Barrier 5: No support system at home
Have you heard of the phrase "couples that train together, stay together"? Well even though that may be true for some people, it can have the exact opposite effect on other relationships.
If one partner is obsessed with exercise and spends hours at a time outside of the home, this can cause the other half to resent the "healthy" habit. There is even a term called "exercise widow" where one partner will spend lots of time alone (or with kids) while the other person works on themselves - and that's an issue. More and more couples therapists are claiming that exercise obsessions are driving couples to their offices.
People who don't grow WITH each other, grow apart
SOLUTION 5: Communicate and compromise.
As the dedicated fitness person - you also need to understand that hours away from the family doesn't represent a great balance for everyone. Here are some ideas:
- Cut down training time
- Make promises to have days off for important family occasions
- Be realistic about your training volume vs your goals (More doesn't always mean better)
- Can you explore any activities/exercise that you would enjoy together?
As the "exercise widow":
- Communicate of the importance of physical and mental health for the family - not just the individual
- Try to get involved an activity/goal that you can share with your partner or friends
- Support your partner (as much as is fair) in their fitness pursuits.
Barrier 6: Too much travel
This could actually be an entire post by itself, but lets keep it brief. Too much travel is a huge barrier/complaint from frequent flyers. Does this sound like you?
"Too much travel is killing my exercise regime"
"I can't eat consistently healthy when on the road"
"I have no time for exercise when im away with work"
"I don't know where to go when landing in X city for training"
"Im too tired to exercise when travelling"
Stretching and Mobility mini-sessions are becoming popular in airports
SOLUTION 6: Planning nutrition and movement
Nutrition - You must plan ahead if you want to stay on-track with your eating when travelling. Have an idea of what's coming up and make provisions for those moments:
- No healthy options at airport? Eat something at home
- No healthy options on the plane? Bring some nuts and a protein bar/sanck with you
- Search for suitable places to eat online before you travel
- Make sure to drink plenty of water
If you're stuck just MAKE THE BEST CHOICE YOU CAN, its not the end of the world.
Eating healthy 'on-the-move' doesn't need to be complicated
Movement - Plan to move as much as you can while you're away. Plan your time and create some exercise opportunities:
- Wake up early and go for run or do a 20minute HIIT style session in the hotel room
- Search for gyms/classes online beforehand and book into a class
- Walk everywhere (if suitable) and discover new places.
- Spend 10 minutes stretching in your hotel room
There will inevitably be disruptions to you exercises regimes when travelling. Focus on moving as much as possible and make the better choices when fuelling yourself with food and drinks and you'll handle that long weekend or business trip way better than before.
Barrier 7: Delaying until holidays are finished
Saying that you'll wait to do get fit until after a holiday period is a pretty dumb idea - especially when there is a 3-4 week period before that holiday starting. Many people will stop training on the eve of holidays and claim 'there is no point' or that its 'Party season' - while that may be true, it's exactly the reason why it's key to keep active throughout.
SOLUTION 7: Start now
A much better idea is to start now (or keep going if you've already been training), build some solid new habits and carry them through the holiday season. Lots of people take (3-4 week) breaks of indulgence and almost always end up back to square 1 with their weight loss goals, fitness, etc. even worst than before. By all means, have a break but its a better idea to be CONSISTENT and active through the holiday periods for better long term success in your health and fitness goals.
Have you experienced any of the barriers above? How did you deal with them? Answer in the comments and lets start a conversation on this.
If you think this could be valuable to someone, share it with friends.
Stay fit and healthy,
Nathan