We sometimes get overly excited about our decisions to get started on healthy living. Our intentions are great... but when we dart out of the starting blocks at top speed, we typically end up burning out.
Instead of becoming victims of a vicous on-again/off-again cycle, our goal should be to set our minds up for the long haul.
We were reminded of this in a fitness blog that we saw this morning:
"Focusing first on exercise, some newbies tend to be overzealous, working out on every single machine in the gym, lifting far more weight than they can handle, and doing cardio at an intensity level that would make an Olympian beg for a break. While there's certainly nothing wrong with pushing yourself, a better approach -- especially when you're just starting out -- is to make incremental steps over time."
Speaking of the Olympics and setting expectations... many of us will pick up some motivation as the greatest athletes in the world compete for the gold... let's just not get hurt! Here's an excerpt from a story that ran in a Central Illinois newspaper:
"You can get inspired by the athletes at the summer games and resume an exercise routine or bring your activity to the next level without being hurt. ... ... No matter what the exercise, start slowly and gradually build on your success."
