Remember when you were little, running amuck on the playground? I bet you weren’t trying to lose weight at recess (at least I hope not at that age). All you cared about was playing with your friends and having fun. Ahhh memories of that sound a dodgeball makes when it slams into your face. Good times. Seriously though…even that was fun. You don’t need to play on monkey bars but go after that feeling and find something you enjoy today. Because life is too short to hate working out.
When something is fun you are more likely to stick to it.
When you look forward to something you make an extra effort to do it. Life doesn’t have to suck. You just have to be willing to experiment so you can discover what activities bring you joy. And those things can have a double benefit by being active and making you healthy. Fun is key to making it easier to be consistent. Why make life harder than it has to be?
Intrinsic motivation lasts longer than extrinsic motivation.
This is because intrinsic motivation comes from within whereas extrinsic motivation comes from external sources that you can’t always control. Ever been to a conference and you were extremely powered up and excited after? Then a week later you lost that motivation. That is an example of extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is deep within you and keeps you going. You don’t need anyone to tell you to do something because you naturally want to do it. Making sure your fitness activity is fun is a way to tap into your intrinsic motivators and help you sustain your fitness goals.
Find something you enjoy doing that is active.
It seems simple yet often ignored. I’ve seen so many people, myself included, try to do activities that they hate simply because someone else was doing it and told them it was the only way to achieve x,y,z results. Everyone is different. You don’t like running? Try a dance class. What about lifting weights?
Give it a fair shot before you say you hate working out.
Even if you don’t think you are going to like it, if you’ve never tried it before, try it at least 5 times. If you still don’t like the activity after that – give yourself permission to let it go and move onto the next activity to try until you find what you love. I never ever thought I was going to like lifting weights. I ended up trying it after hurting my knee because I wanted to avoid surgery. My knee is healing without going under the knife and I actually love lifting with a small group of women 2 to 3 times per week.
Make a list of things you are willing to try.
Make a list of all the things you are open to trying. Come up with at least 3 things, but your list can be as long as you want.
Give yourself a time of 2 minutes. That way you know this isn’t going to take forever. Sometimes having only 2 minutes sparks some crazy ideas and works to your benefit.
Then type into google or Yelp the activity you want to try and your city name next to that activity.
Book that activity and add it to your calendar. *boom* You are now off to great start to adhering to a fitness schedule. Yay, you.
Fitness is challenging but you don’t have to be miserable doing it.
Please don’t. Our time here is limited so why waste it when you hate working out. Why not find something you enjoy or love to do that has a side effect of making you more healthy? Or looking better naked? *smirky shrug*
When you love something you find reasons to do it, not excuses. Activities that bring joy activate intrinsic motivation – because you naturally want to do them. So make that list of things you want to try now! Come on – it is only 2 minutes. Then search in google or yelp for those things in your area. Make an appointment.
Share with me you did it below. Let’s do this together.
Did you find this useful? Don’t keep it a secret. I would love it if you would share it with a friend, colleague or loved one. It is the biggest compliment you can give me.
Leave a Reply