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*Guest authored with contributions from Sean Manuel, Offensive Line and Strength & Conditioning Coach for Bishop Gorman‘s athletic program.

When you think about “getting back into shape,” do you get overwhelmed? Do you feel like you’re staring up a mountain that you’ll never get on top of? We’ve all been there. But you don’t have to be anymore!

Take the pressure off, stop staring at the mountain, and start taking a progressive approach to your health and wellness.

Do Something

Quick in, quick out. That’s what happens when you bite off more than you can handle with a workout plan you can’t maintain.

Instead – try baby steps. Ease into a healthy lifestyle. Every morning before you shower, do 10 pushups and 10 squats. You can even do assisted pushups with your hands on the side of your bed. The point is: start with what you can handle. It doesn’t matter how much or how little you do. Maybe take a 10 minute walk everyday when you get home from work?

 What’s Your Goal?

Now that you’re doing something, you may want to set a goal.

Do you want to lose weight? Or do you just want to relieve your back pain? Or stay healthy enough to have a little more energy in the day? Think about your longterm goal and then decide which exercises and nutrition plan will help you get there. If you’re trying to lose weight, how much weight and by when? Specific goals are the best goals (we wrote a great post on that last week).

Healthy Choices

Meal-planning is a great tool. Some families sit down on Sunday nights to discuss finances—you can do the same with meal-planning. Think through your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week. Make sure you’re working in the right macronutrients: fruit, vegetables, healthy carbs, and multiple sources of proteins.

Is that too much to handle? Then don’t worry. Just stick with healthy choices. If you really, really love your fast-food burger joint, then don’t decide that you’ll never go… and then end up going anyways. Just decide that when you go, you’ll order the Chicken Fillet instead of the Double-Quarter-Pounder.

Don’t try cutting carbs altogether. Try limiting carbs during dinner, and going zero carbs after 8 pm.

Victories & Momentum

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking about the scale too much—as long as you are progressively living a healthier lifestyle, then you’re on the right track. Find victories in everything you do, not everything you didn’t do.

Catch momentum when you’re consistent and add in something new. Are you walking every morning? Great! Next step could be meal-planning. Take where you’re at, and build.

With a progressive approach to health and wellness, you’ll find yourself transforming quicker than you’d realize!

 

*Guest authored with contributions from Sean Manuel, Offensive Line and Strength & Conditioning Coach for Bishop Gorman‘s athletic program.

Written by

Bay Area Christian Church

This was created by a member of the Bay Area Christian Church team.