Ever heard of a perfect life or a perfect person or a perfect body?? I never did. “Perfection is the enemy of progress” said Winston Churchill.

The thing about perfect is that it is a very vague term. What might be perfect for me would not be for someone else. Something that is a necessity for you may be useless to others. I would rather concentrate on the struggles that I need to overcome. We all face struggles in our life. Again, that is also very subjective. What seems to be a struggle for me can be a piece of cake to you. We are all a product of our genes, society, environment, choices and blessings. So, the first struggle starts with understanding what we are. When we try to analyze ourselves, we get to know our weakness and our strength. This eventually helps us to challenge and overcome the obstacles/struggles.

Same goes for Fitness. We all face different struggles and challenges that keep us from staying fit. One has to understand that these roadblocks are very common and natural but it can be solved with the right mindset and focus. I have tried to list the most common Fitness Struggles that we come across; Time, Food, Motivation, Consistency, Health conditions, Injury, Flexibility, Mental Blocks

I am sure there are more of such struggles I might not know of. Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences as your experience can be a learning for someone else.

Time: I don’t understand but this is the best excuse and struggle so many of us complain about. A very common but the most lousy excuse, I must say . It is really funny when someone says that they don’t have enough time to exercise even for few minutes, cook and eat the right food and sleep well. I have felt that if I want to do something with all my heart, I somehow squeeze out time for it no matter what. More than time, it has to do with your willingness and desire to stay fit. Lack of time cannot be attributed as a struggle. Unlike other problems, time is the only thing that is the same for all of us. I know some of us are more busier than the others but being mindful and conscious of your fitness requirements will in fact buy you more time in the long run. As a matter of fact, our efficiency and productivity increases when we are fit and healthy. So, go and find a way out of this NO TIME zone, I am sure you can.

Food: Fitness revolves around Mind, Body and Soul. And what affects the body affects your mind and soul too. It is very important to be mindful about what goes inside your body, that is to say what you eat. It is very easy to be attracted towards junk food and comfort foods, which does not play any part in nourishing our system. They are just for satisfying our taste buds momentarily. Eating the Right food is a struggle that many of us face everyday. The only and the only solution is Balance. Yes, no diets or fasting. The magic happens when we learn to balance our intake with all the required proportions and enjoy everything in moderation. That way we are not depriving ourselves of what we like. The happiness that a whole bar of chocolate gives is the same as 2 chunks will give. It is all in our mind. I know it is very easy to say but if we are conscious and willing to take that step, nothing can stop us. I am still trying….

Motivation: Lack of motivation can be a real struggle. Motivation is infectious. It is like the unseen ray of light which helps us shine with confidence and happiness. The likes on our posts and pages that give us more reasons to enhance our performance everyday are some evident proofs. Motivation can be in any form- encouragement, support, a random push or just a hands on partner who is always willing to be there for you. The motivation can be external like a new dress or a new fitness gear. And then there is intrinsically inclined motivation where you aspire to become fit, more stronger, more flexible, basically a better version of yourself. It is very important to be surrounded by those who care for you and do not discourage you away from your goal. We get influenced by everything we see and hear so always make sure that you keep your distance from demotivating people and discouraging factors.

Consistency: Hire a trainer, take a gym membership, join a wellness group, follow fitness influencers. Do whatever it takes to be consistent. Because only consistency will bring you results. Make realistic goals and give enough time for any visible change. Enjoy the process, only do those activities that you like. If you don’t like running, don’t do it only because some one you know does that. The possibility of you staying consistent will be much much more if you commit to something you love. Even if you happen to take a break, get back on track as soon as possible. It is okay to pause but do not stop. Make someone accountable for your plan of action and they can remind you as and when required. You are the only person who knows yourself better than the others. If you know that you lack a certain quality, then you should make amends and try to overcome that. Having a trainer brings more to the table than just a set of exercise routines. He / She can help you and motivate you towards your fitness journey and guide you every step of the way.

Health conditions: It is really unfortunate that someone’s health condition poses a struggle for them to stay fit. It can be disappointing to not be able to do certain activities which you love to do. Well, now that you already are struggling with something, it is not advisable to think about what you cannot do. The only solution would be to keep the situation in mind and do what you can safely continue for a disease free and simultaneously fit and healthy version of yourself. One cannot just dwell on the problems, instead find a way out of it. I still remember when my husband got spondylolysis just three weeks before he was registered to run a half marathon. It was bad news and hard for us as he was advised to stay away from running. I was also going to run with him but my hopes were all gone. But he was so determined to participate in the marathon so much so that he started physiotherapy sessions and took all the other measures to fix his problem. He did not run the half marathon but did participate and walked as briskly as possible and finished it in an impressive time. Lesson learned was that don’t let anything stop you from doing what you want to do.

Injury: Sometimes when we are trying to pursue the path of fitness, we get carried away and do more than we can handle. Incorrectly doing some exercise can also get you injured. But again, this is all part of the process. Take rest, feel better and resume. Don’t give up. Always listen to your doctor and don’t try to hurry with the recovery. You want to get back stronger and better again. This is something we can take back from an injury. This time around you gotta be more careful and take baby steps towards your fitness regime without overdoing. Sharing a helpful link of some common injuries and ways to prevent them. I came across this when I sprained my ankle trying to master a headstand. It was a haphazard move and taught me an important lesson. I now know where I was wrong and dare not repeat the same mistake again.

https://fitzhand.com/blog/25-common-workout-injuries-treat-prevent/

Flexibility: I am sure there are many of us who can relate to this. It is hard to accept that why can’t I bend just like my friend. It is true that some of us are gifted when it comes to flexibility. They can stretch more easily than the others. I agree that it is a major fitness struggle for those who are stiff. But again, it is not impossible. It will take time but eventually our body molds the way we want it to. May be it will take months or even years to master a certain move but that’s okay. You just need to steadily work on that particular part of your body and one day you will see the magic. It is disheartening sometimes but as I mentioned earlier, we all have our set of struggles. But struggle is another name for being strong. You will be happy to see the stronger you after you overcome your weakness. Just remember that there is no elevator, just slow and steady steps.

Mental blocks: This is the last Fitness struggle but the most common and a tricky one. MIND is the zone where all the fun begins. The power of mind is well known to us. This is the place where we come up with all the blocks such as laziness, fear, stress and negativity etc. Ironically, this is the same place where you will find consciousness, strength and positivity. Everything starts here and ends here. It wont be wrong to say that in order to train your body, you have to train your mind first. You have to constantly feed it with meditation and mindfulness. The various emotions like fear, low self esteem, failure can be manipulated as per our wish if we know how to control our mind. For instance, writing down your thoughts and actions help you analyze things more precisely and also helps you keep track of your progress. It helps to reflect on yourself which is very crucial to discovering where you went wrong.

What are you waiting for, start making your way towards training your mind and overcoming all the fitness struggles. Nothing should stop us from leading a healthy and a fit life.

P.S. A fresh cup of coffee and a playlist with your favorite music will help you get going everyday.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay