Making fitness, training and exercise a true part of your daily routine is more than just showing up to the gym. It is a lifestyle change to better yourself and everything that surrounds your day to day life. That comes with a ripple effect of many other things within your day to day life that can be manipulated for the better, to see the positive changes occur quicker and for more long term self longevity.

The importance of just showing up

With that said, for many it does start with JUST SHOWING UP.

Showing up on the hard days, the stressful days, the demotivated days, along with the days you feel like you can run through a wall. 

Difference paths to fitness

We all come from different walks of life, experiences, encounters and backgrounds. We all grow up seeing different forms of lifestyles and what is a priority to some, is not the same priority to others. And, to each their own. We don’t all need to agree on the same methodologies of what is the best form of fitness/exercise. 

However, what we should be able to agree on is that the form of fitness and exercise does nothing but benefit the body, how we feel, how we act and our longevity as human beings. The heart needs to pump. The heart needs to be forced to work in order to be expected to work for many years and through the many encounters life throws at us unexpectedly. 
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How we attain that fitness is relative person to person and their preferences.

Is it hard to make it a priority to your daily routine? Absolutely.

Is it harder to get in-shape than it is to let ourselves go? 100%.

The beautiful thing about that is that the term “in shape” is also relative to the person looking in the mirror.

How to attain that self image of being “in shape” starts with JUST SHOWING UP!

It is FAR EASIER to let yourself go/be content with how you look and feel, than it is to GET IN SHAPE and have the opportunity to see what you and your body are truly capable of.

Finding your why

Not everyone needs, nor desires to see all the muscles and the six-pack on their own body. Not everyone needs, nor desires to run a marathon or hike a mountain. The fact of the matter is, there doesn’t necessarily even need to be an end goal to your fitness, but in order to achieve what is your personal “WHY” for exercising…you have to look in the mirror and ask yourself “WHY AM I GOING TO MAKE THIS A PART OF MY DAILY ROUTINE AND A PRIORITY TO MY LIFE?” 

Once you can answer that question, it makes the work you do in the gym more satisfying, more fun and can bring clarity to what type of program/fitness methodology you are going to attach yourself to, instead of feeling like a hamster on a wheel every day in the gym.
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That “why” can range from anything as simple as being CAPABLE of doing any task or activity that any day may throw at you, being CAPABLE of keeping up with your kids and/or grandkids, or as complex as being a better athlete for a specific sport you enjoy playing on a weekly basis. 

That “why” can be as simple as wanting to comfortably wear your swimsuit out in public, or building up your squat/bench press and/or deadlift to specific numbers.

Once the “WHY” is answered, it all comes back to you needing to JUST SHOW UP.

The ripple effect

The first two to four weeks of this new routine will most certainly be the hardest, but doing the bare minimum of JUST SHOWING UP will surround you with likeminded people who all have the same goal you do, “GETTING IN SHAPE” and that term is going to be a different end result for everyone. Each of our definitions for that term are going to vary and that is okay. Once you begin to see ANY form of positive results from making this a priority to your daily routine, whether that is physical image, emotionally or mentally…it becomes far easier to JUST SHOW UP and begin to make small changes elsewhere in your life to continue to reap the benefits of this new lifestyle, all while accelerating the process to do so.
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Being more mindful of how often you drink alcohol.

Making wiser choices as to what you are eating and when.

How much sleep you are choosing to make an effort in getting each night.

The list goes on, but all are a ripple effect of JUST SHOWING UP!

It soon starts to become fun and not work

It all begins to be fun and not work. It begins to be second nature and mindless acts, because of the routine you have created. SHOWING UP looks differently for everyone and that goes hand in hand with your WHY. 

Depending on your WHY will narrow down the program in which you should follow, the gym that will best host you, the community you will best connect with or the equipment you need access to, to workout from home.

Defining your current WHY is vital to having longevity in your fitness journey. 

Lean into the change

Knowing/Accepting that your WHY can and will more than likely change over time is also vital to you having longevity within your fitness journey. Once you define your current WHY, give yourself a true chance at succeeding and JUST SHOW UP! 

Take that first step and every bit of your self being will thank you, along with the people and activities that you surround yourself with on a daily basis. You won’t regret it. Give yourself the opportunity to truly MAKE YOURSELF PROUD.