Barriers to Healthy Living
Being fit is easy
But why doesn’t it feel that way?
When someone chooses to live a healthier life, the first thing they realize is all of the barriers that exist in their current life situation that are in their way.
Complaining about these barriers will not help us, unfortunately. Understanding them, however, is powerful. Knowing the pitfalls can help you arm yourself with the right information and tools to overcome them!
Here are what I believe to be the hardest things about becoming fit. Skip to the bottom for the 10 steps to making this process easier on you.
1.It takes a while for the full transition to happen.
When you look at people who are fit, it always seems to come naturally to them. If you ask any of them how long it took to get to that point, they would tell you about the long journey it took them to get to that point.
You see, getting fit and healthy is a long game. To become this new person, you need to change your lifestyle. But you can’t do that overnight.
Progression happens in phases, so start where you are with what you have, and take steps in the right direction. It will require long-term focus and commitment.
2. People profit off of making it complicated.
How can you take steps in the right direction, when you don’t know where to get reliable information?
The fitness industry has been plagued with scammers. Influencers and trainers sell products or courses on how to drop 10 lbs in 2 days, etc. They target your insecurities, and they create a short term “fix” to resolve your pain - one that is most likely bullshit.
This of course makes it very difficult to decipher the facts from the fiction. Be careful about whom you seek advice from, and think of their alternative motives. Some of the people that I trust for my information are listed below. You can follow them on instagram, or a few of them have informative podcasts you can listen to as well.
Joe Holder
Ben Carpenter
Jeff Nippard
Layne Norton
Mark Carroll
Razi Khan
Peter Attia
Holly Baxter Norton
3. The entry barrier is set too high.
In one week of workouts, trainers will program 5 cardio sessions, 5 weight training workouts, and 5 mobility routines. Add in some core exercises, and you have a workout program that I can’t even adhere to, and I’ve been training for years.
When the bar is set so high, it makes it easy to give up on the goal completely - it just seems so unattainable.
Start small, but start today. Forward is forward. Even small habits can be life-changing.
To put this in perspective, even walking more every day promotes weight loss, reduces inflammation, relieves joint pain, and boosts immunity.
4. You think negatively about your body.
Gyms and public areas are naturally intimidating. It can make people feel like they are “too far behind to even start.”
I get it. You don’t like where you are at, and as much as you want to change it - you doubt yourself. You haven’t done it before!
Obsessing over the scale, your current weight, or how many calories you are eating is not productive. Our mind can’t understand the negative, so thinking about negative things will only bring more of that into your life.
Try not thinking of an elephant. You thought of one, didn’t you?
If you are not self-confident, try setting smaller goals. There’s a possibility that you are giving yourself way too many rules, and placing unrealistic expectations on yourself. Of-course you will fail to stick to the list of 100 things you need to do this week!
Be mindful of what you commit to - that is a promise to yourself. Once you commit - you must follow through. Slowly this leads to self-respect and self-trust.
Finally - if you are thinking negatively, it is really hard to have faith. You must believe in a positive outcome to change. You need to see the results in your mind before you can experience them.
5. Your current environment is limiting your potential.
This is the hardest part because it involves changing what is comfortable to you - weather that is habits, people, or location.
Physical barriers such as not having access to a gym due to money, time, or distance make change in this area difficult. Psychological barriers like the lack of encouragement from those around you, or even worse negative influences that bring you down make change difficult.
Instead of blaming your situation, however, let’s take radical accountability.
If you can’t workout at a gym - have you found other ways to workout? What about free programs such as the app FitOn - which helps you do equipment-free workouts at home or at the local park.
Is someone bringing you down?
Can you distance yourself from that person?
Can you surround yourself with positive influences that drown their noises out?
What about following motivational accounts on instagram?
Or joining a group class?
10 Things to Remember on Your Fitness Journey
This is a life-long commitment. Short bursts of hyper-focus are always great, but you need to create a baseline foundation of healthy, sustainable habits first. Extremes can lead to rebounding, otherwise.
Don’t rush the process. If you are consistent, you will get there.
Focus on 1-2 changes to your lifestyle at a time. And then build on them. For example,start by walking for 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Once you get comfortable with that routine, and have stuck to it for about a month - add to it. You can a) increase intensity by adding in jogging intervals b) add duration by walking for longer each week or c) begin doing strength workouts in addition to the walking.
Be careful on who you listen to for advice, and think of their alternative motives.
Stop trying to be perfect. Being average and consistent will take you farther. Trying to be perfect will prevent you from trying.
Seek out the right mentors and reliable resources. I’ve listed some recommended leaders in the space above.
Distance yourself from negative people. Follow motivational accounts on instagram.
Take radical accountability. If you can’t find a gym near you, find a park. If you don’t have money for a gym, use the FitOn app - it’s free and you can workout anywhere. No excuses.
Meditate, manifest, imagine your dream life. Imagine you are already there. What you feel like. Remember this feeling, this image when you lack motivation.
Join group classes to hold you accountable, and engage with the community of fitness. You will be surprised how welcoming it can be!
