How to Get Your Workout Done (When You Really Don’t Want To)
It happens to all of us. You set your alarm to work out early but end up hitting the snooze button. You promise yourself that you’ll exercise after work, but by the time you’re off the clock, you feel drained. Or you lay out a plan to head to the gym, and then your schedule gets turned upside down.
We admire people that exercise every day, rain or shine, never fail. But working out when you really don’t want to is even more commendable. Let’s face it, anyone can work out when they’re in a groove, but it isn’t easy when your body feels like lead, or your mind is trudging through the day.
So how on earth do you get it done? Here are some tricks I use to get myself in gear when I’m stuck in a rut.
1. Set yourself up for success – Set out your workout clothes. Cue up that exercise video. Write down what you want to do at the gym. Nothing kills momentum like “where are my shoes?” or “I don’t know what I want to do.” Clear the path to success in advance so that you don’t have time to change your mind.
2. Tell others your plan – Do you hate going back on your word? Perfect. Tell a friend or colleague that you’re going to work out today, and thengo do it. I know you won’t let them down!
3. Work out with a friend – Find a workout buddy and make a pact to work out, and then rely on each other for support and motivation. Instead of thinking solely about how you must work out, think about how you also get to spend time with a friend that day!
4. Give it five minutes – So you absolutely positively don’t want to go run/bike/lift weights/etc? That’s fair. But can you just do five minutes’ worth? Chances are if you go to all that trouble to get out the door or get set up, af ter five minutes, you’ll want to keep going. But if the timer hits five and you are positively DONE, that’s okay too.
5. Make it a party – Do you have a great workout play list? If not, get started now! Think about the music that puts you in a good mood. It can be a favorite album or a curated playlist. Have that music ready to go for your work out and press play! Even if you spend more time dancing than squatting, movement is movement. Roll with it.
6. Take it down a notch – Did you plan a crazy-hard work out and now you are not feeling it? If your choices are either do it or do nothing, maybe choose something a little less ambitious? If you’re on a training schedule for a particular event, perhaps you can switch around your schedule to meet your body’s needs. But if you’re just feeling intimidated by your workout, why not let yourself off the hook? Recognize what you did, rather than worry about what you didn’t.
7. Think ahead – Think about how you feel after a workout; perhaps tired in a good way, refreshed, accomplished? Use those positive emotions to motivate you. You’ll feel them again if you just get through it.
Your relationship with fitness will always have ups and downs. Getting through the low periods will only make you stron ger, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I hope you can use these tips to keep fitness approachable and enjoyable. If you stick with it, you’ll not only get over the hump but with any luck you’ll experience less and less of them over time!
This article was originally published in Riviera Neighbors Magazine and is reprinted with permission