If you’re looking to lose weight and get in better physical condition, you must continually challenge yourself.
The process of physical fitness is as much mental as it is physical. Unless you’re fired up mentally, you normally don’t want to move physically. That said, this year I’ve decided to challenge my social media followers with online challenges every two months, with the May 2021 Fit Beyond 40 Challenge right around the corner.
Challenges inherently have a few motivational benefits. First, they compel you to set deadlines and structure your activities. Imagine you’ve left town and you have important things to do before your flight takes off. You’ll probably prioritize a list of activities and jump on it immediately. This is something we continually need to do regarding our health.
Most of us eat aimlessly and exercise haphazardly. The challenge changes all of that. You’ll probably start food shopping with a purpose and creating an exercise schedule by joining a group exercise class or hiring a personal trainer.
Second, challenges induce competition. When you’re involved in a group challenge, some people are naturally competitive. They get more fired up by beating somebody and being crowned a winner. That can be a good thing regarding health and fitness. Years ago, I conducted a weight loss challenge among a group of six friends, with the winner getting free training sessions and a gift. We did it based on the percentage of weight loss to keep it fair, not the number of pounds lost.
Of course, some lost a greater percentage of weight than others, but, in the end, everyone was pleased with their individual progress and everyone was a winner.
Lastly, challenges spark positive habits.
I like to conduct challenges for two weeks. In that time frame, you can’t produce miraculous results, but you can point yourself in the right direction and see a clear path to success. For instance, you can reasonably drop 3 to 5 pounds in two weeks, which compels you to continue beyond that time frame to reach your goal of 20 pounds. However, to do so, you’ll probably maintain the same positive habits that produced success during the two-week period. This is something that happens with most of my participants and why they can’t wait until the next challenge.
Life is simply one challenge after another. Why not use them to your advantage. To learn more about the May 2021 Fit Beyond 40 Challenge, visit http://KirkCharles.com.
