Establishing and Committing to a Long-Term Fitness Routine

The core of fitness has always been connected to a goal. With each having varying objectives, fitness is a flexible term that serves as a way to stay committed to a purpose. Fitness highlights the willingness to do the work–aligning actions with intentions.  This is how it becomes a form of commitment as there is a need to recognize what it entails for the individual. This is also how motivation would be formed–the only way to be formed is that intent is always needed to gain determination.  

Instead of looking at it as a goal, Gale Tobin prefers to perceive fitness as a journey to achieving a quality life. This allows her to view it as a part of her daily routine, a natural way of life wherein it signifies taking responsibility for the internal body more than the need to improve the external body. It is through being and staying healthy that she gets to fuel her growth as an individual. Despite being occupied with other endeavors in life, adherence to a healthy lifestyle continues to persist through formed habits.  

Perspective on health and fitness 

Success lies within the mindset. Fully understanding a pursuit is a crucial part of building effective habits. These are all interconnected as it is through recognition that actions would mean more than simple acts. The lack of it would neglect the essence of any concept or desire. If objectives are only done for the sole purpose of an end goal, then it would only create short-term practices. 

This is how Tobin perceives her health and fitness routine. When she sets a goal, she guarantees that she is connected to it in a way that nourishes her approach in life. The behind-the-scenes should match the surface level of things–meaning, inner workings should be genuine for it to transpire effectively. As a goal-achiever, I want to enjoy every process that comes with the reward as it displays my capability to construct habits that apply to every aspect of my life. The approach to a healthy lifestyle itself sustains these habits. 

Prioritizing yoga but enjoying various sports 

Gale Tobin loves yoga but she also engages in other sports such as running, swimming, skipping, pilates, and weightlifting. The variety keeps the fitness routine entertaining. The variety of workouts keeps the fitness routine entertaining. While her main style of yoga is Ashtanga, she still enjoys attending different yoga classes. This is how she developed flexibility and gained strength over the years.  

Moreover, doing other sports is essential as her body is already used to her yoga practice. This makes it fun while having the advantage of training various muscle groups. In the same way, this would avoid the possibility of hitting a plateau wherein doing the same training would hamper progress. Another advantage is meeting more people in the health and fitness community. Working out becomes more exciting when done with people that encourage growth. They are also the ones who may have the same mindset or have a similar perspective on having a healthy lifestyle–making it easier to adhere to the fitness routine.  

Considering that she is a yoga instructor, she needs to strengthen every muscle group since yoga involves maintaining balance, flexibility, cooperation, and endurance. Having this in mind certainly contributes to that sense of responsibility. 

Creating a plan and schedule 

Fitness calendars function as a way to stick to the routine. This lets her know what kind of training she has to accomplish for the week so that she would recognize how she would fit it into her work and family schedule. While it is not easy to juggle between tasks, acknowledging that health is a priority makes it easier to commit to it.  

A workout plan also motivates her in a way that gives her something to look forward to. This is similar to how she approaches various gym classes–keeping it entertaining. She is not only able to track her progress but also stay disciplined in her fitness routine. 

Figuring out what works 

Once the plan has been set and done, identifying what works to one’s advantage follows. It is significant to have an idea of what kind of exercise or sport enhances a positive mindset for fitness routines. Doing an exercise that she does not enjoy would only affect her motivation; she would rather commit to something that contributes to her intentions as it caters to her interests.  

This is how the importance of scheduling comes into play. If Tobin is packed with work tasks for the day, she would plan an evening workout–vise versa. It may matter if she is a morning or evening person but what matters more is that she is willing to stick to her fitness routine. Moreover, having this perception enables her to accomplish tasks more efficiently.  

A healthy lifestyle is accompanied by the will to put in the work. It takes more than short-term goals to commit to this because the lifestyle itself is a never-ending process. It takes not only patience but also determination to adhere to a fitness routine. Certainly, it is significant to view every effort as an indication that healthy habits are being formed.

Originally published at https://galetobin.com on October 20, 2021.