“I will start next week” is one of the most famous lines used by many of us when planning physical activity. For some persons, that week never comes and for others, it is usually pushed back for months. Then, there are other times when we find ourselves in a cycle of starting and stopping which puts us in a toxic relationship with physical activity. Does this mean that we have commitment issues? Why can’t we be consistent? How can we end this toxic relationship and foster a healthy environment between ourselves and physical activity?
Before we can find solutions to our commitment issues, we need to sit with ourselves and really think about the barriers that prevent us from being consistent. Common barriers include lack of motivation, financial constraints, low energy, lack of time and social support. It is likely that we experience one or multiple of these barriers at the same time in our lives and it is important to be real with ourselves and acknowledge their presence. Acknowledgement is one of the first steps in finding a sustainable solution. When we try to ignore them, we create temporary fixes which often result in that toxic cycle previously mentioned. For example, if you work long hours or spend a considerable amount of time commuting to and from work but insist on pushing yourself to workout every evening for one hour when you’re completely exhausted, this can eventually lead to fatigue and result in a lack of motivation to keep going. The solution here should not be to force yourself to workout every day for a long period of time knowing that you’re physically and mentally exhausted.
So then, how do we find solutions that are sustainable?
Firstly, we need to understand that it is not a one size fits all when it comes to being active. A strategy that may work for your friend or relative may not work for you.
Find what works for you. If you are exhausted by the end of the day during the week, try doing a quick workout in the morning before work. If this isn’t possible, try a shorter period at the end of the day. Also, no need to push yourself to exercise every day (unless you can). Instead, aim for 1-2 days during the week and leave the more intense and longer duration workouts for weekends when you have more time and energy.
Do something you love. Exercising should not feel like a chore, and you should not be bored during workouts! Find something that you enjoy and that you’re passionate about. It could be anything from running to spin classes or even showing off those dance moves in Zumba classes. Whatever it is, make sure that it is something that you look forward to each week. This would help with staying motivated, and with pushing yourself to make progress. If you don’t already have an activity that you really enjoy, try a few different ones until you find one that makes you excited.
Reward yourself. All that effort and no reward? Every little improvement should be celebrated. Did you run an extra 5 minutes today? Did you lift heavier than last week? Did walk a longer distance? Did you show up for yourself today when you probably didn’t want to?
Be kind to yourself. A healthy relationship with physical activity is a journey and you should be kind to yourself in the process. There will be times when it will be difficult to stay consistent and that’s okay. Just try your best and if a routine isn’t working anymore, restructure it to work for you.
Let’s stop procrastinating and get moving today!