🔁 To Reap the Benefits of Working Out, Consistency Is Key
Think about sleep: getting three nights of great rest but staying up the other four won’t give you the health benefits of consistent, restorative sleep. The same applies to fitness—working out sporadically won’t provide the long-term health benefits of a regular exercise routine.
If your workouts are inconsistent due to a packed schedule or life stressors, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to make fitness a lasting habit. Over the past decade at our gym, we’ve identified one key factor that separates those who stay consistent from those who don’t.
❓ What’s One BIG Secret to Consistency?
The answer might surprise you—it’s the ability to handle difficult conversations.
Setting boundaries around your time requires saying “no” or negotiating changes with others in your life. Whether it’s asking your spouse to adjust responsibilities, requesting schedule flexibility from your boss, or setting limits with your kids, these uncomfortable conversations often determine whether you stick to your workout routine or let other priorities take over.
⏳ More Than Just Scheduling Conflicts
Many people assume inconsistency comes from time constraints, financial limitations, or health issues. While those factors play a role, the biggest challenge we see is avoiding difficult conversations.
Some people never even start their fitness journey because they’re afraid to:
❌ Ask their boss to adjust work hours.
❌ Request their spouse to handle certain household duties.
❌ Say no to commitments that take away personal time.
Change can feel disruptive to those around you. Their first instinct might be to resist, just like employees push back when their boss introduces a new system. But what if, instead of backing off at the first sign of resistance, you leaned into those conversations, negotiated a solution, and claimed the time you need to prioritize your health?
🛑 Is Fear of Conflict Holding You Back?
I often wonder: how many people are just one difficult conversation away from changing their lives?
We’ve had countless clients who initially thought they couldn’t fit workouts into their schedule. After one conversation, their boss allowed them to leave 15 minutes early twice a week, or their spouse agreed to adjust pick-up responsibilities.
Imagine how many people never take that first step because they never have the conversation.
⏳ Making Time for Fitness: The Challenge
Adjusting your schedule to prioritize workouts is hard—especially for parents and professionals with full plates. Many people have followed the same routine for years or even decades and asking others to change can feel impossible.
But here’s the truth: resistance is normal.
✅ Your teenager might roll their eyes when you ask them to pick up their sibling.
✅ Your boss might hesitate when you request a small shift in your work schedule.
✅ Your spouse might push back when asked to adjust their routine.
But just like negotiating a salary, working through the resistance is worth it. Your health is an investment that deserves the same effort and priority as other life decisions.
😰 That Uncomfortable Feeling… Gets Better
The knot in your stomach when you think about having these conversations won’t last forever.
At first, these requests feel impossible to voice without anxiety. But the more you practice, the easier they become. Over time, advocating for your needs will feel natural instead of overwhelming.
Yes, you’ll probably back out, chicken out, or hesitate more times than you’d like. That’s okay. Our most consistent gym members didn’t start that way—they struggled with inconsistency and stopped and restarted multiple times before finding their rhythm.
Being bad at it is part of the process. The key is persistence, not perfection.
🏋️♂️ Allow Yourself to Feel the Discomfort
The mistake most people make is trying to avoid uncomfortable feelings like fear, anxiety, or vulnerability. But by blocking them out, you never learn to move through them—so difficult conversations always feel just as daunting.
Instead, what if you leaned into the discomfort?
What if you let yourself feel it, recognize it, and remind yourself that it’s temporary? By allowing yourself to experience these emotions, you’ll build resilience, and these conversations will become easier.
✨ A Simple Exercise to Work Through Discomfort
The next time you feel that knot in your stomach, try this:
1️⃣ Pause and Notice:
- Stop what you’re doing and acknowledge the feeling.
- Label it: “I’m feeling nervous.” or “I’m feeling overwhelmed.”
2️⃣ Breathe Through It:
- Take three slow, deep breaths: inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four.
- Or take a big deep breath in and exhale as long as possible to release tension.
3️⃣ Ask Yourself:
- What’s the worst thing that could happen if I make this request?
- What’s the best thing that could happen?
4️⃣ Take One Step:
- Write down what you want to say.
- Schedule a time to talk.
- Focus only on the next step, not the entire conversation.
The more you do this, the more you’ll realize that the feelings you once feared lose their power over you. You’ll get stronger, more confident, and more capable of advocating for your time and needs.
🤝 You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Working through discomfort doesn’t have to be a solo journey.
Therapy can help you navigate these emotions and build confidence in handling tough conversations. Coaching, mindfulness practices, and even journaling can help you understand what’s holding you back and create a plan to move forward.
Surrounding yourself with supportive people—whether it’s friends, family, or a gym community—makes all the difference.
📅 Ready to Take Control of Your Time and Health?
If you’re ready to commit to consistency and prioritize your well-being, we can help.
📅 Book a Free Consultation and let’s create a plan that fits your life.
Text “FREE CONSULT” to 859-251-2707
