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Libby's tips for staying on the wagon -- or climbing back on if you've fallen off!

1. Ways to stay ON the Wagon

• Expect breaks in your fitness routine
• Plan to include PART of your fitness while you're away simply to maintain the mental routine with your schedule and fitness so that getting back isn't such a leap
• Take fitness with you by doing the following...

Do a 5-minute routine in the morning or at night

-- Walk after dinner

-- Walk with your sight-seeing and make it part of your intentional activity

-- Play some fun activities during your day - all fitness doesn't have to be high intensity

• Pack fitness to go:

-- Shoes - they'll be great for more comfortable sight-seeing as well

-- Skipping rope

-- Band, ball, weighted gloves

-- Music for motivation

-- DVD's

• Make your break intentional - breaks in your fitness routine can be a good thing; we know that varying intensity is a positive thing to do so use your holidays to your advantage for that

• Schedule your post holiday workouts BEFORE you leave

2. Getting back AFTER your holiday

• Quit kicking yourself! It's okay to take breaks and you can't turn the clock back; focus on moving forward and put your energy into getting back on track
• Plan - If you didn't before you left, sit down with your schedule as soon as you get back
• Book with a buddy - if you're committed to meet someone for a run, walk or at the club, you have less chance of bailing out!
• Set yourself up by doing the following:

-- If you're working out at home - set up your space, equipment and clothes so that it's ready to go and there's no reason NOT to!

-- If you're working out at a club - pack your bag the night before, keep extra socks and things to avoid any reason NOT to workout

-- Have your music, movies, books...whatever you need to make your workouts fun and motivating ready to go

-- Find or refresh your motivation - identify what can inspire you when your motivation is waning

-- Build a vision board

-- Post pictures around

-- Put music on that inspires you

• Gear up - make sure all your gear is freshly washed and ready to go; freshen things up if it will give you new inspiration - new shoes, shirt, music

• Get in a group - when you get back, it might be the perfect time to change or try something new - hit a rock climbing class, hike a new trail, try a new dance class, check out a spin class

How to approach your workouts/ the re-entry workout plan:

• Start slow - with frequency, time and intensity - see the guidelines below
• Fun first - start back with the activities you MOST enjoy or LEAST dislike!; it'll be so much easier to get started and stay; make a list of your absolute favourite activities and options; include old favourites along with some fun new ones
• Fit in 5's...Quick fit fixes - if you're challenged in getting back to your full routine, fit a few sets of simple exercises in throughout your day as a way to get started:

-- Do pushups while waiting for your coffee in the morning

-- Do squats in the elevator at work (when you're on your own!)

-- Climb stairs during commercial breaks of Canada AM!

-- Do lunges while you're on the phone with a friend

-- Do stretches before you go to bed

-- Do squats or lunges while you're drying your hair

• 10-minute rule - if you're having a tough time, try committing to 10 minutes to start. It won't be overwhelming or create an all or nothing and chances are, it won't seem so bad once you get stared and yo'll end up doing more
• Listen to your body - so many people try to make up for lost time or jump back in where they left off...and end up paying for it dearly in aches and pains which further de-motivates
• Put it in print - start a journal or tacking using whatever you find most convenient - a calendar in the kitchen, on your computer, pda or a separate fitness journal
• Set a specific goal, such as... 

-- An event - make sure you have enough time to train

-- A target for activity - in days per week, time, miles, etc.

-- If you're a stairclimber, climb the equivalent of the CN tower in a set time

-- If you're a walker/runner, set a total miles/km target

-- For gym workouts, give a total time

• Gear up - get or regroup your gear so you are fully prepared to get moving again

Re-entry Workout Guidelines:

• � Expect a return ratio of 1:1

-- When starting back after a layoff workout levels are 1:1 If you've been off 3 weeks, it'll take 3 weeks to get back where you were; 6 weeks = 6 weeks, etc.

• Return with a 50-50 rule

-- 50% of the standard intensity of exercise before you slacked off and 50% of the time for the first week and then gradually increase

-- If you cycled for 45 minutes at an intensity of 8 (on a scale of 1-10), start with 20-25 minutes at an intensity of 4

• 10% on intensity

-- As you start to increase your intensity to get back to where you were, add 10% per week with weight, time or intensity

-- (Steven Horwitz - National Strength and Conditioning Association)

THE 9 REASONS:

• 1. LACK OF FOCUS: you didn't set goals, you didn't put your goals in writing, and/or you didn't stay focused on your goals every single daily (by reading them, affirming them, etc.)
• 2. LACK OF PRIORITIES: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put it on or near the top of your priorities list.
• For example, your goal is to lose 40lbs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than achieving this goal.
• 3. LACK OF SUPPORT SYSTEM: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse,
• friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going gets tough.
• 4. LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY - you didn't keep score for your own accountability - with a progress chart, weight
• record, measurements, food journal, training journal, and you didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to
• someone else or show your results to someone else)
• 5. LACK OF PATIENCE: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you
• gave up.
• 6. LACK OF PLANNING: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a fitness program in hand, on paper,
• you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so
• instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy" or "I'm too tired")
• 7. LACK OF BALANCE: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now"
• route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.
• 8. LACK OF PERSONALIZATION: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.
• 9. LACK OF BELIEF: because you've failed so many times before you don't have the belief system to support you new
• goals. You didn't change your mindset or seek the help of someone else (friends, family or a coach) to help boost your beliefs.
• So there you have it - 9 reasons why most people to fall off the wagon! Have you been making these mistakes? If so, the solutions are clear and simple: focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance, personalize and believe in yourself!