Start using Triggers to help you achieve a fitter lifestyle
As we get older, staying as fit and trim as we were in our youth becomes more and more difficult.
Lots of food (and drink), less time (seemingly) to exercise and a realisation that an older body just can’t be as active as a younger one, all play their part.
So I’ve found a great way of staying on top of things is to utilise triggers in my day-to-day lifestyle to sub-consciously remind myself to do, or not to do, certain things.
Combine this practice with doing little things a lot of times and suddenly you’re back in control.
So what do I mean by triggers?
Triggers are little moments or occurrences throughout the day that provide an opportunity or reminder to do something beneficial as part of a new lifestyle.
So they can range from teeth cleaning and getting up to smaller events like waiting for the kettle to boil or going into a certain room.
The key to making triggers work is to connect them to a certain action or reaction – so for instance:
Every time I clean my teeth, I static squat with my back against a wardrobe (that’s 4 minutes a day of squatting).
Every time I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, I do 15 arm raises on the kitchen corner unit.
Before I go to bed, I do 4 minutes of the plank (front and side).
Every hour sitting at my desk, my watch pings and I get up and stretch.
When I’m waiting for the shower to get hot, I do 30 calf raises on each foot.
After getting dressed I do 40 press ups.
If I want a second helping of chocolate in the evening (I nearly always have one!), I flick my wrist several times with my index finger and the feeling goes away.
I could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea.
I’ve used these triggers for so long now that I find I can’t go through the day without using them – it’s become second nature and totally automatic. In fact I would have to consciously prevent my self from doing any of the exercises that are triggered.
The point of all this is to demonstrate that it’s perfectly easy to introduce little techniques into your life that help you keep fitter and healthier.
The things I do don’t take up much time and are not hard to complete (the golden rule in all this is to NEVER set yourself an unrealistic objective) but are very beneficial.
After all, just by doing the above, I manage 28 mins of static squats, about 150 arm raises, 28 minutes of plank, 320 calf raises, 280 press ups, and that’s all amongst lots of other things I do each week.
Now if you were to go to a gym once a week and do that amount of work, then everyone would consider you to be super fit!
The absolute key thing is to start small. Do just one press up after you clean your teeth for instance, or 10 seconds of plank when you get dressed.
You’ll very quickly notice the difference and, as soon as you do, you be off on your journey!
Find out more about triggers and what they can do for you in our Stepping Stone Program.
Good luck!
William, part of the New In 90 Team.
Find out how you can easily adjust your daily habits and routines for long-lasting weight control and fitness, overcome any barriers that might be stopping you and discover a whole range of useful aids to maximise the success of your journey.
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