The only reason that every single one of you is not in diesel shape at this moment is because fitness is not a priority in your life. That’s it.
I’m not saying that it’s wrong or judging you at all, but that’s a fact. And often times, it comes down to the excuse of “I don’t have enough time”.
And the problem is how do you, as a busy dad, make time for fitness on a consistent basis?
Sure, you’ll work out every once in a while, but that doesn’t do shit. You need to be focused on your goals (create one first!) and then keep your mind on it.
But it’s a lot more involved than that when you’re trying to make fitness a permanent part of your life.
Making Fitness A Priority
If it were easy to incorporate fitness into your daily routine, everyone would be doing it. But it’s not. It’s a struggle to keep focused on making exercise a habit.
There is some aspect of your life that is getting in the way of making fitness a priority and you need to figure out what that is and then change it.
The rewards are great and it won’t come without struggle.
If you want to look awesome, feel awesome, and have a better quality of life, you have to work for it.
And the first step is actually wanting to work for it. If you don’t want to, it’s never going to happen. So how do you find that desire?
Here are 10 ideas that you can use to start creating habits that will make fitness a priority in your life.
- Make a plan. Know what you want and how you’ll get there.
- Put some money on the line. Hire a trainer, join a gym, buy a Groupon..
- Taking care of YOU is not selfish.
- Block time every day and stick to it.
- Find your “why”.
- Stay consistent once you start.
- Do exercise that you enjoy.
- Start using HIIT.
- Reward yourself. But not too much.
- Your health is not optional!
Today’s video discusses each in more detail and I’d love to hear your thoughts on what works for you.
And if you have a YouTube account, feel free to subscribe to the Fit Dad Nation channel and get alerts when I post new videos!
True stuff here, every word of it.
Knowing it vs acting on it is what separates… well, it separates fit people from those of us who aren’t currently on track.
That’s exactly right. From reading your blog(s), I see the challenges you face daily trying to make fitness not only a priority, but a part of your life in general.
Gawd… I looked in the mirror today. What was that jiggly-puff marshmallowy thing slurping around like a water balloon there in that glass?
How long have I been reading and commenting on this site now? And what have I done about it?
I ain’t done nothin’ and I’m looking and feeling worse every day. Currently I’m using the “stress” excuse, stress and busywork required when selling a house. The stress is very real. You know, you’ve done it. There’s so much waiting, waiting for people to call back, to schedule appointments, to show up for appointments. There’s so much fear and dread, waiting for that call or email that means the deal just fell through. There’s so much worry that some snag will pop up at the last minute, throwing all the schedules with the movers and the storage locker and the boss at work into chaos.
The stress, the fear, the worry, it’s all real. And of those things you stress about, worry about, and fear, some of them are going to happen.
But so what? Frustrating things are gonna happen. It’s a given. That doesn’t mean I have a legitimate excuse for moping around all day waiting for the phone to ring or an email to come in. I gotta go outside. Run for an hour. Swim. Slog through some push-ups. Work on those strength-building moves toward doing a pull-up. As for the phone calls — they’ll call back. The email will still be in the in-box in an hour or two.
I know this, objectively. Why is it so hard to act?
Ah, screw it. Tomorrow is Independence Day. A good day to declare independence from external stressors, and from the Fat Guy in the mirror.
Yes, David you have been full of excuses since you first started reading this site! And while you know and understand this, it still doesn’t seem to be helping you.
There has to be some underlying motivator for you to start and stick with changes to your lifestyle. Right now, you have plenty of bad habits and I’m sure some good ones too, but for getting healthy and fit, you are falling short.
Sometimes it’s a slap in the face wake up call that gets you moving. Sometimes it’s hearing you have Diabetes or that you have thyroid issues. Sometimes it’s looking in the mirror and just not being able to stand it for one second longer.
I wish I knew what it was going to take for you to get your ass in gear. I really do. You seem like a genuinely good guy and I hate to see you feel so down about yourself. You have everything you need to be fit, energetic, and full of life. I’m here to help when you’re ready..