Just Move It!

About a 5 Minute Read

I get it - getting motivated to exercise can be difficult. And many of us use the lack of motivation as an excuse to not exercise.

But here's the thing, you have to start, even when you aren't motivated to do it.

Be honest now.

How many times have you thought, “I REALLY need to get off this couch and get some exercise?” But you only have ten or twenty minutes available, so you convince yourself that it’s not worth the effort. Or you think about running and then get discouraged because you can’t run very far without stopping.

There’s a voice in your head telling you that if you can’t commit a whole hour, or if you can’t run a long distance, or if you can’t train like an Olympic athlete, “Why bother?” That’s your pesky Inner Critic, and it’s time to get her off your back and invested in helping you get fit.

Just Move It! You can’t succeed unless you start.

That’s a fact. Getting healthy isn’t about becoming an elite athlete, it’s about making good eating choices, keeping a positive mindset, and carving out a little space in your day to move your body. That’s it. It really is that simple, but that Inner Critic is forever discouraging us from taking small steps because it doesn’t feel like enough. She makes us feel so inadequate that we end up making no effort and ultimately, no effort is a formula for failure.

Your Inner Critic has your best interests at heart.  She wants to keep you safe and to make sure you never fail and never get hurt. The problem with listening to her is that if you never begin, you’ll never know how far you can go. So how do you quiet her long enough to start an exercise program?  Try bringing her along. 

Seriously, when you get down on yourself about not working out, try challenging your Inner Critic to bite off just ten minutes of the exercise pie at a time.  She’s a big talker.  Make her put in some work instead of just spouting negatives.  Commit to a short workout and use the time to sort out why you are feeling so resistant.

Create a 21-Day Habit

So here’s a kick in the posterior. A study at the University of Virginia showed that men and women who completed 15 ten-fifteen minute workouts a week for twenty-one days achieved fitness level equivalent to people ten to fifteen years younger and that their strength, flexibility, and endurance was equal to people twenty years younger.

"It would be useful for people to get out of the all-or-nothing mindset that unless they exercise for 30 minutes, they're wasting their time," says exercise psychologist, Glenn Gaesser, Phd.

Every Minute Counts.

Isn’t that what I keep telling you? All or nothing perfectionism is your Inner Critic’s biggest weapon and you need to beat that b*tch back by walking every chance you get, five minutes in one direction and five minutes back. Do that three times a day and you’ve gotten thirty minutes of movement in without really trying!

Maybe even up the ante by taking five or ten minutes to alternate jumping jacks and push-ups. If you’re watching TV, do it during every commercial break. While you’re cooking and you’re waiting for the timer to go off, use that ten minutes for squats and crunches.  Or better yet, crank up some music and dance around for ten solid, joyful minutes! All that moving around ought to shake your Inner Critic loose and get her moving too.

You can sneak in five or ten minutes every few hours of the day, and the best part is that those short breaks will actually energize and focus you.

But Beware…You Can't Outrun a Bad Diet!

I wouldn’t be a very good nutrition coach if I didn't take this opportunity to remind you that you can't outrun or out-exercise a bad diet. And I certainly know, because I tried. For years I would go to the gym or ride my bike 15 or 20 miles, and then jaunt over to a restaurant or bar with my friends for an indulgence I convinced myself I had just “earned.” I would burn 500-800 calories working out, and then proceed to eat and/or drink a good 1500-2000 calories of junk, like nachos, wine, mixed drinks, fried potato skins…you get the idea. I always left feeling stuffed and uncomfortable.

And I couldn’t figure out why I was struggling with my weight. I mean come on, I was working out EVERY DAY, and sometimes twice a day! Yeah, who was I kidding?

So, you see, exercise is not a magic eraser. You can't use it to erase the “sins” of your hand-to-mouth activities. It won't work. Sports nutrition is a real thing, and if applied correctly it can help support BOTH your fitness and weight loss efforts. (And by the way, coaching is a great way to get some guidance!)

If you want that to happen, you need to get started NOW. Trust me when I tell you that the longer you wait and the older you get, the harder it is to start.

And as crazy as it sounds, as your fitness increases and you begin to enjoy exercising more, your Inner Critic can become the ally that pushes you to run a little further, lift a little more, or get up a little earlier to work out. The very same voice that kept you from getting started can become the voice that pushes you to achieve more and to reach your fitness goals. Your Inner Critic needs a little training too.  And as your Inner Critic gets fit, that’s how she becomes your best cheerleader.

You’ve got this!

Want to Change Your Body?

Then you’ve got to change your mind. You don’t have to be perfect to reach your goals, just committed to making small changes. If you’re feeling stuck but you’re ready to change the way you think so you can lose weight faster and love the body you live in, then click below to download my free Ultimate Habit Guide & Checklist, and get some great tools to help you get started.