Zero to Sixty

Exercise is a necessity for human beings. That may look very different for different people. While exercise for one person may look more like physical therapy (because that’s all they can do), it may look like Crossfit, or powerlifting, or bootcamp for another. There is no cookie cutter approach for exercise but it is necessary, in some form or another, for all of us. Our bodies are designed for movement. When we don’t move our bodies as they are designed we find that we lose the ability to do so. We find that we have aches and pains. We are not as flexible and we get tired easier than our exercising counterparts.

Although exercise is a necessity, it is surprising how many people do NOT engage in a regular exercise program - even if it’s just a daily walk for 15 minutes. But it’s not that they never engage in exercise. Most people, at some point or another, make a resolution and embark on a new exercise program. Often at New Year’s people resolve that “this is the year” that they’re going to get fit. Only to find themselves burned out by mid February.

I call this the “Zero to Sixty” effect. I see it all the time. A person decides they are going to commit to a new exercise program so they go all out. They haven’t worked out in months…maybe longer…yet, they commit to hitting the gym 5 days a week…maybe even 7! This is almost always a recipe for failure.

First of all, our bodies don’t like going from completely sedentary to working out several days a week without any kind of transition period. You will get sore. You will get tired. You may even get sick. But all of those things can happen if you only workout 2 days a week so let’s be real: the worst thing that can happen is you will mentally burn out if you go from Zero to Sixty. And then when you run out of gas before you’ve even come close to hitting your goal, you’ll be upset with yourself because, once again, you didn’t stick with it.

There is no reason to take a Zero to Sixty approach. Even if you do get results, I can guarantee they will be short lived because eventually you will burn out mentally and physically if you do not take a slow & steady approach. The goal is for exercise to become as routine to you as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. The only way to achieve that is to gradually make it a part of your life.

If you’re already doing some exercise but know your body needs more, add a little more. Add another workout to your week. Add 15 minutes of walking after you get home from work. If you’re not doing anything at all, start with a short walk. It’s summer and it’s the perfect time of year to start walking. When the weather gets cooler in the fall, you can move to an indoor program at a gym or in your home. When 15 minutes starts to feel routine to you, add more time. Add 5 minutes or another 15 minutes - whatever feels do-able for you.

Most of all, give yourself permission to take baby steps. As you baby step your way to a new lifestyle you will give yourself the opportunity to adapt along the way as well as achieve successes that motivate you to keep going and keep doing more.

Don’t fall victim to the Zero to Sixty again. It’s a set up for failure and nobody needs that!