As much as we know exercise is critical to our overall health and love the way it makes us feel, we all have days when we think we are a little too busy, a little too tired, a little too grumpy, a little too “meh” to pull on our workout clothes, lace up our shoes and actually go for a run or pick up those weights.
But once you skip a day it is way too easy to skip another and another, until you’ve officially tumbled off the wagon. Working to get back in your routine can be an even more herculean task.
There are plenty of ways to catch ourselves before this happens and immediately push ourselves back on track before getting to the point of having to find the track all over again.
Remember the payoff — Come back to what inspired you to start this journey to begin with. Was it reaching a certain weight, or knowing you didn’t want to reach a certain weight? A friend’s struggle with diabetes or another condition you don’t want to develop? Meditate on the spark that lit your fire.
Set new goals — It’s fantastic if you’re successfully maintaining the level of health you want to be at, but you may need to find more inspiration with a new objective, whether it’s dialing your weight back a little more, adding more cardio or strength training to balance out the other or looking to nutrition to find the right fuel for you and your workout.
Find a new groove — If you feel like you’ve hiked every trail in Prescott and Prescott Valley at least three times and they’re not holding your interest anymore, it could be time to forge a new one with an alternative like running, interval training, maybe kickboxing!
Exercise to energize — If you’re feeling tired and rundown (and you aren’t sick or getting close to bedtime), remember even light exercise is much better for recharging your batteries than just sitting on the sofa.
Short bursts add up — If your schedule really is packed, try to carve out short breaks for a brisk walk, lifting kettlebells or several burpees. If you get your 30 minutes in by doing 10 at a time the benefits you see will stack up just as high.
Bring a friend — Get a workout buddy to either exercise with you or check in with before and after to hold each other accountable for what you’re going to do and have already done. Working out in tandem with someone else doubles the inspiration when you meet your goals!
Get some quotes — Look for inspirational quotations in books or online that resonate with your mind and heart and write them on post-its, add them to the wallpaper of your favorite electronic device, embroider one into your dog’s collar, whatever it takes to get them front and center in your life. Take it from Arnold Schwarzenegger: “The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.”
Jamie Procknow | Photo: Blushing Cactus Photography