I recently had a great discussion with someone who purchased our SpondySolution Home Program. This individual was feeling much better since starting the program and was really excited about the direction they were headed.
As we continued to talk the individual mentioned how it has always been hard for them to stay consistent with home based spondylolisthesis therapy programs. I have heard this before from clients and individuals, but for some reason this time I realized how common of a problem this is.
Being consistent is one of the hardest things to do when it comes to a home-based exercise programs, diet regimens or just regular workouts.
I clearly remember visiting multiple therapy clinics, getting the boring black and white photos of stick figures performing the most basic exercises in the world. The therapist would always instruct you to perform the exercises daily and to stay consistent.
Mentally you were ready to perform these exercises every hour if you had too. How hard could it be to do a few exercises daily?
You would perform the exercises a few times, begin to slightly feel better, and then pile magazines or books on top of the sheets only to find it a few months later when the pain was returning.
These stick figure type programs made staying consistent even more difficult. And on top of being hard to look at, most of the time THEY DIDN’T HELP WITH THE PAIN!
To be honest I still battle with consistency in my exercise routine and I imagine many of you do as well.
As we continued to talk the individual mentioned how it has always been hard for them to stay consistent with home based spondylolisthesis therapy programs. I have heard this before from clients and individuals, but for some reason this time I realized how common of a problem this is.
Being consistent is one of the hardest things to do when it comes to a home-based exercise programs, diet regimens or just regular workouts.
I clearly remember visiting multiple therapy clinics, getting the boring black and white photos of stick figures performing the most basic exercises in the world. The therapist would always instruct you to perform the exercises daily and to stay consistent.
Mentally you were ready to perform these exercises every hour if you had too. How hard could it be to do a few exercises daily?
You would perform the exercises a few times, begin to slightly feel better, and then pile magazines or books on top of the sheets only to find it a few months later when the pain was returning.
These stick figure type programs made staying consistent even more difficult. And on top of being hard to look at, most of the time THEY DIDN’T HELP WITH THE PAIN!
To be honest I still battle with consistency in my exercise routine and I imagine many of you do as well.
Today’s busy lifestyle offers so many distractions and obstacles that it is hard to stay focused and on track. It seems no matter where you go people can reach you at the drop of a dime.
And once you get distracted, time flies and the day comes to a quick end.
Distractions include text messaging, phone calls, emails, the internet, etc. We are living in a world where you can get news on your cell phone in a split second which can easily make your mind wander from the task at hand.
These distractions make it hard to get away and focus for 45-60 minutes.
Unfortunately, when it comes to spondy’s, there is no pill that cures poor movement, weak muscles, and instability. It takes good ‘ole fashion work to get the results that can improve how you feel.
But the good news is……… feeling better IS possible and so is squeezing in that daily workout. If you want to feel and move better you have to maintain consistency with your routine and focus on improving your weaknesses.
One of the keys to start feeling better is to attack the right areas with proper exercise and stretching (this is where good therapy or a home program like SpondySolution comes in).
The other key is to stay consistent.
The individual I spoke with had a great tip. They used an area for their workout that was located close to where they walk every day. This reminded them to perform the exercises and stay on track.
Below are a few more ways to stay consistent.
And once you get distracted, time flies and the day comes to a quick end.
Distractions include text messaging, phone calls, emails, the internet, etc. We are living in a world where you can get news on your cell phone in a split second which can easily make your mind wander from the task at hand.
These distractions make it hard to get away and focus for 45-60 minutes.
Unfortunately, when it comes to spondy’s, there is no pill that cures poor movement, weak muscles, and instability. It takes good ‘ole fashion work to get the results that can improve how you feel.
But the good news is……… feeling better IS possible and so is squeezing in that daily workout. If you want to feel and move better you have to maintain consistency with your routine and focus on improving your weaknesses.
One of the keys to start feeling better is to attack the right areas with proper exercise and stretching (this is where good therapy or a home program like SpondySolution comes in).
The other key is to stay consistent.
The individual I spoke with had a great tip. They used an area for their workout that was located close to where they walk every day. This reminded them to perform the exercises and stay on track.
Below are a few more ways to stay consistent.
1. Work early
This is what worked best for me. After a healthy and balanced breakfast I would perform my workout before the day began.
I quickly noticed that trying to work out over lunch opened the door for too many distractions.
Things would come up, calls had to be returned or my mood would change causing me to make excuses to skip my workout. Working out early gets the blood flowing, clears your mind and gets you ready for the day. Plus your workout is done and you can focus on your work.
It did take me a few weeks used to getting up early. But in my mind I would gladly sacrifice an hour of sleep to get rid of this horrible spondy pain!
2. Mentally and physically focus on your workout time
What I mean by this is when it is time to do my exercises I would remove all phones and distractions from my workout area. I would mentally tell myself that for the next 45 minutes I was going to focus solely on the workout.
After mentally clearing the mind and committing to the workout, you then need to physically give effort and consistency.
Having this mindset and removing distractions helped me focus and get through the workouts. The big key for me was removing all forms of contact. Not hearing my phone ring or beep was a big key for completing the workout without being distracted.
3. Set a reminder on your cell phone
In today’s world almost everyone has a cell phone. Utilize the reminder or alarm option on your phone and set it for your workout time every day. That way if you get distracted with work or other chores the phone will go off reminding you that it’s time to start working out.
Over a few days your body will adjust and you will begin to enjoy that workout time. This becomes even easier when you begin seeing and feeling the results.
This is what worked best for me. After a healthy and balanced breakfast I would perform my workout before the day began.
I quickly noticed that trying to work out over lunch opened the door for too many distractions.
Things would come up, calls had to be returned or my mood would change causing me to make excuses to skip my workout. Working out early gets the blood flowing, clears your mind and gets you ready for the day. Plus your workout is done and you can focus on your work.
It did take me a few weeks used to getting up early. But in my mind I would gladly sacrifice an hour of sleep to get rid of this horrible spondy pain!
2. Mentally and physically focus on your workout time
What I mean by this is when it is time to do my exercises I would remove all phones and distractions from my workout area. I would mentally tell myself that for the next 45 minutes I was going to focus solely on the workout.
After mentally clearing the mind and committing to the workout, you then need to physically give effort and consistency.
Having this mindset and removing distractions helped me focus and get through the workouts. The big key for me was removing all forms of contact. Not hearing my phone ring or beep was a big key for completing the workout without being distracted.
3. Set a reminder on your cell phone
In today’s world almost everyone has a cell phone. Utilize the reminder or alarm option on your phone and set it for your workout time every day. That way if you get distracted with work or other chores the phone will go off reminding you that it’s time to start working out.
Over a few days your body will adjust and you will begin to enjoy that workout time. This becomes even easier when you begin seeing and feeling the results.
4. Perform the workout at the same time everyday
As mentioned before my favorite time to work out is first thing
in the morning. Some people hate the morning and prefer the night time. Whatever your time is, do it consistently. Skipping around and changing times makes it hard to be consistent.
I started off trying to do my work out over lunchtime. If something came up I would try to squeeze it in later. This seemed to always fail. My workouts would be sporadic and sloppy.
Block off a specific time and make that time workout time ONLY. Doing this daily is a great way to stay consistent.
5. Think about the pain
One of the most powerful techniques I use is to always think about the pain that is possible if I DON’T work out. Some days I have pain present, so the workout was motivation to get rid of the pain. But on days where I am thinking
about skipping my workout I always think about how bad spondy pain can hurt.
If you are sitting around and contemplating skipping the exercises for the day, think about how bad the pain can be with your spondy. Tell yourself that performing the short 45 minute workout will help you feel better.
I often find that I become motivated only minutes into a workout that I once felt like skipping.
These are a few of many ways to keep consistent with your home exercises. Some days are hard, some days are painful and some days are great.
I would like to give a special thanks to the individual that I talked to on the phone who gave me the great tip and idea to talk about this. I am sure this is a problem that most people face when battling their spondylolisthesis.
If you have any tips you would like to share please add a comment below. Everyone would love to hear them!
As mentioned before my favorite time to work out is first thing
in the morning. Some people hate the morning and prefer the night time. Whatever your time is, do it consistently. Skipping around and changing times makes it hard to be consistent.
I started off trying to do my work out over lunchtime. If something came up I would try to squeeze it in later. This seemed to always fail. My workouts would be sporadic and sloppy.
Block off a specific time and make that time workout time ONLY. Doing this daily is a great way to stay consistent.
5. Think about the pain
One of the most powerful techniques I use is to always think about the pain that is possible if I DON’T work out. Some days I have pain present, so the workout was motivation to get rid of the pain. But on days where I am thinking
about skipping my workout I always think about how bad spondy pain can hurt.
If you are sitting around and contemplating skipping the exercises for the day, think about how bad the pain can be with your spondy. Tell yourself that performing the short 45 minute workout will help you feel better.
I often find that I become motivated only minutes into a workout that I once felt like skipping.
These are a few of many ways to keep consistent with your home exercises. Some days are hard, some days are painful and some days are great.
I would like to give a special thanks to the individual that I talked to on the phone who gave me the great tip and idea to talk about this. I am sure this is a problem that most people face when battling their spondylolisthesis.
If you have any tips you would like to share please add a comment below. Everyone would love to hear them!
