Enjoy the Journey!

I touched on this topic a bit back in my "Motivation" post a little while back, but I want to further elaborate here. In today's society, majority of us are always looking for the quickest, easiest, most efficient way possible of getting to their goals. I think it is all part of human nature to make things go faster. In today's society, we drive faster, we use things like microwaves to cook our food faster, we use PVR's to skip through commercials, we use the internet and e-mail to send data faster and easier.

One aspect of our lives that has been hit by this most drastically could in fact be diet and exercise. You see it every day on TV and hear it on the radio ads. Pills that make you lose weight, diet plans promising you will "Lose 10 pounds in 10 days", workout systems that promise to drop inches in days, or your money back.

My point here is that there is a major difference between programs like some of the diets you see on TV compared to something like a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. Now any program that you can follow consistently and enjoy it is up to you.

These fast acting diets on TV that you see play right into the idea that people want fast results, with little to no effort possible. "Hey look, I lost 40 pounds, and I was still able to eat cheesecake!" Sure, you may have lost a bunch of weight by following this program, but how many people do you know that have stayed on Jenny Craig for 5, 10, or 15 years down the road? They don't! People get complacent and eventually gain that weight back, I have seen it with coworkers, and I am sure you have too.

So back to any exercise program, you ask how this is different right? If you are serious about getting active and getting fit, go out and create a program for yourself that works. Find something that fits into your schedule and is fun and works for you!

Back on topic. What is my point here you ask? Dieting or some silly exercise equipment that you purchased may get you short-term results, and you may even enjoy it for a little while, but is this something you are going to do for the rest of your life?

The title of this post is "Enjoy the Journey". I know, after all of this rambling I am finally back on track here. If you want a long, healthy, pain and drug-free life, you are going to have to exercise consistently for the rest of your life...period! Get the 7, 10, 20, 90-day schedules out of your head. Sure, you can set yourself some short-term goals, for example, "I want to lose 10 pounds by my vacation in 60 days" etc. But once you are done those 60 days, then what?

You have to find something or a wide array of somethings that keep you interested and motivated to continue for a long, long time. The reason why I have stayed consistent with my exercise regimen is that I have kept lots of variety in my program as well as exercise at the same time every day, weekends included!

Enjoy the journey you are taking. If you have to spend an hour or so of your time every day, five to six days a week for the rest of your life, you better find something that interests you and keeps you coming back for more. Beyond that, enjoy the time you spend working out. Get your mind set in the right frame. There are not a whole lot of people who like that exhausted feeling they get from working out, and just dread going to the gym.

Set your mind and be in the moment so that when you are doing those jump squats, or bicep curls, or going for a 5km run, and that lactic acid is building in your muscles and you are out of breath, remind yourself that you are now a healthier person because you made this choice to exercise!