What to do When You Skip Fitness for a Lack of Time
/Why can’t I find time to exercise?
I hear this from clients. And recently, when I wanted to skip some stretching, I heard it from myself.
In the video below I share about my yoga-class-gone-bad experience and the lessons you can use.
How to apply the Pain vs. Pleasure Principle
In everything in your life, you run on the pain vs pleasure principle. The return on investment of any activity - including fitness - needs to be pleasure in the moment and fulfilling now or, at least, soon.
To increase your pleasure and enjoyment of a fitness lifestyle, ask yourself three questions.
What do you like to do on vacation?
What activities make you lose track of time?
What makes you come alive?
Let’s put these questions to use.
What do you like to do on vacation?
Do you love road trips to see new things?
Then going to the same gym, doing the same workout, seeing the same people may get boring quickly.
Colorado Road Trip
You need to change up your routine, working out one day at the gym, another day at the park, one day at home. Doing an exercise class one day and meeting a friend to walk another day. On the weekend going to a park you’ve never seen for a long hike.
Perhaps you prefer heading to the ocean; alternating between strolling the beach and reading a book?
Walking the Beach at Navarre Florida
Then you may enjoy walks in the park or taking your stretching mat by a stream on the weekend for a long stretching session.
2. What activities make you lose track of time?
Do you forget where you are when you are woodworking, painting or playing with a craft project? When I am organizing something, I can go for hours and it feels like minutes.
Is it sitting and looking at nature that absorbs you? If that’s you, definitely include outdoor workouts.
Before a new client and I commit to work with each other, we talk to see what their needs are and how I can help. In one of these recent sessions, a woman shared that she loves being with people but hates being out in nature. So a dance session with her grandkids or a yoga class is more her style than a walk at the park.
3. What makes you come alive?
Physical movement?
Learning something new?
Interacting with people?
Art?
Music?
For me, physical movement and learning both make me come alive. Stretching does not involve much movement, which may be why I find it boring. But…if I put on a podcast or audiobook to learn – it helps.
If you love art and music, make sure you have some of your favorite art in your home gym and your favorite music playing.
Putting this together with my own example, why was taking the class easier?
It is in a different location than my home
It is a long session of movement with short holds, vs how I usually stretch alone which a few minutes here and there and is long holds.
I’m learning something new each time from the instructor.
In addition to these questions, I have a fantastic Fitness Personality Quiz for you.
It will help you identify your fitness personality and, based on that, what fitness activities you will enjoy most.
