Reframing

A simple yet powerful way to stay consistent

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” - Wayne Dyer

I have been in the ‘health & fitness' space long enough to see some common trends emerge among clients. While everyone begins with the good intention of improving their health and fitness, not many are able to pursue this intention with consistency.

Some things that break the continuity:

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A. Other priorities - family, career, health issues etc. take over

B. Excuses such as, 'it's too good a weather to get out of bed for exercise' win over good judgement

C. Frustration over not getting results. This happens when the motivation to exercise is purely extrinsic

D. Getting bored with the routine

All of these tend to happen at different times in a person's journey, and can act as road blocks, posing a hindrance to progress on the path.

In today's post, I will share with you an alternative way of approaching your daily movement practice. You can use this approach to other areas of your life where you are lacking consistency, as well.

Popular idea for staying consistent:

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You might have heard some people tell you to choose exercise that is fun so that you stick with it.

While the idea of taking up an exercise that feels fun sounds sensible, I doubt its efficacy in enforcing consistency.

Consider individuals who have not had any taste of fitness or who have spent majority of their life sedentary. To them, the very idea of movement being fun would be alien. And to top it, we are asking them to find something that's fun so they will stick with it. Not everything starts out being fun. Especially for people with limited exposure to movement, the beginning of any exercise program, no matter how simple, will be a challenging phase.

Also fun can soon turn into 'not fun'.

Then what?

Alternative approach:

Treat your movement practice as a daily ritual / sacred time.

Our bodies are designed for movement. And this fact is rooted in science, not something I am making up. And of course you already know it.

Now, treat your practice of moving your body to build yourself - be it walking or running or yoga or strength training, reverently. Almost like a daily ritual.

“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything” - Thich Naht Hanh

In my classes I get my clients to set a few intentions before starting. These are typically:

- To remain mindful & present

- To honor the body & listen to the body

- And to try finding joy in movement & joy in taking care of oneself

I am not quite sure how many of them do it sincerely but that's how I start the class as intention setting is something I believe can transform an experience if done mindfully.

Checklist for this approach:

1. Make sure you have a fixed time of practice. Doing your routines in an ad hoc fashion is a sure shot way of losing continuity. Block time. Keep it the same everyday.

2. You are looking at this as your sacred time / daily ritual, so ensure you have your space for practice & remain disturbance free. Inform others if required so you reinforce the seriousness of the act.

3. Stay connected with your body, breath, & being. You don't need to be perfect & there is no comparison between you and your friend, or between what your body could achieve yesterday Vs what it can achieve today. Just stay present with the day's practice being open to whatever experience is in store for you. Stay curious & move consciously.

4. Show respect for the equipment’s you are using that's helping you build yourself. If you are, say walking or running in nature then express gratitude for the environment, open space, fresh air etc.

5. Once you finish your practice, spend a few minutes in reflection. Even if it’s just for a minute. Through our actions we bring about a lot of internal changes - physical, mental & even emotional. Don't let it go unobserved. Use a journal to record, if you want to be meticulous, else just observe.

Remind yourself that the time you spend 'working on you' is going to help you grow in all the different aspects of your life, help you function better and live fully. And be proud of yourself for showing up for your self care.

Repeat everyday.

How you can use this approach to other areas of your life:

Follow the same checklist. As much as I hate to admit it, I have been slacking with my meditation practice. So I am using this approach to stay on track. I have:

A. Blocked time for practice

B. Set a space. Nothing fancy. Just a spot in my room

C. Intend to sit with no expectations

D. Kept a journal to record daily experience

E. And looking at it as a daily ritual, I know this practice is going to help me in all other areas of my life

Discussion prompt:

✨ Did you resonate with the idea of treating your daily movement practice as sacred?

✨ Do you face issues with staying consistent with well intentioned goals you set for yourself?

✨ What do you think comes in the way?

✨ Do you have any specific approaches that you use to stay consistent?

Let me know in comments. I would love to hear your thoughts.