Staying Consistent With Exercise: secret #3

Have these secrets to staying consistent with exercise been making you think?

I hope so. These are things I’ve learned through watching hundreds of my online clients reach their goals.

And these are the secrets that have helped me get to a place where I can confidently say I love my body, I rarely feel guilty about skipping workouts, rarely go longer than a few days without exercise and I’m proud of the balance I’ve found in my workout routine.

It’s an incredible place to be.

Today I’m revealing the third secret to staying consistent with your workouts.

Secret #3: Skin in the Game

This may sound strange coming from a woman who offers FREE programs throughout the year, but the truth is, you’ll stay more consistent with your workouts if you have some skin in the game.

Free programs are great, and they do work for some people (very driven, very focused, very self-motivated people) but the majority of us are more likely to stick with our workouts when we have officially committed in some way, whether that be through signing up for a race, hiring a personal trainer or paying for a program.

The truth is, many of us are more loyal to our bank accounts than we are to our workouts.

Trust me, I hear “I can’t afford Pilates” more often than I should.

The truth is, you can’t afford NOT to care for you body. If you don’t put some money into your health right now, you will likely put money into your health through medications, medical bills and doctor’s visits in the future.

It’s hard to hear, but it’s true.

Here are 3 reasons why having some “skin in the game” matters:

1. Investing in your health is the best investment you will ever make.

Without your health, you have nothing. You can’t take vacations, can’t play with your kids, and can’t buy cute clothes (that you’d rather spend your money on) if you’re sick in bed.

2. Committing with your wallet is a major motivator.

Just ask my Pilates Body Program ladies. Many of them took a leap and spent $300 on a program they weren’t sure about. But they WERE sure that they wanted to get their money’s worth (sometimes even to prove it to their husbands ☺) so they gave the program their all and they saw incredible results. Paying for a program will motivate you to stick with it and get your money’s worth.

3. Research shows that feeling a part of something bigger is a key factor in success. (Perhaps that’s one reason CrossFit is so successful?)

People thrive when they are a part of a “club.” Paying money to join a group and become a part of something you believe in is a major motivator and will help you go far beyond your individual limits. There is power in numbers.

What To Do Right Now: Take a look at your bank account and consider how much you can afford to invest in your health this month. Consider where you can cut back (Starbucks anyone? Guilty!) and where you could save to set yourself up for success this year.

Also, review the 3 secrets to workout consistency that we’ve studied this week and make a plan.

Fit people don’t talk about getting fit. They make a plan and do the work.

If you feel like you need more focus, more support and more guidance, I’m launching a long-awaited service (along with a beautiful, user-friendly website makeover) THIS FRIDAY.

I’ve been working long and hard on this membership site. I took your advice, created it based on YOUR requests and truly hope that you’ll consider joining me as we all work to be more consistent, more focused, more healthy, and less-stressed in 2015.

Don’t worry The Balanced Life won’t be changing. The newsletter and blog posts will still be business as usual (and totally free). This service is in addition to all that you already have access to.

So be sure to open Friday’s email because there will be an awesome bonus for the early-birds (I always love to reward those who are excited about healthy living) and I have no doubt it will fill up fast.

(update: The Sisterhood has launched! Click here to snag your spot and join this amazing community of women.)

Cheers to staying more consistent in 2015!
xo,
PS – In case you missed them: Secret #1, Secret #2.