My favorite postal worker came by my office today to drop off some packages. I had the pleasure of speaking with her for a few moments while she was on her morning delivery run.

She excitedly told me how she had signed up for a new gym which was re-opening, and how she was going to meet her friend there after work to learn some new exercises.

She asked me “Lee, how often should I work out?”

I responded that it depends on several factors, but one of the most important is to consider is your daily schedule. Think about how a workout program would fit in with all of your daily activities. How many times a week is it realistic for you to work out? And can you commit to that number of workouts per week?

I find that a lot of beginners are well-intentioned and jump headfirst into a workout program, desiring to get into the gym every day.

But soon after, they get tired, or the realities of their daily schedule catch up with them. And then it becomes an all-or-nothing proposition, and they drop out. But… sometimes doing what you can, is better than doing nothing at all.

What I feel works best for beginners is to start out slowly, committing to no more than three workouts per week. Once they get acclimated to this, then they can add workouts as their schedule and their desire permits.

It’s better to commit to three 30-minute workouts per week, than two haphazardly-performed, one-hour workouts several times during one week; and no times the next week.

How do you develop the motivation to get started and stay on the right track?

They say that it takes about 30 days to develop a new habit. So, when starting out on a new workout program it will take a few weeks before you get used to it and it becomes part of your regular schedule.

I would encourage you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone during this time, and “make” yourself stick to it. You will find over time that it gets easier, and your workouts become a habit.

We could all take away a particularly important observation from this however…

Here it is:  consistency is the key to making long-term changes in your body and health. Reaching your fitness goals is not an overnight endeavor. The steady approach will get your where you want to go.

I am 60 years young and have been working out since I was 16 years old. I still train with weights almost every day, and on days that I do not, I do cardio.

I also eat a clean diet, but it’s not restricted calorically. Which means I’m never hungry. I eat as much as I want of clean foods: lots of fish, chicken, and dairy, lots of fruits and vegetables, rice, yams and oatmeal, and I try to stick with whole foods. When I’m in a hurry and can’t sit down to eat, I drink my Lean Body shakes with 40g of protein and zero sugar. Nothing too fancy, just good nutrition.

Consistency is the key. Find what works for you, schedule it into your daily routine, and then stick with it long enough to make it a habit.  Over time, consistency will pay off with steady results.

If you are out of shape, acknowledge that it took you a long time to get out of shape. You got out of shape by consistently doing the wrong things and developing the wrong habits. Now, you have an opportunity to develop the right habits, and by acting on them consistently and patiently, you will get into shape.

You can do it! This week, recommit yourself to consistently working your exercise and nutrition program.

Make it a great week.

Yours for a Healthy Lean Body,