From the Greeks preparing for the original Olympic games over 2700 years ago to the hula hoops of the 50’s to the more modern Crossfit cult, fitness has been around since the dawn of humankind. Think about it, the most primal of workouts was hunting and gathering your own food while evading predators, now we just have to avoid making eye contact with the narcissistic oaf at the gym who grunts too loud and looks like a sweet potato. Trust us, you’d have a better time fighting off a sabertooth tiger.
So what’s next for the fitness industry? We thought it best to ask an expert.
Our most recent guest, Meredith Campbell, is a 15 year veteran of the fitness industry and was super excited to share it’s newest transition. “More than ever fitness professionals are seeing that their message matters. I’ve seen way more plus size fitness models, fitness with disabilities, fitness at any age, fitness over 40, you name it. That girl or that guy, whoever, they’re there and searching for their people.”
Meredith started making personal changes in how she marketed herself on social media and took a more real approach. “Like if you don’t look like x, y and z, then there’s something wrong, that part I can’t stand” Meredith expressed. Lucky for her, the rest of the fitness world is following suit and focusing on overall wellness while being more approachable, “you don’t have to be so buttoned up anymore. I’ve seen more fitness professionals say like yeah, this is me after I did one of those crazy bikini shows but this is me normal life and this is okay.”
So how does one start AND MAINTAIN a fitness journey?
Meredith’s got you covered.
Connect your new habit to an old one. “If you’re starting a new habit, connect it to something that is already consistent like brushing your teeth.” The pros call this habit stacking and the reason it works is that your current habits are already built into your brain. By linking new habits to an existing cycle you make it more likely that you’ll stick to a new behavior.
Be patient. Results take time. Finding your rhythm takes time. Coordinating your exercise efforts with everything else going in your life takes time. Be patient with yourself.
Put your phone in the bathroom. This tip actually comes to you from co host Rachel Pitts who has roots in the fitness industry and is currently sweating her way thru a Shaun T program. She suggests keeping your phone in the bathroom at night so that when your alarm goes off in the morning you are forced to get out of bed. (Disclaimer: This is really only helpful if your goal is to work out first thing in the morning. If your goal is to sweat it out at lunch, well go ahead and sleep with your phone but we can’t guarantee a very restful sleep.)
Reward Yourself. The real reward is living a healthier, more active, lifestyle but in order to establish that routine you might need motivators in the interim. “Even if you need to take it back to the star system on your refrigerator where you have a calendar and you give yourself a gold star on every single day that you do 20 minutes of activity” says Meredith.
The crappy workout is the most important. We have Rachel to thank for this one also. The truth is exercise has its highs and lows just like everything else in life. So when it comes to that occasional workout that you simply don’t want to do or feel like is a waste of time, take a moment to focus on what you did accomplish. You moved! Sometimes that’s all that is necessary when starting a new routine.
For more tips you can always check out Episode 75 with Gina Trimarco and Rachel Pitts or find Meredith Campbell on Facebook or Instagram as Meredith Campbell Fitness. As an added bonus, text ‘MY5’ to 22828 to get on Meredith’s email list where you’ll get information on her thoughts and best practices for making the transition to online-based fitness. And if you’re looking for your tribe and a group of people to help hold you accountable on your journey, join her My Online Fit Club, more information can be found at MeredithCampbellFitness.com
