Cultivating Self-Trust During Your Fitness Journey

The new year is in sight, and we see promises of new beginnings all around us. People are setting lofty goals, vowing to make a change for the better, and choosing action steps that will help them make a lasting change.

However, within a few weeks, excuses start to set in for many of us, especially when we don’t see progress in the amount of time that we’d like. We miss a workout, go overboard on appetizers at a party, or spend one too many nights in a row enjoying takeout. Self-defeating thoughts start to creep in. We may wonder why we bother if we always revert to old behaviors, or why we shouldn’t just do what feels good in the moment when we aren’t making progress anyway.

This can cause many to give up on their efforts before fully giving them a chance.

Self-trust—a sense of confidence in your ability to stay true to your word—can be a successful first line of defense against the defeatist thinking that can cause us to throw in the towel before reaching personal goals. Fitness Together® studios believe in teaching you how to stick to the behaviors necessary to meet your goals, creating an increased sense of self-confidence and self-trust that can keep you moving forward even when things get tough.

Let’s dive in.

What is Self-Trust?

To understand self-trust and its importance in helping you move forward in your fitness journey, it can be helpful to understand what makes you trust someone else.

Imagine you have a friend who shows up late when you have plans, if they show up at all. When you call or text them, they respond… sometimes. When you ask them for a ride to the airport, you know there’s a decent chance that you’ll need to order an Uber.

In contrast, think about a friend you can trust. They show up on time. If, for some reason, they’re late, they let you know immediately and arrive as soon as possible. When you need them, they’re there. When they say they’re going to show up, you don’t give it a second thought—you know they’re true to their word.

When it comes to how you treat yourself, are you more like the first friend, or are you like the second friend?

We gain self-trust by treating ourselves the way we’re treated by the second friend. When we say we’re going to do something, we know we can trust ourselves to follow through. If we promise ourselves that we’re going to engage in behaviors that lead to change, we know we can trust ourselves to show up. When a roadblock appears, we find the most efficient way to get around it and move forward, rather than making excuses.

In times when things get hard, you’d call the second friend—not the first. This idea holds true when it comes to self-trust as well. When you hit a roadblock and you have self-trust, you don’t give in and give up. You know your commitments, you know that you do what you say you’re going to do, and you find a way to keep your promises to yourself.

Self-trust isn’t about being perfect. Rather, it’s about knowing that you’re going to stick to what you said you were going to do, no matter what.

Self-Trust and Fitness

In time, healthy behaviors become habits that we don’t think about—much like brushing our teeth or doing the dishes. When we’re not in a place that we’d like to be when it comes to wellness, this means that we aren’t regularly practicing the habits that can make us feel our best. We need to change some of our behaviors in order to help improve our health.

This means we need to trust ourselves to follow through with change, even when we don’t see immediate results. Each time we do this, self-trust grows, making it easier to stick to our guns the next time we’re tempted to give up.

It sounds simple, but it’s often more easily said than done.

When we aren’t seeing the progress that we’d like as quickly as we’d like, it’s easy to unintentionally sabotage our efforts. The scale isn’t moving, so why not stop at the drive-through for a pick-me-up? The strength gains we wanted aren’t happening, so why not skip the workout and binge watch a reality TV series instead? Nothing is wrong with either of those behaviors on occasion. When they become the habit—not the exception—it’s easy for us to lose trust in ourselves.

Let’s take a look at some of the strategies we can use to build self-trust during a fitness journey.

Make Appointments—and Stick to Them.

Sometimes, it can be easier to stay true to ourselves when that requires us to stick to our commitments to others. Setting up appointments with a personal trainer, signing up for a group fitness class, or committing to a running or walking club can all help you get started with following through with activities that support your health. Regular personal training sessions or group meetings can help you develop a habit that becomes a part of your daily life. At Fitness Together studios, it’s important that you feel better when you walk out of our doors than when you came in. We believe that when a habit makes you feel great, it’s easier to stick with it!

Set Yourself Up for Success.

Providing yourself with the tools you need to succeed matters, and doing so is paramount to increasing your ability to follow through. It’s much easier to stick to eating well when your fridge is stocked with fruits and veggies, just like it’s much easier to call up DoorDash when you come home to an empty kitchen.

When you take the time to set yourself up for success, you’re showing that you believe in your ability to stick to the plan. When you hit the grocery store so that you can meal prep for the week ahead, you’re investing both your time and money in your belief that you’ll stick to your plan.

Embrace the Pause.

When we’re working to create positive changes in our lives, there’s a moment of pause that exists between an impulse and an action. Noticing this pause is especially valuable when we’re considering not following through, as this can harm the self-trust that we’re working hard to build throughout this process.

When you’re walking the uphill battle required to create lasting change, you might experience thought patterns that sound like:

“It doesn’t matter if I miss this session. I’m tired, I should probably rest.”

“I’m really craving fast food, and I’m supposed to listen to my body, so it’s probably what I need.”

In the momentary pause after thoughts like this, you have a choice. You can choose the option that moves you closer to your goals, or the option that keeps you where you’re at. In the pause, you can decide that actually, you committed to a session, and even if you can’t work as hard as you can when you’re well-rested, you can follow through and give it your best. In the pause, you can remind yourself that if you’re craving fast food, you’re likely in need of calories, and choosing a nutrient-dense option will give you the fuel you need while pushing you closer to where you want to go.

It can take some practice to embrace the pause, but each time you do, you may realize that you can make the choice to stick to the promises you’ve made yourself.

Notice the Change.

As you continue to show up for yourself, you may notice that the thoughts that lead you to wonder whether you’ll stick to your desired behaviors dissipate. Staying true to what you told yourself you’re going to do becomes who you are—not just a choice that you’re making. Notice as your mind starts to shift from questioning whether you’ll follow through to figuring out how you’re going to follow through, despite the obstacles that inevitably enter your path.

More and more, you’ll see that you’re becoming the second friend. You won’t have to wonder whether you’ll meet your goals, rather, you’ll strategize how you’re going to get there.

Fitness Together Studios Are Here to Help You Move Forward, One Healthy Decision at a Time.

Learning to trust yourself to stick to the behaviors you need to move your health journey forward can take some time, and you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Working with a personal trainer can help you learn how to stay the course during difficult times in and out of the gym. Studios are here to support you every step of the way toward becoming your healthiest, happiest version of yourself.

Setting up sessions with a personal trainer at Fitness Together studios can help you prove to yourself that, yes, you can decide to get healthy—and stick with it. When you walk into a Fitness Together studio, you’ll feel right at home. A warm, friendly, encouraging, supportive atmosphere allows personal trainers to meet you where you’re at, whether you’re just getting started or have been working out for years and want to take your wellness to the next level. You can do this—and studios can help. Reach out to your local Fitness Together studio to get started today, and we’ll see you soon!