Consistency is key right? – We hear this so often and we see the results so know its true! Usually we find this knowledge reassuring, but knowing this can play mental games with us when we have taken time off from our fitness routine and lost our consistency.
Joining a gym or getting back into our old routine can feel disheartening if we feel like we haven’t been consistent with our health and fitness. But the truth is that taking those steps after having any period of time off, is building consistency, and is truly the real path to success.
Your progress towards health and fitness, whatever your goals, rarely goes in a straight line. You’re going to make progress. Then you’re going to backtrack ALMOST to zero again. Then you’ll make a bit more progress, and then you’ll backtrack ALMOST to the point you were last time. Progress, backtrack; progress; backtrack. Gain weight, lose weight. Get 20 unbroken pull-ups, fall to six again.
But here’s the reason to keep going: Every time you loop back, you won’t go quite as far backward as before. The loops get smaller.
And you’ll also start to notice that you’re not backtracking quite as often as before. Someday you’ll look up and think, “Wow, I’ve gone a whole year without gaining any major weight.” And when you have little bumps, thinking this way will help you keep your perspective.
Many people get stuck in that first loop of fitness forever: try something, make progress, fall off. Sometimes their programs, diets or tricks are unsustainable. Sometimes they’re boring. Sometimes they just don’t work.
But usually, after six weeks, the exerciser is a bit further along. And even if he or she falls off, the fall won’t be ALL the way back.
Maybe you made a new year’s resolution to get fit, but you dropped off when things got busy. Maybe you started a business or a new job or added to your family and things just got hectic for a bit. You can still do CrossFit. You can still show up. You haven’t lost your touch. And next year, when you fall back again, you’ll be even further ahead. You’re building a margin for lapses. You’re building consistency.
If for no other reason, restart your membership or come into the gym today, because today’s problems are slightly less horrible than last year’s problems. We’ve all been there.