Right Here Right Now

This really is the only place we can choose to be! We can sweat about the future or we can fret about the past, but the only time to do anything about poor choices already made or outcomes we hope for is right now!

The thing to do to make the best of the moment right before you is to take a step forward. Your next accomplishment is five minutes away. We just need to commit to five minutes of action. And more often then not we are so interested in what we started that we will stay at it until we accomplish something. So what are the next five minutes going to be for you? Is it going be blowing a little dust off of that treadmill or elliptical to start a session? Or removing the now dry clothes off that multifunction exercise piece and lift a little weight? Or maybe you are really just getting started and that five minutes is going to be going for a walk. What a great place to start!

I am going to build my new workout bench. Its been in the box way too long! The old bench works fine but this one is red! Matches my power cage!

But whatever you are going to do, take a second to do this first. Take out your cell or your day planner or your calendar and set up a recurring appointment with yourself. And lets be good at the start. Just set aside the days you know you can make happen. You see, I like successful goals. And in order to achieve a successful goal you have to KNOW that you can get it done. I don't care if it is only twice a week for 20 minutes as long as you KNOW you will make it happen. Success! And another advantage to starting slow is that you will improve quickly. It will become very easy to raise your workouts from 2 a week for 20 minutes each. And the feeling you will get from improving cannot be measured! Before you know it you will doing 5 a week for 45 minutes or more!

Also, don't overinvest in a bunch of expensive equipment or memberships. I know. This sounds a little counterintuitive but hear me out. Buying a bunch of gear or that dreaded gym membership, or that costly exercise bike coupled with a membership is a phantom boost in the arm. You will get such a sense of accomplishment form the purchase that you will feel like you have taken a huge step forward! But you haven't. You really only just spent a lot of money. Hurray! That brand new bike is downstairs! But after the first ride you are surprised to learn that your butt hurts from peddling in that seat! Don't you wish you thought of that before you spent all that dough? A friend who bought a time share recently (yes! a time share!) told me that they knew they were going to travel and they were already accustomed to searching for good deals when they did. Managing their time share would be easy. They didn't just listen to a time share pitch and then decide to become a frequent traveler! So, don't spend a fortune on a mode of exercise before having a routine of some sort and knowing what exercise best suts you!

A Personal Trainer who knows what they are doing is your best early bet. With a limited equipment investment (possibly as low as $0) and a few introductory sessions the right trainer should be able to educate you on the do's and don'ts and how to train your body the most effectively. Do you respond to power work? Circuit work? Purely body weight as resistance? Sport specific work? Cross-training? The possibilities are vast! Then, for a fraction of what you may spend otherwise, you can decide on a more knowledgeable investment. Who knows? You may find the trainer is exactly what you needed. They could become that accountability partner you need who can also occasionally step in and tune up your workouts when they become stale. Or, when your ready, they could become the best consistent workout "partner" money can buy!!

But none of that happens if you don't make a move for the next five minutes. What's stopping you? Right here right now. Get moving. ; )