Recently I had a conversation with a client of mine and this very question came up. More so, I was asked if it’s normal to never feel like working out. My answer was the following:
It is completely normal to not feel like working out. It happens ALL OF THE TIME. It happens to fitness professionals; to moms and dads; to weekend warriors; to kids; to everyone! It all boils down to the question of why do we really work out. Here are some things to ponder:
1. What is your goal? What are you trying to accomplish with your work out?
Having a goal is the NUMBER ONE thing you should be thinking about when you’re deciding your workouts. And when I say a goal, I don’t mean the one you tell people in passing. I mean the deep seeded goal - the one that makes you feel uneasy, maybe a bit anxious, excited, and/or scared. That goal is the one that’s going to push you to move.
Some examples could be:
Do you want to be able to run around with your kids and not be exhausted after 5 minutes and to have them look at you with those sad little eyes asking for more?
Do you want to go to a doctor’s appointment and not have them tell you that you have high blood pressure?
Do you want to not be the weak one in the family, unable to open a jar, move a couch, etc., etc.?
Do you want to be able to carry all the groceries in at once?
Do you want to be able to move without creaking and/or having to take pain killers every day?
These are just a few of those deep seeded goals I’m talking about. They make you feel something more than just a goal of a number on a scale. While there is nothing wrong with a weight loss goal, unless you know the reason why your weight is an issue TO YOU, no matter what the number on the scale says, you will never feel at peace that you accomplished your goal.
Goal setting at its best, takes a lot of inner reflection and being completely and blatantly truthful. If you race over this, you might not ever find the desire to get off the couch and get moving.
2. How do you enjoy moving?
Are you scheduling yourself a spin class or workout but hate to bike? Going through a yoga video even though the thought of moving slowly makes you itch? If you are doing an activity and don’t like doing it, why are you doing it? While there may be some health benefits to the type of exercise that you dislike, are there other activities that can give you that same health benefit that you might enjoy?
Doing what you love to do will make it much easier to get off that couch and be active. If you love to dance, why not take a Zumba or dance fitness class? If you love to sweat a ton, why not take a HITT class? Love the feeling of a good arm swell? Weights are probably your thing! If you’re making yourself do a workout that doesn’t make you excited to do it, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot before you even start out.
3. Do you need help to get to your goal? What support do you need?
Whether it’s family support to watch the kids so you can go for a run (since that’s what you like to do), schedule support so that you can do what you need to do in a certain amount of time, or knowledge and informational support to get the most bang for your buck and time, support is the one thing that you might need to outsource. While I’m not saying that everyone needs a personal trainer, or a dietician, or a personal assistant, I am saying that sometimes the fastest way to get to your goal is to have the knowledge and resources to get there. Be honest with yourself and seek out what you need to be successful. There are many options out there so check out that app, that trainer, that organization that you feel will help you the most and go from there.
There are many reasons why not to get off the couch. But if you have a really good reason (goal) to get off of it, a way to move that you like after you get off of it, and the support of a system of people to point you in the right direction and help you along the way, then getting off of the couch might not be as daunting.
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