Hey and welcome back to the fit me Turo fitness podcast, If life has been counted lately, kids, work, travel, illness, emotional, stress, stress, you are not alone, and this episode is exactly for you. So I'm talking about how to stay consistent with your fitness during life's busiest, messiest seasons, without giving up or feeling like a failure when things don't go perfectly. So if your routine has been all over the place, but you still want to move forward, this one's for you. So let's get start with the biggest mindset shift. Mindset mindset shift. So you don't need a perfect plan, you need a flexible one. So because most people fall off during the cows, not because they are lazy, but because they think, if I can do it right, I won't do it at all. I missed two workouts, so the week is ruined. This all or nothing. Mindset destroys consistency. So let's talk a little bit about strategies. So first strategy, you have to reframe your success. So success during the cows is totally different than it's in a in a what you call perfect times and and during the cows, your success might look like this, 10 minute walk, not the full gym system, choosing protein at lunch, even if the dinner is takeout, and getting 5000 steps instead of usual 10,000 so, because it all counts and that you have to reframe, what is your success. So good example for me, I had a like, kind of very, very busy period, beginning of the year, end of the year, as as you can imagine, in the January, for some reason, many people are looking for help. And obviously at that time, work was number one priority. And I knew it was also colder time after here, here in Italy, and I just, I'm a person who doesn't enjoy doing strength training. I have a basement set up a basement, but there is no heating. So you can imagine, in coldest time of the year, in the beginning of January, it's not very tempting to get yourself into a cold room to lift some weights, what you don't enjoy anyways. So how I overcome this period? Like, gosh, earlier, I would definitely say that, no, it doesn't matter. I can take a month off, I can take a couple weeks off, and then I just get back into it. But more often I I did it so often that my plant one week or two week break ended up being one, two months, even longer. Like the worst one was when I retired my ice hockey professional, I retired from professional ice hockey, and short break, I said, Okay, now I don't need to train anymore for my for my ice hockey performance. And so I said that, okay, I'm not going to go to gym. And that ended up being like almost decade. And before I got myself in, back into it. So it can be, there can be so long breaks, and usually, at least for me, it always those, like even it's so easy to talk myself out of it and saying that it's this is only temporarily, but those plan breaks, they always ended up being longer than I would like, and then getting back into it. It was again that perfectionism was inside of me and telling it, okay, I need to have that time. And when I had it, then my mind was already finding some other excuses. So I learned that I need to keep promises, what I make to myself, and if I can't keep those promises, what I make for myself, I have to lower my own expectations. So during this time this year, I changed it. I usually aim to go into strength train two to three times a week, depending on week, but most of the time, if I have a lot of things going on, it's minimum per minimum is two times per week, and if it's a bit easier time, then I'm aimed for three times per week. And at the moment, it have been one. I have built one mobility workout in and during that time, it was nowhere near perfect. My workouts were 10 minutes long because there were days that I told myself that I don't have time. I don't have there is so many things like work and family and everything was going on. But I said that I have to get myself in into it, and my I have to get started. And that was the time when I I use those quick, 10 minute workouts. So my only rule, what I promised for myself was to change my workout clothes, go to my gym and do one exercise, so one set, and then after that, if I felt that I I can do more than I give myself permission that now I can stop but, and I never worked out longer than 20 minutes. So it was, it was, I felt kind of guilty of doing it, but, but then later, like when that season, busy season, got a little bit easier in February, I it was so much easier to start adding things more and do it a little bit longer workouts, aiming for two time, 3045, minute sessions, whatever it took. And that kind of changed everything. So it's it's so much easier when you don't and because that consistency throughout is it matters so much more that, that that was almost impossible for me to understand that actually it's not that perfect workouts where you make the progress, it's do that consistency you put into it, and during the year, because it's it's it. It was like, I know, if you have ever you have been athlete or something, it's it was, at least for me, it was always like, that good workout have to be an hour, hour, hour and a half or something, or it doesn't even count. And now older I'm getting, it's more about that consistency, at least doing at least something instead of nothing. And this is something like that you hear all over at least. I hear it all the time, but I never actually realized it. I didn't understand the power of consistency and reframing that success. So success was not to do the perfect amount of workouts, perfect linked of the workouts, it was just to show up and to get started. And this way, it makes everything so much easier. So this is how I like to 10 second second. But part, like what I already talked little bit, is to redefine the minimum effective of those. So ask yourself, like, what's the minimum I can do to keep momentum momentum? So instead of posting everything until life calms down, create a bare minimum plan. And like I said, For my example, that was two just getting started, two times per week, and that was the bare minimum. What I said that this I have to get or I knew that this, this is this I'm able to do. This is not too much. If I would say that three times per week, I probably would say that I that's already too much, that what is the point? And this is always where I where I start with, when I start working with the people. Because you can imagine everyone who decides to hire a coach, and I'm grateful if they choose me as their coach. And when people come to me, they are often very motivated, because you know, you are paying for service, for accountability, workout plan. So thought, I thought is always that I want to make most out of it, so now there is no point even starting if I can't make the perfect plan. But that's what I always say, that don't, don't aim for perfection, and even because my my job is not to get you to follow the perfect plan for certain period of time, it's to build habits. And usually, if you if we work together three months, six months, one year, who knows during that time, the plan is to that you are ready, you are willing, you know how things are going, and then at some point you don't need coach anymore, and that is ultimately always my goal, that you don't need to have a goal, that you are able to do it by yourself. But if you try to build it in, in that willpower method and just pushing through and getting the most results, it won't. It won't. Obviously, I'm I'm here to help, but you are not learning anything. And when I start working with the people, often, I have to say that what is what is the difference? If your goal is like, be realistic, like, what is the goal? If your goal is to ideally, you would work out three times a week, and that is a big goal, but you are like that. I could get it in the third one, but it's probably going to cause me lot more stress. Is that? Why? Why we don't start with the two and aim for that, that you are actually happy? Because what is the difference if you do two or three workouts? Obviously, you know that with three workouts, you might be able to see a little bit more progress, but if you have, like, that kind of little perfectionism inside of you like I have, how I feel if I if I aim for three workouts and I'm able to do only two, I'm not understanding to celebrate those two workouts, what I'm what I have been able to do, but I'm pissed off for myself that I missed the third one, and that's that's why I feel like that. I'm always behind. I'm not doing what I wanted to do, and there's a huge difference. If you aim for two workouts, you have always option to do, like as a third workout, as a as a extra workout, and how you feel about yourself, that makes huge difference. You hit your goal, you get two workouts in, and you were able to do even something extra when you get the third one in, and that is a huge mindset shift and and that is, keep it in mind. Then after one month, when you have been able to follow the plan, you are, you are, you can. We can always add one more system or reduce one system. It's never that. It have to be always that way. It's adjustable plan. And this is what I what I basically decide for myself every single week I look Sunday evening, my schedule for next week, and I'm going to decide that, okay, next week is looking like this, and that this is my plan. What is my bare minimum plan. It could be two times, 20 minutes ring session. It could be one walk. It could be focusing on only on pain and hydration. So of course, there is always something if you can't get workouts in, there is always something you can focus on and building those habits, because that those when you are able to keep those promises, what you make to yourself and that follow that bare minimum effective dose that gives you those wins, that you are building confidence that rather than guilt of falling off because that created you must, You try to, must try to create that kind of chaos, version of your regular routine, your plan B, and this is, this is so important in in a busiest period of periods of time. And then number three step. Number three is kind of stacking those winds and not pressure. So during busy seasons, fitness should be supportive, not another stressor. What is causing you to have even more stress? So focus those kind of small wins you can build on. So like I said, just simply getting dressed or workout, even if you don't feel like it, preparing just one healthy meal per day, going to pit 15 minutes earlier, because those every single small win, they are stacking, and that's how you build that momentum in chaos. And also, you have to learn to celebrate your efforts, not just outcomes, because what I see, what most people are missing, that they are not celebrating their efforts. They are just celebrating that outcome, like for example. Good example is that your goal is to lose weight. You are not celebrating those actions which are going to lead to that weight loss, but you are celebrating only when that scale is going down, and that is a huge mistake, because ultimately, you have to understand that it's, it's those actions that are going to create those outcomes. And if you don't, if you never celebrate your actions, it's, it's going to be so frustrating, because you see only outcome, and then if outcome, even outcome is going up, going in a way you like it go, it's you. You're going to feel frustrated at some point, because that progress is I, I barely never work with someone, or tells that, Oh, I I got it so much faster, because it's progress is almost always lots lower than you would like, but it's and it feels like almost always that you are working so hard but seeing so less results, and because You probably are comparing yourself with somebody in social media or somewhere. And the funny fact, as you probably know, in social media, you don't share those struggles. You share only wins, and now you see only wins from people. People don't, in general, like to like, I don't like to complain either, because I'm, I'm, I believe I'm very positive person, and if something is not going like a plant, I'm not sharing those in social media. But rather, you share your wins, how everyone everything is going well. So you have to learn to understand, to celebrate, because your brain is going to anyways. We are. Our thoughts are like 8070 80% are negative thoughts, and there is that positive, you will forget it like I mentioned earlier. You are not celebrating if you get your goal is to get three workouts in, but you are and you are doing two. You are not celebrating those two workouts, but you are more pissed off for yourself that you didn't get that third one in. So celebrating it gives that kind of course, if you for your brain, if you never understand, to celebrate that efforts, what you are doing, it's, it's going to be, it's going to be frustration where you end up, and you're going to going to feel frustrated all the time, and I just last week, we recorded a great episode with Leslie Logan. Talked about exactly the same thing. So if you didn't listen that episode already, check it out. And there are several Leslie shared, several ways how to celebrate your progress, like I my personal strategies are something like, especially if your goal is weight loss, fat loss, to celebrate it in some small way and not, not with the food. My example, like it's kind of food, but it's something like that. What I celebrate every after every single workout I drink my tasty protein, say after so it's just a small way. It supports my goals. But it's, there is always some kind of small celebration that, Wow, I did it. I was able to do it. And now I'm, I'm celebrating it. So it keeps your brain that also that needed dopamine, and it you have to do it right away after, like, not that if you did your workout that I celebrated tomorrow or next day, because then you forget it that what you were actually doing. But when you when it's just just a small thing right after, it could be high five. There are so many ways how you can, how you can celebrate your progress. That and Leslie shared very good ways how to celebrate it. So make sure you listen that if you are not sure how to celebrate your progress and your efforts and not just only outcomes. So the next, next thing with that you're planning during the cow so let that couch kind of shape your plan. So don't fight against your reality. Train with it. So for example, if you are traveling, do body weight circuits or exercises or use resistance bands. If you don't have access to gym, there is no, it's no like, like I said, just aiming to get started doing something like I yesterday, I had a long call with one of my clients, and what she did is that she was doing some push ups and every single day, like three sets of push ups and and how you are building habits. When you add them something what you are already doing, that's the best way to start building new habits, instead of aiming for some perfection. If you, let's say that you want to do just some push ups. If you are not able to do, like most women are not able to do, the real push ups, you use them. You use your hands elevated. You are doing them against the wall. Doesn't matter. Or you can, like, if you you, you aim to get the real push up. You can go, start with the normal push up, going down. It's called eccentric phase in fitness language, but going down with your knees high, and then dropping on your knees when you are kind of pushing yourself up. So those are small progressions, how you can actually get, and if you get every single day couple push ups in that's you are going to feel and realize amazing progress. How it's going to help you. Because more often you do something, more it helps. And it might feel like, if you are lifting weights, that doing some body weight squats doesn't do a lot, but it's often those signals, what you are telling to your body. It doesn't need to be you don't need to do like a very hard sets every single time. But if you do just some couple body weight squats or push ups, or whatever exercise you enjoy doing, and those are already telling to your body what you are telling to your body that this is the goal, this is the progress. What I'm aiming for, I'm aiming for building strength. I'm aiming for building a muscle, and when you just do them regularly, like, if you think that if you are someone, like, if you are, for example, personal trainer, or you have some pull up bar, and you do every single day, couple pull ups. Always when you pass the pull up place, where, where, where to stand, places to do pull ups. And you do every time, like, couple pull ups, that's gonna, you're gonna see amazing progress. So don't, don't think that it had to be kind of perfect and and there is always some kind of way how you can implement these things into your busy life. So if you have, if you other good example is that if you have kids at home, do some mobility exercises while they are or stretching while they are napping. So it's, it don't need to be that you don't need to change your workout loads or get the perfect workout in just some couple of stretches, mobility exercises. Well, I'm, I'm big believer, big fan, because those those things helps, because we are so sedentary and and it says that when you see that it could be also like, like, we talk like, I talked earlier about adding those things for something what you already do. So when kids are in a sleep, take one to five minutes to do your couple mobility exercises. Because mobility training is something that you can do always. It says that it's and a good mobility workout is one to seven minutes. So if you, if you don't have a lot of time, one minute mobility, whatever area you are struggling, you have a kind of issues could be your wrist could be your hips, could be your lower back, neck, shoulder area, just one two exercises and one to five minutes, and you have you have already done, done something, or if you are over overwhelmed at work, Walk while taking calls or stretch between the meetings. So all these small things, what you are already doing, what you don't necessarily probably even count for, for a workout, those matters so much, and if you have possibility to do like walking like that's changed for me. There is a walking batch I love to like, if I'm talking with the people. We have a course I like to walk while we are having a call. So it's all the time, like what you can do, and finding a ways what you can do, because there is so many different ways. And then kind of last reminder, consistency isn't perfect. So you have heard me say it before, consistency is doing something even imperfectly again and again. Missing a workout doesn't break your streak, quitting for three weeks does so you don't need motivation. You need a system that adjusts to your life. So it's it's because there is no finish line in this finish, this fitness, fitness journey. There is no deadline when it have to be done. It's just you have to have that kind of system in a place that access to your life. So let's wrap up this episode with few quick takeaways. This perfect progress lives in a messy middle, and you have to define your bare minimum or chaotic times and access to your plan, to your current life, not your ideal one, and stuck with small wins, focus on what you can do instead of what you can't, and give yourself for the give yourself credit for the effort, not just results. And if this hits home, share it with a friend who needs encouragement right now. And if you want helping, help building a flexible routine that adapts to your real life, check the show notes. I would love to support you. Until next time, train smart and stay steady even in the cows.