… things will get easier. But not till after we get momentum going again.
So if you’re finding yourself ready for a reboot, I hope this mental framing makes it easier to start again.
And if you’re feeling great about your fitness (high five to you!), I hope you remember this trick if and when you need it.
Loving ya like a mama bear nuzzling her cub,
Mark
PS Check out Lauren’s Facebook post below about her experience at MFF.
And then go HERE to sign up for our Homebody 14-Day Challenge so you too can work out with MFF from the comfort of your own home.
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