One of the areas that a lot of people struggle with is having the motivation to exercise consistently.
You may have an exercise session planned, and even promised yourself that you are going to do it. However, as the time comes closer, you change your mind and just don’t feel like it.
So what I’m going to do today is help you to exercise on days when it feels like a chore or you’d rather stay at home on the sofa.
Now the first thing to accept is that there are definitely going to be days when you don’t feel like exercising and it’s a real struggle to get motivated. It happens to everyone and I’ve experienced this myself many times over the years.
So the question is… How do we get over it and still exercise?
Firstly I’d like you to think about the type of thoughts that you have on days when you don’t feel like exercising. For most people, it’s usually things like…
- “I feel too tired today”
- “I don’t really feel like it right now”
- “I can’t be bothered”
- “I haven’t got enough time”
- “What’s the point I’m not getting fitter / getting healthier / losing weight / looking any better?”
- “I will exercise tomorrow instead” (How often does this actually happen?)
Can you see how all these thoughts come from a negative mindset?
It’s thinking more in terms of excuses and negative thinking, and this makes it a LOT less likely that you’re actually going to do your exercise, even though really you could do it.
Remember that everyone does this, it’s just that some people do it more than others.
So rather than thinking about reasons not to exercise, and reasons why you can’t exercise, there are two great things you can do instead.
1. Think about how you will feel if you DON’T exercise
The first question to ask yourself is, “What if I don’t exercise today?”
Just what are you going to feel like if you don’t do your exercise today?
The chances are you are going to feel a bit disappointed with yourself and think things like “Maybe I should have gone” or “Why didn’t I do it?” or “I could have done it really?”
You may also feel a bit down, knowing that you’ve wasted another day where you could have got in your exercise and taken another step towards improving your health and fitness, or losing weight.
So when you don’t do your exercise, it usually keeps you in a negative frame of mind for all the rest of the day. You haven’t got anywhere. You haven’t achieved anything with your exercise. But you know you could have!
2. Think about how you will feel if you DO exercise
The next question to ask yourself is, “What if I do exercise today?”
What are you going to feel like if you get out of the house and you do your exercise today?
Well, the chances are that you are going to complete your exercise session and you’ll feel a lot better about yourself. You’ll also have more energy and feel much better for the rest of the day.
You will feel so glad that you did your exercise because you know what? You didn’t feel like doing your exercise today but you did it anyway, and you feel great that you’ve taken another step closer to the health, fitness, weight, and body that you want.
You have overcome that little voice in your head that holds you back, and now you can enjoy the rest of the day feeling positive and knowing that you’ve achieved something.
You always feel better after exercise
After exercising for many years, I can say that I always come back feeling a lot better and happier with myself than I did before. It feels great knowing that I’ve actually got out there and done it.
I might go feeling tired and feeling a bit negative and thinking “I don’t really want to exercise today”, but I always come back feeling much more alive. Really it’s very much like starting a new and positive day!
So you might not feel like exercising and even feel a bit negative about it, but when you do your exercise you’ll often feel loads better. It can even turn your whole day around.
You don’t spend the whole day in a negative frame of mind. Instead you push yourself to do your exercise, and then you spend the rest of the day feeling much more positive.
You can do it as well
On days when you don’t feel like exercising try not to make excuses and stay in that negative mindset.
Instead remind yourself that if you don’t exercise then you’re not going to feel very good about yourself and that feeling is just going to carry on through for the rest of the day.
Also remember that if you DO exercise, then it’s going to make you feel much more alive and it’s going to turn your day around. You can now feel great about yourself for the rest of the day.
Plus your exercise will also move you towards your goals and the things that are important to you. You’ve taken another positive step closer towards the health, fitness, weight, and body that you want.
So exercise and feel better today!
James Porter