Progressing Toward Strength: My Journey to Consistency in Fitness

As I write this, I am approaching my first year of consistent workouts. I am incredibly routine-resistant, so this has been a serious uphill battle for sure. As is the case for many, I often struggle with a tendency to prioritize comfort and ease. I think this comes hand-in-hand with making choices out of fear. Making choices out of courage is rarely comfortable, but worth it. There are a few things that I would say went into my ability to make this change. I would like to share some of those with you today.

The Mental Game

On the mindset front, I got tired of constantly letting myself down, and started seeing myself as worth taking care of and keeping commitments to. I also made major progress in letting go of perfectionism. The fear of failure is a beast, and putting the bar for success at “perfect” made failure inevitable.

The First Commitment

The first practical step I took toward consistency was signing up for a jiujitsu class. This is not an earth-shattering revelation, and I’m sure a large percentage of slobs-turned-fit people would tell you the same thing, but having that set class (and paying for it) really helped me stay committed. I have loved doing martial arts, especially because I value the added self-defense skills I’m building and because no two classes are the same. Add in the benefit of the social element (jiujitsu guys and gals are generally pretty cool people), and I’ve got a three-for-one offer that’s well worth the membership fee. Some classes end in a feeling of accomplishment and some in pure frustration, but I always leave with a good sweat and a new skill or two.

The Momentum

There was a day when, despite the advice of probably every habit-builder ever, I would always try to change my life all at once. I’m pretty certain that this has never worked in the history of mankind (leastways at least, not for people who hate routine as much as I do), but I always felt like nothing I did meant anything if I wasn’t doing literally everything right (maybe reread the bit about overcoming perfectionism). What I found, though, was that making that first fitness commitment at jiujitsu gave me a starting point that was incredibly helpful. Showing up for that weekly class demonstrated to me that I could be consistent, and the realization that I would be better at the sport if I could move faster, push harder, and last longer motivated me to add in more training.

After a few months of jiujitsu, I purchased a membership at a gym near me and started going. Up until this point, I had been trying to do workouts at home with either bodyweight or my brother’s small set of weights. I know for some people this works really well, but I found that it made it super easy for me to procrastinate and get distracted, and I wasn’t consistent enough to make any actual progress. Once I had a gym to go to, I had a destination, and that made it feel more like an appointment. I also didn’t have to drag weights out of a closet anymore, and I was more motivated to keep moving because it’s harder to be a vegetable in public.

The last time I had a gym membership, it didn’t go super well, but this time I was a little more determined and a little more brave. Firstly, I decided being scared of being new wasn’t going to stop me. Everyone has to start somewhere. Secondly, I started realizing that the other people there pay way less attention than I think (also, what do I care what random gym-bro thinks of me?). I started slow and began taking advantage of all the tools available to me on the internet to learn a few things at a time. I read articles and watched YouTube videos on various exercises, saved fitness posts I came across on Instagram, and asked AI to suggest a simple fitness routine tailored to my goals and experience level.

The Slumps

I still don’t like routine very much, and I don’t always feel like going to the gym, but now I approach those days differently. I start by asking myself if I don’t want to go out of laziness or a genuine need for rest. On the days I need rest (sometimes sleep is more important than pumping iron), I give myself grace that I once didn’t have, and I remember that consistency does not have to be perfect. On the days when I’m just lazy, I have a few motivational tricks up my sleeve. First, I remind myself that doing something is better than nothing. Walking on the treadmill for a few minutes is better than sitting on the couch scrolling, and doing one set of squats is better than binging chips and TV. Half the time, if I just show up and start moving (treadmills are great on the simplicity front), I find that I tap into a well of reserve motivation. Even if I don’t, though, I did something. Secondly, I remind myself that when I choose to do what the ideal version of me would do, I make myself into that person even if I don’t “feel” like it. One of my best strategies on the harder days has also been to reach out to a sibling (two of whom use the same gym) and try to schedule a workout together. Like with the jiujitsu class, adding in that social aspect really helps.

The Results

My results have not been glamorous. I’m still carrying a lot of extra weight, I still get out-muscled at jiujitsu on a weekly basis, and I still will die if I ever have to run from any robot overlords. However, I am definitely stronger, I see some muscle definition starting to show, and I last longer at jiujitsu before I’m completely out of breath. More importantly, I’m generally happier, more confident, more hopeful, and less plagued by guilt. I’m treating my body like the gift it is and learning to steward it well.

I tried many times to change my relationship with fitness by simple brute force, and it never worked. Sometimes I still have to simply make myself do things that I don’t feel like doing, but those times are fewer and further between and much more manageable because I found a better strategy. I’m slowly but steadily developing into a more consistent person, and I’m hopeful for the ways this can impact other areas of my life.

To anyone else struggling to take care of themselves and move their bodies, I would like to offer a few words of advice: do what works for you, consider external accountability, try to pair exercise with other things you like or need, and don’t let fear hold you back. Remember, you are worth committing to, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Create consistency.

Stay undaunted,

Ciara J.