You’re sitting on the couch when you remember something very important: you were supposed to spend at least 15 minutes working out today. Your mind suddenly becomes flooded with excuses: “I can’t work out because…”
- “…it’s too late in the day now.”
- “…I forgot today so I’ll just do it tomorrow.”
- “…it’s so warm on the couch and I’m so comfortable.”
- “…I worked really hard today so that should count as a workout.”
- “…I really just don’t want to workout.”
No matter which is your go-to excuse, or if it’s even listed, here’s the harsh reality: you’re avoiding doing something you know you realistically should be doing, excuse or not.
It can be hard to motivate yourself to workout, but there are a lot of easily fixable solutions for some of these well-worn excuses. Here are a few tips to help get you off the couch and into those yoga pants (with the purpose of working out, not simply lounging around the house).
Make Working Out Easy
As a species, we have a tendency to want to outdo ourselves. We see ourselves as superhuman, capable of anything we can put our mind to! That’s great when it comes to building confidence, but not so great in practice. If you set your goals too high or your expectations at an astronomical level, it’s very easy to give up and bow out of exercise.
When you’re starting out, exercise should be something that’s essentially just another notch on your to-do list — it should be as easy as stopping by the grocery store to get milk on your way home. During your early phases of working out, make exercise simple so you get into a routine and adjust to the idea. Going too hard too fast will just make you want to throw in the towel that much quicker.
Change Your View On Exercise
You may just be too busy to workout. You think that there’s not enough time in the day, and if you DO have time to yourself, you’d like to do something that doesn’t make you sweat so much or tire so quickly. Instead of thinking of exercise like a chore you detest doing, think of it as a great way to spend some time alone with yourself. Exercising at home can actually be a great way to simply breathe and enjoy some company with me, myself and I.
Choose an Exercise Routine That’s Fun
Another rookie mistake is thinking all exercise has to be hard, monotonous and boring. The idea is to find an exercise that works for you — not just physically, but mentally. Some people enjoy the atmosphere of the gym and machinery, while others like to be alone in a natural space while doing yoga. Some like endurance running and feeling powerful, while others enjoy cardio exercises like jumping rope that take them back to their childhood.
Finally, the last exercise motivational tip is to simply put your mind to it and do it. You know it’ll be good for you and it’s only 15 minutes out of your day for now…that can’t be so bad, can it?
