What Can You Control?

You have probably heard a lot of research and news headlines about how the New Year’s motivation is short lived. Depending on where you get your information, many sources report that we give up on our resolution after as little as two weeks. Although I don’t think motivation is that short lived for most of us, I do think our motivation does taper off over the course of weeks or months, and then we find ourselves trying to get back on track again the following year. So why do we lose that strong motivation and enthusiasm so quickly? Although there are probably a lot of answers to that question, I don’t think that is the question we need to answer. I think the problem that needs to be addressed is finding ways to stay motivated, even if those ways are different every few weeks or months. At Axio Fitness, we are professionals at keeping you motivated. You may think that your motivation has to do with internal and external factors in your life, and nothing that another person can help with. But in our experience, that isn’t true. Our trainers are professionals at keeping you motivated in many ways. Some of which include regularly showing you your progress, setting and changing goals as needed, and reminding you of your “why” behind your short term and long term goals. If your motivation drops drastically, our accountability kicks in! We’ll keep you going even when you don’t want to. Because your motivation will come back, and you’ll be glad you stayed consistent through it. If you are someone who loses motivation easily, give us a chance to show you that hiring a professional will keep you motivated!

If you are in your 60’s or older, you have probably heard of Silver Sneakers. For those of you who may not know, Silver Sneakers is a program for people 65 and older who have an eligible Medicare Advantage Plan. It is a great program to help seniors stay active and social. Silver Sneakers partners with thousands of gyms across the country. At Axio Fitness, people contact us daily and ask if we accept Silver Sneakers. Unfortunately, the program does not cover personal training and other personal services, which is all that we offer. Silver Sneakers only partners with gyms and other fitness facilities that offer fitness equipment for you to access when you join and sometimes exercise classes. Although I do think it is a great program that everyone should take advantage of when they are able, I do have one problem with it. For most people, Silver Sneakers does not really help you see the results you’re capable of achieving. We have so many people calling us to inquire about coming to Axio Fitness. When they learn we do not accept Silver Sneakers, they join another gym where they can get free membership. Then, months or years later, they call us back and join Axio Fitness. Why? Because many people need more than free gym memberships. They need accountability, education, instruction and motivation. When something is free, you don’t really feel the consequence of skipping. Or, if you do go to the gym, are you really doing the right things or pushing yourself to see results? Or are you staying as consistent as you should? One thing our clients really underestimate is how fit they can be for their age. Your body is capable of so much more than a couple moderate workouts each week. But it is hard for most people to properly exercise consistently and progress themselves on their own. If you belong to Silver Sneakers and you aren’t staying consistent or you’re not satisfied with your results, please give Axio Fitness a try!

You’ve probably heard different things in the news and on social media about “National Quitters Day”. If you haven’t, it is the second Friday in January, when people tend to give up on their New Year’s resolutions. Personally, I don’t think it is the tendency of most people to abandon their goals so quickly. People don’t peak in their motivation for something and then have zero motivation around that same goal just a week or two later. I think what is really happening is that people set unrealistic expectations and plans to get to their resolution, and then they abandon or quit those steps they originally determined to help them reach their goals. For example, if someone decides they want to lose weight as a New Year’s resolution, then they may decide that their plan to lose weight is to go to the gym every day and never eat sugar. By the second Friday in January, they have likely skipped a trip or two to the gym and decided to give in to the temptation of a dessert. They likely still have the goal and desire to lose weight, but they have lost the desire to never skip the gym and never eat sugar. The problem is that the expectations were unrealistic to begin with. If you are someone who never goes to the gym or has a hard time eating healthily, don’t assume at the New Year you are going to change everything about your activity and nutrition at once. Because when you fail, you’ll decide you cannot do it and give up. At Axio Fitness, we try to help people make small behavioral changes over time. As they achieve those and integrate it into their new lifestyle, then we agree on the next thing to work on. We set short term behavioral goals, and we adjust them as the goals, motivations or life circumstances of our clients change. I personally do not like it when people laugh about National Quitters Day. Although motivation ebbs and flows, aspirations do not evaporate that quickly. If you need help with a realistic, long-term plan to reach your goals, we’d love the opportunity to help you!