Do any of these sound familiar?
Here are all the voices in my head from the past 2 weeks keeping me from my training goals:
I haven't lifted weights in over a month, I'm worried about getting too sore!
I don't have a current program I'm working on so I don't really know what to do. I'll just do a little of this and a little of that. (Which translates to... doing the bare minimum & quitting early )
I have an injury in one area of my body that makes it so I can't train the way I want so... I'll just skip today.
It feels like a yoga kind of day.
I'm tired today.
Maybe I just need to go to a class... (literally no time for that so the workout doesn't happen... again!)
I'll start for real... tomorrow! or... mabe on Monday.. Actually, the New Year is coming.. thats a good time to start!
It's too cold to workout. I don't want to go outside in the cold, wet, nasty day and drive to a gym and also my garage gym is too cold. 😂
Are all these voices reasonable? YES!
(Well... maybe not the cold 🥶 one!)
Let me validate some of these reasons first... because I KNOW I'm not alone with these feelings! Then offer up some possible solutions!
Worried about getting sore:
Soreness IS a barrier! Sometimes we can't afford to be sore because we have to function throughout the day, and limited mobility from muscle soreness is actually quite restricting sometimes!
💡 Soreness actually does not have to be a thing! Read more about that in this article. We can take the time to warm up & cool down properly. We can start slow and use lighter weights until our bodies are better conditioned. Or we can consume more protien to speed up the post workout muscle recovery.
No current program or plan in place:
Not having a program or plan is an exercise KILLER! I literally plan workout programs for a living... I KNOW all the exercises! But if I don't have a plan... I just wander around a lot and waste a lot of time.
💡 Join my next Empower-U challenge! You'll get a results-driven plan for 8+ weeks of training that can be done anywhere, plus personalized support! Sign ups are open now,but we start in Jan. Alternatively, reach out to me about personal training. I would love to create a personalized exercise plan for you that feels good, challenging, and sustainable!
Injury:
Slowing down when we have injures is SUPER important! We have to keep stressors on our body low so we can heal. It's esspecailly important to avoid anything that would re-injur or make the current injury worse.
💡 There are dozens of ways we can train while avoiding injured areas in our bodies! First step: get your injury checked out by a professional. Then, work with a personal trainer who can help create a safe plan for you. Don't let injuries, esspecially chronic ones hold you back. Your overalll health matters!
Wanting a slower day:
Yoga days are not a bad thing! In fact, as I've learned over the last month during my Yoga Teacher Training, my body NEEDS yoga days as part of a full-body and mind wellness plan. Listening to your body is important too. Some days we are menstruating, or we have added stress or life is weighing us down and we need to have more of a restorative form of exercise rather than weight training. But sometimes... we might just be using the more restful practice as an excuse to not do the heavier, harder lifting that our bodies also need!
💡 Give yourself the restorative exercise days. But also watch your patterns. Too much of any one thing is not helpful in the long run. Our bodies also need resistance training, especially as we age and muscle starts to deteriorate! Really check in with yourself and see if trading resistance training for restorative training is becoming an 'easy out' or if you truly need that today.
Fatigue:
When we are overworked, our hormones are out of whack, stress is high, we're not eating the nutrients our bodies currently need, we're not well rested, or we're burdeoned with mental of physical health issues, the fatigue is REAL!
💡 Generally, after 10 minutes of strength training, the adrenaline kicks in and we no longer feel the fatigue we felt before. Use self discipline to get started, then wait for the benefits to unfold. Bonus: after a full workout, the endorphins jump on board too! Then we find we have energy for other parts of life as well. If exercise isn't enough, consider speaking to a professional about your hormones, sleep, mental health or nutrition. Get the help! You are worth it!
Waiting for external motivation:
Classes can be great motivators. But even classes are not enough to motivate us ALL the time! And joining a class has its own barriers - like time, and money!
💡 SInce we can;t rely on motivation, discipline will sometimes have to step in and help! Sometimes siging up for a program or class can help with motivation. But it will still take your own inner strength and commitment to do the work... esspecially on the hard days. Set yourself up for success by sceduling your workouts and putting them on a calendar. Make the appointment with yourself like its as important, or more important than your work meetings. Read more about setting yourself up for success here!
Starting Tomorrow:
I can find a million things to fill up my day and they are IMPORTANT!! I know exercise is important too, but I'll get to that after allllll my other prioroties are taken care of! My fitness and health levels are good enough for now!
💡 I learned the hard way how my body deals with a lack of exercise. It often comes in the form of injury, unproductivity, fatigue, strains, sprains, tears, aches, sluggishness, and generally just not feeling my best. The BEST time to start a workout program was yesterday, but if that didn't happen, the next best day is TODAY! Don't wait for the perfect day and time. You're wasting precious vitality! Instead of saying 'I'll start tomorrow,' ask yourself what you could start today! Maybe that's a 10 min core workout. Then tomorrow add on. Don't have a clue where to start? Reach out!! I'd love to help get you started... today!
I wrote this article for me but I hope it helps some of you as well. Mostly, I just want you to know you are not alone. I am a fitness professional, still dealing with these voices in my head that are keeping me from my goals! Today... I'm going to take a class. Because it is something I can do. And I think the best advise I've ever heard on this topic is - Focus on what you CAN do, not what you can't. Then.. Do it!!!
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