maybe not the last one, but we’ve all had one or more of those thoughts cross our mind when contemplating exercise. In 20 years of working out I’ve noticed that most people who get on the slippery slope of making excuses not to exercise quickly slide all the way down that slope into a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle.
So what did I do? I dragged myself out of bed, ate something, and left for the gym. During the 15 minute drive I kept telling myself that I would just get through it, nothing more. Lighter weights, maybe fewer sets, but at least I would go and do something.
Once I got there and saw the weights and smelled the smells and heard those familiar sounds something stirred inside me and I knew that I really wanted to be there and to give it my all. By the time it was over we had one of the best leg workouts in recent memory.
It’s easy to exercise when you’re feeling good and have lots of energy, but it’s most important to exercise when you’re not so energetic and not in the mood. Those are the times when it’s easiest to slip back into bad habits and to undo many of the gains you’ve worked so hard for.
You don’t feel like exercising? So what!
So You Don't Feel Like Exercising
Get up and do something!
In my experience the number one cure for that problem is to get up and do something. Even if you don’t want to do a normal workout, do something. Once you get up and get moving you will likely feel like doing more and quite possibly you will forget that you didn’t want to exercise. Some of the best workouts I’ve ever had started with me thinking I was only going to walk through the front door and stand there.
Besides forcing yourself to do something, here are a couple other suggestions that have worked well for me over the years:
Have a training or accountability partner. I would have skipped the gym many times if Frank wasn’t expecting to meet me there.
Reward yourself. Promise yourself a little treat if you get up and exercise. Rewards are a powerful motivator.
Try something new or different. Maybe you’re in a rut. Go for a bike ride instead of a run. Jump into a kettle bell class instead of your normal aerobics class. There are an infinite number of ways to get exercise, don’t become too rigid or locked in on a few.
A word of caution.
If you are feeling tired, worn out, listless, or otherwise blah, it’s possible you are over trained. Over training is a serious problem that results from doing too much physical activity without enough time for rest and recovery. I’ve experienced it more times than I care to share, but it was my fault for letting things get that bad.
If you suspect you are over trained, you need rest, then you need to change up your exercise routine.
Remember, we all have bad days, how we chose to handle them makes all the difference.
If you like what you’ve read, please sign up for our free newsletter where we give you more great tips, advice, and motivation beyond what’s on our website. It’s totally free and there’s no obligation to you.
So what did I do? I dragged myself out of bed, ate something, and left for the gym. During the 15 minute drive I kept telling myself that I would just get through it, nothing more. Lighter weights, maybe fewer sets, but at least I would go and do something.
Once I got there and saw the weights and smelled the smells and heard those familiar sounds something stirred inside me and I knew that I really wanted to be there and to give it my all. By the time it was over we had one of the best leg workouts in recent memory.
It’s easy to exercise when you’re feeling good and have lots of energy, but it’s most important to exercise when you’re not so energetic and not in the mood. Those are the times when it’s easiest to slip back into bad habits and to undo many of the gains you’ve worked so hard for.
You don’t feel like exercising? So what!
So You Don't Feel Like Exercising
Get up and do something!
In my experience the number one cure for that problem is to get up and do something. Even if you don’t want to do a normal workout, do something. Once you get up and get moving you will likely feel like doing more and quite possibly you will forget that you didn’t want to exercise. Some of the best workouts I’ve ever had started with me thinking I was only going to walk through the front door and stand there.
Besides forcing yourself to do something, here are a couple other suggestions that have worked well for me over the years:
Have a training or accountability partner. I would have skipped the gym many times if Frank wasn’t expecting to meet me there.
Reward yourself. Promise yourself a little treat if you get up and exercise. Rewards are a powerful motivator.
Try something new or different. Maybe you’re in a rut. Go for a bike ride instead of a run. Jump into a kettle bell class instead of your normal aerobics class. There are an infinite number of ways to get exercise, don’t become too rigid or locked in on a few.
A word of caution.
If you are feeling tired, worn out, listless, or otherwise blah, it’s possible you are over trained. Over training is a serious problem that results from doing too much physical activity without enough time for rest and recovery. I’ve experienced it more times than I care to share, but it was my fault for letting things get that bad.
If you suspect you are over trained, you need rest, then you need to change up your exercise routine.
Remember, we all have bad days, how we chose to handle them makes all the difference.
If you like what you’ve read, please sign up for our free newsletter where we give you more great tips, advice, and motivation beyond what’s on our website. It’s totally free and there’s no obligation to you.
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