Today’s topic: How To Actually Do a Workout When You Just Can’t Seem to Make it Happen Despite Your Best Intentions, Knowing That You Would Feel Better if You Actually Did IT!

I am guessing at some point or another (perhaps right now), you can relate to this extra long ‘how to’ topic. Let’s talk about how to feel better exercising.

Perhaps each evening you say to yourself, “Tomorrow morning I will exercise. I will put on my sneakers and make it happen!”

Then you find that the morning gets eaten up by responding to emails, sleep, getting your kids out the door or cleaning your bathroom floor (It’s amazing what we will do to avoid moving our bodies!).

Whatever it is that is keeping you from getting in some exercise, I wanted to share a few things you can try to feel better exercising!

And please believe me when I say, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. As much as I love to move, I often battle with the long list of things I want to do in addition to exercise. Here are some of my best tricks to help you feel better exercising:

Commit to just 5 minutes

Working out doesn’t have to be all or nothing in terms of time. It’s not 30 minutes or no minutes. Commit to starting with something simple for 5-10 minutes. Whether it’s a youtube video, a quick walk around the block or you dance around your house, you may find that once you get started, you want to keep going. Of course, I recommend you join my Say it, Sweat it, Get it Challenge that starts this coming Monday to get free 5-minute workouts sent to your inbox!

Go for GOOD ENOUGH

Sometimes in order to feel like we accomplished something, we think we need this amazing, heart-pumping workout, where we reach a euphoric state. But I want you to completely change your thinking on this. Play with the idea that good enough is simply just that, good enough. Even a mediocre workout is better than none at all. Even a crappy workout is better than none. Eliminate the idea that a workout has to be AH-MAZING in order to be good. If you did it, it’s perfect!

Get Social

If you know you will get things done when someone is counting on you, you are not alone. Most of us operate this way. So it’s surprising that we don’t use this concept of accountability to our advantage in all areas of our lives. Using your friends (or even a online group) can change the game for you. Plus, working out is a great way to connect with friends or meet new people. Take a class with a friend or go for a walk together. If you DO sign up for the Challenge, I encourage you to invite a pal so you can do it together. Commit to getting social with your workouts.

Change Your Intention Around It

It’s easy to fall into thinking that working out should ONLY be about changing your body and losing weight. It’s what most fitness marketing is geared towards. But if you’ve known me for any length of time, you know that I believe that movement in your body creates movement in your life. So instead of your workout being about your body, what if instead it was about STEPPING INTO YOUR POWER or INCREASING YOUR ABILITY TO RECEIVE SUPPORT or GETTING STRONGER AS A PARENT OR BUSINESS OWNER. With every lunge, squat or bicep curl, put a new intention in your mind’s eye. Make it about your life, not just your body.

Try Something New

If you have a regular exercise routine and you are not feeling jazzed about it in the least, ya gotta switch it up. Between you and I, in addition to teaching Shrink Session, I LOVE to mix up my workouts. Sometimes I go through spin phases or yoga or weight training. But the minute I start to absolutely dread any of these, I switch it up to something that excites me.

Put aside your sadness

Often times we don’t want to work out because we are feeling a little blue. While I am all for embracing your feelings, I think that sometimes it can be valuable to set your feelings aside for 20 minutes in order to do something good for your mind and body. Usually that 20 minutes or so of movement will actually help to improve whatever sadness you have and help to change your state of mind.

Set yourself up for success

Planning to go for a walk first thing tomorrow morning? Lay out your clothes and your sneakers the night before—maybe right by your bedside—so it’s the first thing you see when you open in your eyes in the morning. This gives you no choice but to slip into some clothes that will make you want to exercise.

Now over to you!

Let me know in the comments which of these you think you’ll try. I promise, you’re going to feel better once you get your sweat on.

Love,
Erin