Avoiding Inevitable Pitfalls and Lapses in Your Exercise Routine
August 2, 2010
Avoiding Inevitable Pitfalls and Lapses in Your Exercise Routine
© www.FitTraining.net
By Linda T. Gottlieb, MA, CPT, CET
Maintaining an exercise program over the long term may be the greatest challenge facing a new exerciser. Starting an exercise program is difficult enough, but keeping one going can rank up there with winning the lottery.
Far too often, a minor slip in your exercise program leads to the feeling that your program is doomed to failure. The guilt produced by one slip can make you susceptible to more slips, and can ultimately lead to the attitude that all is lost.
Though this may paint a gloomy picture, don’t lose hope – there are ways to turn the tables. You can identify and learn from these instances and use solid strategies for dealing with likely slips or lapses when they occur.
Distinguishing Lapse, Relapse and Collapse
Most exercisers have started and ended an exercise program many times, often corresponding with the start of the New Year. Some bounce back and use the slip as a signal to restructure their program and get back on track. It is more common, however, for the slip to cause a negative emotional reaction (guilt and despair) which builds until the exerciser determines that their program has become a failure.
A lapse is a slight error or slip, the first instance of backsliding. It is a discreet event like missing a series of exercise sessions when you are sick, or not making enough time to exercise while you are away on vacation.
Relapse occurs when many lapses string together and the person returns to his or her former state of inactivity.
When relapse is complete, there is little hope of reversing the trend. Collapse has occurred.
The most important message is that, A LAPSE DOES NOT A RELAPSE MAKE. The exerciser who can view a lapse for what it is - a short-term detour in their exercise program - will be prepared to respond positively to life’s inevitable setbacks.
Coping with Lapses
Lapses are inevitable. It is a rare person that has not experienced some problems maintaining a consistent exercise program. The issue is not whether the lapses occur, but how we react after they occur. .
Step 1: Stop, Look and Listen
A lapse is a signal of impending danger, like a train signal at a railroad crossing. Think: why are you having a tough time sticking with your exercise plans?
Step 2: Stay Calm
If you start to feel guilty or blame yourself for the lapse, the situation may get worse. You may conclude that you have no discipline and will never be successful at maintaining an exercise program. Try to separate yourself from the situation and view it as an outside observer would – that one lapse does not prove failure. Maintaining a positive attitude makes the following steps easier.
Step 3: Renew Your Commitments to your Exercise Program
Take some time to think about how far you have come, remind yourself of the progress you have made and how sad it would be if you let one lapse cancel out all of your hard work. Renew the commitments you made when you began your exercise program.
Step 4: Analyze the Lapse Situation
Instead of blaming yourself for getting off track, use the situation to learn what kinds of circumstances or events place you at risk. Are these situations related to certain feelings, people, changes in work or home schedule, illness, vacation, etc.? Did you do anything to plan for these situations? Did it work? Why or why not? What thoughts did you have when the situation occurred?
Step 5: Take Charge Immediately
Once you realize that a lapse has occurred, leap into action with some planned techniques. Plan your next exercise session into tomorrow’s schedule or take dance or yoga class. Don’t wait - be decisive. Waiting creates more time for guilt to take hold, which will make it more difficult to get back on track.
In my next blog, I’ll help you prevent relapses with some additional strategies.
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