Here’s a fun fact you may not know about me: I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies! I’ve watched most of them many times because they’re fun, entertaining, and have great one liners. The casting is great and the actors do an amazing job at delivering their lines.

My favorite Avenger is Captain America (a.k.a Steve Rogers) because his moral compass aligns with mine. He’s always wanting to do the ethical thing and does his best not to judge others for their choices even when he doesn’t agree with them. This is why the Captain America movies (with the exception of the most recent one) are my favorite Marvel movies.

Aside from Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter is a character that admire because she’s a strong confident woman. She was a British MI6 agent which was uncommon for women in the 1940s. Now, I understand she’s a fictional character BUT I love the way she’s portrayed as a woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself. Plus, she has some inspirational lines in the movies that make me feel empowered as a woman.

“Compromise where you can. Where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say ‘No, you move’.” - Peggy Carter; as spoken by Sharon Carter in Captain America: Civil War

This is one that I absolutely love and here’s why. As women, we tend to make sure everyone else’s needs are taken care of before our own. While this sounds great in theory, it can create conflict within ourselves. A lesson I’ve learned over the years is that little to no boundaries in my personal and professional life helps others in the short term but does a disservice to me in the long run. This doesn’t just look like creating boundaries for others but for yourself too. When you do this, you show respect for yourself. Sometimes we need to stand up for ourselves to ourselves.

For example, if you continue to come up with excuses (time, energy, ability, know-how, and the list goes on…) not to fit a consistent exercise routine into your life even though you keep telling yourself you “should” workout, the solution could be as simple as creating a boundary for yourself. The excuses you tell yourself are a product of the programming that’s been ingrained in you for a while. You can think of it as your ego trying to protect you from harm. When you begin to stand up for yourself and change the story you tell yourself you will develop the ability to create boundaries to carve out time for self care workouts.

This can be challenging in the beginning if this is a new concept to you. It can be done in two simple steps.

Step 1

Write down every single reason why a consistent exercise routine is important to you. Focus on how being strong and mobile will benefit not only you but your family as well. There’s a common misconception that I hear way too often from women that exercise only benefits them so it’s a little on the selfish side. This could not be further from the truth. When you carve out time for yourself to exercise your mood improves, you have more energy, you’re more productive, you’re healthier, and you’re able to focus on taking care of your family when your cup is filled.

I know I’m a much happier and nicer person to my hubby when I carve out me time to workout. I say this tongue in cheek with humor and truth rolled into one. When I’m not moving my body frequently, whether it’s a strength training session, hike, or yoga, I tend to get grumpy and I feel anxious about the little things. On the other hand, when I prioritize my workout routine I feel better and have more energy to put into my relationship with my hubby. The positive energy in our home goes up and we’re able to live a more abundant life.

Step 2

Brainstorm ideas on how you can start implementing an exercise routine into your life. I know I say this a lot but it’s super important when creating sustainable habits. Start small. If you need to, schedule one workout session within the next week and write down how you’re going to follow through. How can you set yourself up for success and hold yourself accountable? This can be as simple as putting your shoes and workout clothes right next to your bed so you can put them on right after you wake up for a 15 minute morning walk. Or setting up your yoga mat before you leave for work in the morning so you can get started on your workout right when you get home in the evening.

Once you’ve established a routine that works for you that you feel confident about, you can add more workout sessions to your schedule. You can also add more challenging workouts to your routine such as strength training sessions or high intensity cardio sessions.

The bottom line is when we create boundaries for ourselves to prioritize our own health and fitness habits we’re able to be more to our family, friends, and colleagues. What’s one way you can prioritize your exercise routine in your life?

Need help figuring this out? Go here to book a free Wellness Strategy session and we’ll brainstorm ideas on how you can make this work in your life.