Tag Archives: Goal setting

Taking A Gap Year?

I love the term “Gap Year”.  Typically referring to taking a year off between life stages or events, but often referring to college students who take a year off, it can easily apply to fitness.  As a personal trainer, I hear frequently from people that they “used to” exercise more, or “used to” lift weights, etc.   I consider this akin to taking a “Gap Year” from fitness. 

We all do this to some degree.  Often times, injuries require us to step back from a fitness activity that we love to do, or were at least doing regularly.  I have had to take a running break since July.  Others get out of the habit after an illness, vacation, or just get too busy with work or family.

My job is to help my clients figure out how to get back in the habit of exercising.  Do I do a good job of that?  Well, it is really a two-way street.  We both have to recognize that you have slid down the slippery slope of taking a “Gap Year” from all or a portion of your fitness regimen.  Then we have to talk about it.  From there, it is really up to you to make a commitment to doing something about it, which is where I step back into the picture.         running race                   

Let me ask you this?  Do you find that you “used to” do more exercise and now you are doing less because you have slipped down that slippery slope of “getting out of the habit”?  Yes, it is easy to do. 

If you answer yes to this question, you might try a few of these suggestions.

Once you decide on a plan of action, tell someone your plan.  This will help you to follow through with it.

1.  Sign up for a 5k, 10k, half marathon, etc.

2.  Pick a class that you want to try and commit t o going once/twice a week.  Maybe it is Zumba, TRX, Yoga, Pilates, Water Aerobics, Tai Chi…..

3.  Agree with  a friend that you are going to both go for a run, swim, class, etc. together on a specific day and time.

4.  Get a friend to workout with a trainer (guess who) with you.  Shared sessions can be so much fun and a little cheaper than a private session.

5.  Think about how your body felt when you were lifting weights regularly, running regulary, going to Pilates or Yoga regularly, etc.