We all know that person.

You know the one that seems to roll out of bed oozing motivation and energy. The person that seems to always be motivated to workout, drink green smoothies and meditate.

Yeah, I am not that person.

In fact, I have never been one to love to workout. I grew up doing musical theater and choir. Fitness just didn’t come naturally to me. Being a personal trainer for a living most people find it surprising that I don’t love to workout. I exercise purely because I know how good it is for my health, I like how I feel afterward and I want to be an example for my kids.

It isn’t because I love doing burpees.

Fitness is one of the most underutilized stress relievers on the planet. Movement has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, improve sleep patterns and reduce body fat. The benefits of exercise are clear. Movement is one of the best stress-relieving tools on the planet.

FROM HAVARD HEALTH ” EXERCISE REDUCES LEVELS OF THE BODY’S STRESS HORMONES, SUCH AS ADRENALINE AND CORTISOL. IT ALSO STIMULATES THE PRODUCTION OF ENDORPHINS, CHEMICALS IN THE BRAIN THAT ARE THE BODY’S NATURAL PAINKILLERS AND MOOD ELEVATORS.”

But what if you simply don’t like it? Commit to the bare minimum. The phrase that comes to mind here is “Something is better than nothing” Three workouts per week is far better than none.

Each week sit down and lay out the workouts you will do for the week. Schedule your workouts and put reminders on your phone. Think of your workouts as important meetings with your boss. YOU are the boss, bosses don’t cancel. You don’t have to be perfect every day. You DO need to be consistent week to week.

If you have more free time on the weekends, schedule your workouts then. There is no need to workout M-F. Put your workouts on your schedule when you will have the most time and energy. Every week commit to your bare minimum non-negotiable. If you get more in on top of that? COOL! Stay consistent with the smallest commitment each week. ⁣

TIPS TO GET RESULTS DOING THE BARE MINIMUM:

1. Check your programming. Effective workouts don’t need to be an hour long. You can get a great workout done in less than 30 minutes from home. Having the right workouts planned makes all the difference when you are short on time. If you only have 15 minutes, make every minute count.
2. Make water a priority. If all you do today is drink enough water, it can make a big difference. H20 is a vital part of overall health. Water increases your metabolism so much that if you’re chronically dehydrated, it can mean up to an 8-pound weight gain or more per year. It is so often we mistake hunger for dehydration. In order for proper diet and exercise to be truly effective, you’ll need to maintain a proper hydration level so that the body fat released into the bloodstream can be broken up into proteins.
3. Plan your meals. It’s no secret that meal planning is the number one way to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. When you take the time to plan and prep your meals you take the guesswork out of eating right. Put your meals on autopilot so you can eat right without thinking about it.

Schedule your workouts when you have the most time and energy to get them done. There is no requirement to workout in the morning Monday through Friday. If a few weekday evenings and a weekend workout is best for your schedule, put it in your calendar.

Your workouts should be schedule like important meetings with your boss, you are the boss. Bosses don’t cancel.