Do you ever find yourself slipping on your commitment to stay active on a regular basis?

Even with the best of intentions sometimes you don’t “get around to it” as often as you would like. I have found that as much as I love to get out and do my activities, as good as it always makes me feel, it just doesn’t happen without a solid plan.If you are always thinking, “I will go when I have free time”, it will seldom come around.I have learned that if something is not on my calendar, it won’t get done.

I have two suggestions for you.

1. Number one: Plan It! Put your desired activity, be it a bike ride, a run, a hike, a gym workout, yoga, etc. on your day-planner just as if it were a dentist appointment or a haircut appointment. The key here is it’s an appointment, a scheduled commitment. If you are like me, and I suspect a lot of other people, you go through your day checking your schedule frequently and hustling off to your next commitment. If the next thing on your planner says, “Go for a walk”, you likely will get right on it! Otherwise, the end of the day, or sometimes maybe even the end of the week, rolls around and only then do your realize you were never able to make the time for the physical activity that you fully intended to do.
2. Number two: Make plans with friends. You are much more likely to make it to that activity if it is scheduled with a friend or a group. When you don’t want to let other people down it seems more important to keep that “appointment” than if the only person you would be letting down is yourself.

It helps to schedule in advance. Make a plan with a friend to meet on a certain day and at a certain time for that ride, run, hike, etc. If you want to try an activity that none of your current friends are into, join a group or a club. There are plenty of options out there, and they are always very welcoming to new members. Usually no experience is necessary.

So get out your calendars, call up a friend, or three, and make a plan!