Be fit, and maintain good state of mind

If you believe you are in a certain way, and act as if you are that way, that’s the way you’ll be.

Not long ago, education specialists decided to test this theory in the classroom. They discovered that when teachers believed certain students would do better in school—regardless of the pupils’ abilities—the students believed in themselves as well and achieved more than their peers. The educators dubbed this process “the Pygmalion effect.”

OK, so what does this have to do with fitness?

The idea that what you believe is what you’ll become can be a powerful training tool. If you know that the results you expect will influence the results you’ll get, then it’s time to start changing your expectations. Anticipate excellence, and you’re likely to experience it. Anticipate mediocrity, and you’ll manage to find some.

Remember that, and then apply it as follows.

Wipe the slate clean
What sort of person do you think you are? A great athlete, the kind of klutz who always got picked last, or maybe a former athlete who’s slowed down a little since his teen years? A thin guy? A heavy guy? Whatever it is, if your vision of yourself doesn’t jibe with the self you want to be, you need to change it.

Keep in mind that any negative expectations about your abilities could be mental remnants from high school gym class and may not have much to do with what your current potential is. If you believe you’re better at some activities than at others, or that you’re just not a sports kind of guy, it’s probably because you’ve never challenged those prejudices. So throw out your previous conceptions and begin fresh.

Start with this mantra: “I can play any sport/compete in any competition/become as fit as I want to. I just haven’t learned enough/trained enough/put enough time into it.” Then get into the gym and find a trainer who can help you push your limits. Find a sport that seems inviting and get someone to teach you how to play it well. You may not turn out to be Salman Khan, but you’re probably not "Relangi" (A well known, skinny telugu comedian) , either.

Be “that fit guy”
Being fit isn’t just a physical condition—it’s also a state of mind. If you believe you have great potential in the gym, you’re going to work out more. If you tell yourself you enjoy exercising, you’re a lot more likely to get moving every day.

Research shows that people who believe they’re exercisers are likely to become exercisers. In one study, Cardinal put people who saw themselves as couch potatoes on a 14-week workout program designed to change their “exercise identity.”

By the end, they had developed a self-image in which they saw themselves as exercisers. Not only did they want to keep working out, but they kept at it despite minor illnesses or time constraints that might have caused less-dedicated people to drop out. If you have a basic belief that you’re an exerciser and you encounter an obstacle, you’ll do what it takes to get by that obstacle.

There are specific things you can do to amplify your exercise identity. Join a sports team, especially one with its own uniforms, T-shirts or caps. Socialize with other people who work out frequently. As you become fitter, dress in clothing that shows off your improved physique. As silly as it may seem, just carrying around your gym bag will help you think of yourself as a jock.

The longer you keep at this, the more effective it will be. In fact, people who have been exercisers for at least five years keep at it not only for their own fitness, but because they see themselves as role models for other people to emulate.

Become a goal tender
Having the right goals is essential to taking on the mindset of an effective exerciser. Setting and achieving short-term goals becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: Not only does it feel good to bench 10 more pounds this week than you did last week, but you’re also increasing your confidence that you can achieve the gains you’re after. And long-term goals, such as dropping a waist size or running a marathon, give you something to work toward every day. You’re not just exercising for its own sake—you’re “in training.”

But while pushing yourself can be a confidence booster, it’s vital that you don’t set goals that are unrealistic. Aiming too high in the gym can lead to mistakes and injuries, or cause you to give up when your progress isn’t what you expected.

Whatever your goals are, you can keep them in focus by entering them in a logbook or a computer and tracking your progress. This will allow you to readjust your expectations when necessary, and also to congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Make it fun
If you drag yourself to the gym or out on a morning run because you think you have to, you’re a lot less likely to continue with your workout program when the going gets tough. Thinking of yourself as a lifelong exerciser, on the other hand, shows that you’ve learned to enjoy it.

How do you acquire that self-image? To start with, focus on the immediate benefits of training. Take note of the exercise high that happens when those endorphins kick in. Enjoy that pleasant blend of exhaustion and satisfaction following a great workout. When people think about how they feel before and after exercise, and if they keep track of it over time, they often find they’re feeling better than they initially suspected they would. Then they start to see those feelings in connection to their self-image as an exerciser.

Next, find a sport you really enjoy. Not only will participating provide you with regular exercise, but you’ll probably find yourself working out harder just to become a better player. We’ve all seen guys who will walk five miles while playing a game of golf because they find it so enjoyable, when you could never get them simply to go on a five-mile walk. And lots of people start playing sports to get in shape, but then start thinking, ‘I’ll be a better basketball player if I lift weights.’ They find reasons for doing it apart from just being healthy.

Bask in the benefits
The advantages of working out are even easier to see when you start getting into better shape: You’ll begin to look, feel and perform at your best. At that point, take some time to appreciate everything you can do now that you couldn’t do before. Then you’ll find that you really are the fit guy you’ve been telling yourself you are.

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