5 Signs Your Fitness Plan Does Not Fit Your Lifestyle

I have been a fitness junky for almost 20 years now. I have worked with coaches and taken continuing education courses. It is one thing I talk about with patients on a daily basis.

The main reason we have these conversations, is fitness is what gives them energy, it makes them feel good, and they do not want to give it up.

You will always make some mistakes with your fitness, what I want to help you with is to limit the mistakes that cause regression in your fitness journey.

Sign #1: You are not able to stick to the plan

You spent a couple hours researching, finding the best program to get to your goals, whether that is weightloss, athletic performance, or getting stronger. You are excited to start so day 1 feels easy. The next day is the same.

Day 3 rolls around and your boss says you have to work late tonight, one of the kids is sick, or you forgot about a project around the house that needed to get done.

You skip day 3 of the plan, and move to day 4. It doesn't feel right. You are moving slow or you don't want to be there because there is another project that needs to be finished.

This isn't a lack of discipline it is a lack of preparation.

You found a program that works for a 24 year old that doesn't have responsibilities outside of work and the gym

The fix: Find your minimum viable dose that will help you get to your goal. It might only be 2 times a week, and that is ok. You can always add more if you want.

Sign #2: You are stiff and sore every morning

You train hard, the next day it takes an hour just to feel normal again. For short periods of time this can be ok. If you are living like this for weeks or months, your training program is not built to your lifestyle.

When lifestyle factors are not accounted for, you end up pushing past your current capacity. This will lead you to compensate with the wrong muscles, put excess stress on joints, and make it harder to recovery from your training.

Sign #3: You Dread It More Than Look Forward To It

If you end up hating the gym, you will never want to go. A training plan that leaves you crushed afterward and no energy, is not helping you in the long run.

I have worked with too many people that just want to do hard workouts, yet they never make any progress.

Fitness should do 2 things.

1. Help you feel stronger and more confident in your daily life. There have been so many instances of someone doing better at work, as a parent, or just as a human because they were making progress in the gym.

2. Fitness should give you energy not take it away. If you are needing a nap, or a break after your workout, we should look at what is going on in the program, but also are you sleeping well, eating right, and drinking enough water.

Sign #4: It Never Touches How You Actually Move

You have gotten stronger! That is a win.

But are you moving better. Do you have more control over your body, has your mobility improved, can you do things now you couldn't 3 months ago.

If you answered no to any of those questions, look at your training program.

Adding strength is great, but adding strength on top of dysfunction is like putting a Ferrari engine in a Honda Civic.

Eventually something is going to break.

Strength training is the only modality that can create control, improve flexibility, and improve your overall life.

If you feel tighter, joint soreness, or overall rundown, let's talk about your program

Sign #5: You Can't Adjust Without Feeling Like You Failed

This is the most important. You are busy, family, work, hobbies all play a role in your life. These things will always get in the way at some point.

Feeling like you failed is a setup problem, not a you problem.

If you only can complete the program on a good week, then you of course will fail.

You have to build flexibility into the plan. That is why the minimum viable routine will always be the best. When you know the minimum you have to do to see results, then you can build that into your schedule.

I have made all of these mistakes, and that is why I can speak on them. My fitness journey has gone from performance on the ice, to performance as a dad.

These are very different types of fitness.

I always feel like I should be doing more like the 20 year old version of me did, but then I wouldn't have energy to give to my kids or business.

If you said this is me, and you want some help designing a plan that fits your lifestyle, drop a comment on this article.