Let me set the scene for you, it’s been a busy day at work or at home with the kids. You feel exhausted and though we know exercise is important the idea of physical activity makes you want to cringe, cry, or curl up in a ball. But why is it so hard to include exercise in your life? Well, I’m here to tell you the reason is before even start there are mental hurdles that you have to leap over and many of us just don’t know how. So, here are the 4 mental hurdles that you must conquer in order to get more exercise in your life. Because the fact is physical activity aka exercise is a critical part of maintaining not only your physical health but also your mental wellbeing. And if you want to get healthy this is one aspect that you need to know how to achieve.
The mental hurdles to moving more
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who live for doing exercise/physical activity/playing sport, and those that don’t. Rarely does a person sit in the middle of these two extremes but I’m willing to be corrected. Either way, a lot of the difficulty that people who don’t enjoy exercise or physical activity has to do with the mental hurdles they face even before they make it past step one.
What are some of the mental hurdles to moving more?
In a nutshell the mental hurdles you face that can prevent you from moving more are these:
- I’m tired – I don’t have the energy
- I don’t have time – I’m too busy
- I’m stuck I don’t like the gym, I don’t like sport…etc I don’t know what to do
- I’ve tried to get into exercise but then life happens and I lose momentum and I can’t get back into it
You’ve now been introduced to the main roadblocks that stand in your way to moving more. Some of these may be sounding familiar. But now let’s see if we can come up with some solutions and get you to a place where mentally you’re ready to include more exercise in your life!
Combating Hurdle #1 – I’m tired – I don’t have the energy to exercise
Understanding the issue
Some days this is true, I have been there and felt this way. After a long day at work sometimes you just want to collapse in a heap on the couch and never move again. But every time I manage to get myself up and out of my chair and doing something I end up feeling better than I started. Even if it is watering the garden or walking the dog. In the end I find I have more energy, feel more relaxed, and have a clearer mental headspace to work with than when I started.
The alternative after I have chosen to spend time on the couch tends to more often than not be, “oh man that was such a waste of time”. Often after I have spent my time on the couch I feel guilty for not having done anything physical, because I know I should have, after all I know exercise is good for my mind and my body.
Now because you’re tired and enjoying some couch time, you may have reached for your favorite snack. Whether it’s the chocolate, or the chips, the ice cream or the soda, the problem of not moving compounds with you consuming more calories than you’re burning. Even if we assume that you’re only eating fruit and carrot sticks while you’re on the couch you will likely still be consuming more than your body needs.
What this pattern of behavior of giving into the “I’m tired” mentally leads to is not moving, feeling guilty, and overeating. Each of these actions circles back to you feeling less and less like moving more.
The solution to feeling tired and not having the energy
The Solution to feeling tired and not having the energy to exercise is all mental. Yes, some days you will actually really be super tired and have no energy, and some medical conditions can cause issues too. But really you have to outsmart your automatic response when you’re thinking about exercising and make a conscious decision.
You have to tell yourself that this short term discomfort is what will get you from where you are now, to your ideal in terms of a healthier you. Remind yourself why you need to get off the couch, or better yet never sit there in the first place. Alternatively, set a timer and when the alarm goes off, stick to your plan to get up and move.
If you don’t have a plan as to what you will do once you get up, then make one. Decide what physical activity will you do and then just do it. If you find yourself thinking oh but let me wait until Monday let flashing alarm bells start to ring in your head.
Don’t wait, just go and do… there is no point waiting, no reason, and putting it off isn’t doing you any good it’s actually making it harder for you to start because you are practicing a pattern of behavior that isn’t going to lead you to success. [If you want to learn more about how to start from where you are, then check out our blog post].
Combat Hurdle #2: I don’t have time – I’m too busy
Understanding the issue
It’s true time these days is short and so spending dedicated time exercising may not be so easy. That is unless you shuffle things in your life around and make it a priority. This all comes down to how important is being physically healthy to you.
With everything in life you have to decide what you want and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to have it. Exercise is no different, but there are some simple ways that you can squeeze more movement into your day.
So, then the I don’t have time – I’m too busy hurdle is all about deciding where your priorities are in terms of your health and well being. Truth be told 30 minutes of movement a day isn’t too hard if you break it up. And even 30 minutes of solid unbroken exercise time is pretty manageable even if you’re an extraordinarily busy person.
The solution to the I don’t have time – I’m too busy hurdle
There are a couple of solutions to this mental hurdle.
- Decide that your health and well being is a priority
- Find ways to move more in your current routine
- Identify where you could block out at least 30 minutes to do more & have a plan of what you will do once you make the time
Decide that your health and well being is a priority
Anyone can tell you that being healthy is a key part of living the life of your dreams. But ultimately you have to decide that this is not only a true statement but one you are going to take action around. Because if you are sick or your body is performing below its capacity you are likely losing out on other awesome opportunities in your life. Once you realize this then the decisions you make can start to align toward you being a healthier version on you. And over time your focus, your energy and time will start to move you toward reaching that goal.
Find ways to move more in your current routine
The next step is to find ways to move more within your current routine. The answer here lies in using the life you already have and turning the volume up as far as movement is concerned. What I mean here is swapping out some “time saving” behaviors that actually eliminate movement in your day.
For example, you drive to the shops and park right next to the entrance. This is because you want to get in do the shopping and then get out and home quickly. This action reduces the amount you have to walk. Now while this may save you a few minutes of time. The unfortunate consequence is you lose out on the inbuilt routine physical activity you could be doing. So, instead of parking super close to the entrance. Why not try parking a bit further away and allow yourself a few minutes of walking to and from the car?
Another thing you can do is to take short active breaks from your work every 30 minutes or so. This will not only help you fit a short walk around the office, or squats in the bathroom stall (yep this is a way to get a little extra movement into your day), but it’ll give your brain a break from the work you’re doing and your eyes a rest as well.
Identify where you could block out at least 30 minutes to do more & have a plan of what you will do once you make the time
The third step to overcoming mental hurdle #3 is to block out at least 30 minutes of dedicated time to do something physical. There are many things you could do to fill this time with useful and meaningful activities that don’t involve going to the gym. Although the gym is a great place to do exercise it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some ideas next…
Combat Hurdle #3: I’m stuck I don’t like the gym, I don’t like sport…etc I don’t know what to do
Understanding the issue
This stuck feeling you get can be attributed to not knowing what kinds of physical activities you could do. Or wanting to find that perfect exercise that gets you skinny asap. And if you don’t figure out a solution you’re always going to find it difficult to get moving. It’s amazing how many times you can find yourself with the time to do exercise and then find yourself at a loss of what to do.
The main reasons you could not enjoy the conventional exercise activities like going to the gym or playing sport are a few;
- you may not know what exercises will help you get the results you want,
- there are some health problems or injuries that make it more difficult and you’re wary of doing more damage by doing the wrong exercise,
- you may feel uncoordinated and clumsy with people watching or participating in a team sport
Solutions to the I’m stuck I don’t like gym or sport, I don’t know what to do hurdle
Depending on the underlying reason for you disliking the gym or sport you may still find this method of exercise to be beneficial. After all, gyms are climate controlled which can limit some excuses for skipping physical activity. In addition, many gyms offer group classes which take the thinking of “what am I going to do” out of the equation. You just have to turn up and follow the instructor and learn some new moves.
In many gyms, there is also the opportunity to get advice from personal trainers. This could be in the form of a complimentary session upon joining the gym. Or perhaps you can choose a package of PT sessions to help you build up your confidence around the gym.
Sport is also a good way of having a predetermined activity. Many towns have social sports whether it’s team based like netball, softball, and football, or individual sports like tennis. These social sports can be a great way to meet new people and learn something new.
You could always do something outside of the box. Why not take a beginner dance class, ice skating lesson, or tennis lesson? By thinking about the things you might like to learn you can come up with ideas for physical activity too.
But let’s just say you’ve already tried all these things and you’re still a bit stuck.
Well, there are some other ways to go about adding exercise into your life. One way is to pick a physical goal to work towards. This could be as simple as being able to walk a certain distance in a particular time frame. For example, you could have a goal of walking 3 miles/5km in 45 minutes. If you’re a slow walker this may take you up to 90 minutes to do, but you can change that. Walking faster means you’ll be burning more calories 170 or more, and getting some decent fresh air. Just having this goal will motivate you and give you a purpose each and every time you go out for a walk.
Other bigger more ambitious goals may be to get physically ready to climb a mountain or run a marathon. These are big goals that require you to slowly work up to. They require that you grow certain physical capabilities over time and this can be quite a motivating factor for some.
Other activities that you may not classify as “real” exercise but definitely can be physical activity are things like gardening. This includes weeding, planting, and pruning. Mowing the lawn with a push mower (~114 calories per half an hour), painting walls, and sanding down wooden surfaces. Walking your dog or playing with your kids or someone else’s can be as physical as you make it and fun too (70 calories or more per hour depending on what you’re doing). And cleaning the house though not always fun can also be classified as exercise. Just think you could burn up to 190 calories an hour scrubbing floors and grimy bathroom tiles!
The point here is to get creative. Think about what things you enjoy and other tasks that you have to do around the house. Then incorporate those as part of your move more schedule. The fantastic thing about this is you’ll either be doing something fun, useful or both and that by definition is efficiency at it’s best!
Combat Hurdle #4: I’ve tried to get into exercise but then life happens and I lose momentum and I can’t get back into it
Understanding the issue
This one can happen when you think you’ve got your routine down and you’re doing the amount of physical activity you want to be doing but then life happens. This could start out as something small like choosing an invitation to a social gathering over your routine. Because what can happen, is a “just this once” turns into an everyday excuse out of exercise.
Peer pressure even when it’s unintended can derail you before your train is ever on the tracks. Just imagine that you’re trying to keep your that diet or exercise plan going and then someone invites you for ice creams and milkshakes, movies, and MnM’s. What are you going to do? Obviously, you don’t want to miss out on the social aspect of life. But you also don’t want to compromise your healthy habits and end up losing momentum.
The Solution to losing momentum
Here prevention is better than cure. Try your best not to get out of your routine, and if you’re already out of your routine, get back on the proverbial horse and keep going. Life is not about riding the bucking bull and clinging on for dear life forever. The reality is you will get sidetracked and lose momentum. The important bit to know is that you can get back up and keep on going despite the setbacks.
Remember to remind yourself of the invisible barriers to getting back to moving more. Think about how you unwittingly create by these barriers and come up with ways to combat these issues if they arise again. [If you want to read more about invisible barriers check out our blog post on the topic].
If you realize the detrimental effect your small decisions have on your overall goal you are less likely to cave in to the pressures of life. Make a commitment to yourself so that your physical activity or exercise is like an important meeting, job interview, or date. Really make the effort to be there and don’t allow yourself to back out without thinking through the alternatives.
Often you may be able to rejig your schedule so that you can fit in your exercise and still get involved in the social gatherings and activities you want to attend. The main thing is to plan ahead and manage your expectations and priorities. Because you don’t have to choose one or the other every single time, often you can do both with a little creativity and flexibility.
Go forth and exercise
After jumping all of these mental hurdles you may feel like you have accomplished running a real marathon. Truth be told, getting there, turning up and just moving more is the hardest part. Adding exercise into your day is pretty easy to do but the mental gymnastics you have to perform to get there is where many fall over. I hope after reading this blog post you feel ready to conquer the mental hurdles that are keeping you from exercising more.
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