Scheduling

Scheduling is an important part to having success with working out. What does your schedule look like? Do you have one? Here are some key factors that can help you schedule appropriately to get the best results:

1. Have a specific purpose for each workout: If you are too vague, and push comes to shove, you probably won't make your workout. For example, if all you say is, "I'm going to work out this week," you'll take the first best thing that comes along instead of working out. Right? So have something specific so that you will feel more of a need to not miss it. Examples of specific scheduling is: Monday- swimming/sprints, Wednesday- strength training, Friday- Run/Long. That way if you miss one of your workout days, you actually missed something necessary to your fitness, because you need all three of those areas. You would have missed much more than "a workout".
   
2. Be realistic: of course right away you want to work out 6 days a week when you're motivated. But what has worked in the past? If you are already doing that, great, keep it up! But if you're starting over again, take it slow, but steady. Start off with a 3x a week, and every 2 weeks add another workout in until you get to 5 workouts a week. Depending on where you are at, you can add one every 3 weeks.
   
3. Be committed: So at this point you've been realistic about the days you can reasonably go, and realistic about the times, now COMMIT! Don't let anything else get in that way. You've already decided this is a good time for you. Don't let the crying kids stop you, or an unexpected phone call.
   
4. That brings me to my next one, No excuses: I hear WAY too many excuses why people are not working out. It doesn't mean they're not true, but they're excuses. No more, "I'm too tired, my kids don't like the day care, I haven't done it in so long, I don't feel like it, I don't have any time..." the list goes on. Either accept that you can't work out and won't talk about it, or stop making excuses and make it happen. If you REALLY wanted to be in shape, you could do it. I promise. Maybe the question is, why am I doing this? (But that's for another day :) So stop making excuses, and just do what you can do.
   
5. Don't over do it at first: You're already being realistic about the number of days you're going to start off with, but now be realistic with what you're going to do for the workout. Do not start your first week back doing an hour run, with sprint intervals, uphill. You'll get a few days into it and say, "See ya later!" Ease into things and be realistic about what you can do.