I was watching a cool documentary this weekend called “Stutz” on Netflix. In it, the therapist tells Jonah Hill that 85% of healing yourself is focusing on your body.
With this said, I thought I would write about “How to work out when you don’t feel like it” – because here in Missoula, it’s freezing cold and I don’t know about you – but I don’t feel like it today!
So let’s do it. Let’s work on our body.
Get Moving: Tips for Working Out Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
We’ve all been there; you want to work out, but you don’t feel like it. The urge to stay in bed and watch Netflix instead of going to the gym is strong, but you know that getting up and moving can do wonders for your health, both mentally and physically. So how do you motivate yourself to exercise when you don’t feel like it? Here are a few tips to help get your butt off the couch and into the gym.
Prioritize Your Workouts
If working out isn’t a priority in your life, chances are it won’t happen at all. Make sure that exercise is part of your daily or weekly routine by setting aside specific times for workouts so that they become habitual. This will help make them a regular part of your life, making it easier to stick with them even on days when you don’t feel like it.
Some people like to jump right out of bed and do it the first thing in the morning before anything else, because it’s the hardest thing to do!
Find an Accountability Partner
Having someone to keep you accountable can be a great motivator when it comes to getting up and moving. Find someone who shares similar goals as you or who is also looking for motivation and work together to stay on track with your workouts. Knowing that someone else will be expecting you can help push you out the door when all you want to do is hit snooze one more time (or four more times).
Sometimes this can be a wife or partner or roommate. The two of you put on a show on Netflix. For the first 20 minutes, one of you rides the elliptical bike. For the next, you switch off!
Set Goals
Setting goals is another way to stay motivated when working out feels like a chore rather than something fun. Set achievable goals as well as long-term ones—like running a 5K or doing 10 pull-ups—so that you feel accomplished each time one is met. Achieving small goals on the way towards bigger ones can be very rewarding and will provide additional incentive when energy levels are low.
This can be simply writing down: “I will run the Missoula 5k in the springtime.”
Get Moving Right Away
When it comes to working out, procrastination is not an option! The longer you wait to start exercising, the more likely it is that you won’t follow through at all. So don’t hesitate – just get moving right away! Put on some music or listen to a podcast while getting started so that you can get into the zone and forget about any distractions or worries that are keeping you from working out.
Join a Team
Going to go and exercise is hard enough alone. But what if you were in a culture of people who exercise everyday? Pickleball, anyone? Pickleball?
Find Your Why
Once you have your goals in place, ask yourself why you want to achieve them. Finding your purpose—your “why”—will give you a sense of direction and purpose as well as provide motivation in times when you don’t feel like working out. Whether it’s wanting to look better or feeling more energetic or having more confidence in yourself—decide why achieving this goal is important to you, and remind yourself of this “why” whenever necessary.
It might just be “being healthy”!
Here Are Some Good Why’s
Exercise releases endorphins which are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins provide a feeling of euphoria and well-being, making exercise an excellent tool to combat depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. Regular exercise can also help to reduce stress levels by providing an outlet for frustrations and by calming the mind. Studies have shown that regular physical activity can increase concentration and focus as well as reduce symptoms of ADHD in children.
Finally, exercise is good for overall physical health which then translates into better mental health. Getting regular physical activity helps keep your heart healthy, reduces your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, increases energy levels, helps with sleep quality, and more! All these benefits combined will result in improved mental wellbeing overall.
The Art of Distraction
Sometimes, all we need is a distraction from our own thoughts in order to get moving again. If that’s the case for you, try turning on some music or watching an inspiring movie or TV show before starting your workout session. Music has been shown to reduce stress levels as well as improve moods, so listening before working out can help put your mind in the right frame of mind for exercise. Similarly, watching motivational videos can help inspire us with stories about people who have achieved their dreams despite countless obstacles in their way; these stories can serve as reminders that anything is possible if we just put our minds (and bodies) into it!
I know that playing music that I love does wonders for my exercise.
Here’s a tip, too: I notice that if I play back some of the music that I created on my guitar, it makes it even easier to exercise! For some reason my mind just locks on to my guitar music.
Reward Yourself
One of the best ways to stay motivated is by rewarding yourself after each workout session. Celebrate the small victories because they add up! Whether it’s treating yourself to something special or taking a break from working out altogether – whatever rewards work best for motivating YOU are worth pursuing!
Working out doesn’t have to be a chore; in fact, finding ways to make exercising fun can actually make it easier—and more enjoyable! But if your motivation levels are waning, try these tips from prioritizing workouts, finding an accountability partner, or setting goals in order get back on track with your fitness journey. With some effort and dedication, (as well as understanding friends!), soon enough working out won’t seem like such a daunting task after all!
John Michaels is a local Missoula author who graduated from Brown University in creative writing. He spends his time meandering around downtown Missoula, writing screenplays, doing cryotherapy, and playing chess.