Regimen, routine, structure, program, call it what you will but it is a vital part of success in reaching your goals. There is certainly a place for opportunistic exercise, but if you have any defined goal, operating without a plan is kin to driving across the country without knowing when the next gas station or rest stop is. As annoying as structure can be, I can offer you what I’ve found to be a few of the greatest benefits of committing to a health and fitness regimen. But let’s first shatter the notion of what a health and fitness regimen is. It is not eliminating fun, saying bye-bye to bread, and lunging from your car to the super-food store. It is simply finding a plan that matches your goals and lifestyle, building it into your routine, and sticking to it. So, once you find a plan, there are few things to look forward to.
1. You can build physical equity. The same way you can dig yourself a health hole, you can also perch yourself in the health tree, above the damage. By committing to a fitness regimen, you will continue to improve little by little and get stronger, fitter, thinner, whatever. By building up these positives, you can absorb a few negatives much more easily and continue to make progress. Poor food decisions or the impromptu rest day are just a minor hiccup, instead of a major destructive force.
2. You can build mental equity. Each time we set a plan and stick to it, we are more likely to repeat that feat in the future. You can and will build a positive feedback loop between the plan, your actions, and the continued progress. If every workout is a decision point, it is far less likely to happen. Build your training into the plan and give your brain something to look forward to.
3. You can say no. This is the big one. Workouts are THE first thing to get jettisoned in my day when other things come up. I used to have no problem delaying a workout until 10pm and picking up the next morning where I left off. Now, if it’s not done by noon, it probably isn’t happening. Schedule those workout sessions as you would a doctor’s appointment or meeting with your tax guy, and consider them equally as binding. Build the sessions into your schedule and be ok with saying no to the extra fluff that gets in your way from completing them. Or let the fluff get in your way, and onto your waist.
Commitment to a fitness regimen offers you insulation, in exchange for the other naturally occurring insulation. It gives you the opportunity to have a good time, knowing that you’ve done the work to enjoy it, and will continue to do the work so that each decision isn’t made on the razors edge. Give yourself the ability to enjoy the things that are supposed to be enjoyed, say not to the things in your way, and continue to be a 4th Shifter.