UNITED STATES—Ugh, exercising. It just is not that fun America, but the honest truth is we have to exercise or have some sort of physical fitness to keep our bodies in tip top shape or at least functioning at a healthy level. I think I have come to the realization that exercising on a schedule just doesn’t work for me. The more you plan the easier you expect things to be, but there lies the problem, you cannot prepare all the time, sometimes you just have to do it.
I’ve always been under the guise that if I plan a schedule I have to stick to it. However, I have discovered that life does not revolve around a schedule; things happen, things happen that you cannot control and guess what, when it does it is NOT the end of the world people, it’s just a hiccup for the day. So when you hiccup, you have to readjust your current plan to make things fall in place.
So one day I might exercise early in the day and feel invigorated and have tons of energy afterwards, the next day work may have been so stressful and tiring that I just don’t have the energy to do it. So what do you do? You find a way to exercise to some degree, even if you don’t feel it in your bones people. Get off your bum (as a close friend says to me all the time) and just do it.
You may not want to do it, but you have to find some sort of motivation to make it happen. Right now we’re less than 6 weeks from summer. Are you looking to have that beach bod? Well that means you’re going to have to put in the work and guess what people, it ain’t going to be easy. I don’t want you starving yourself to get into tip top shop, but at the same time, you need to be open to the idea that you can make something happen if you want to, but you have to commit to it.
Exercise is the same as committing to cutting our sugar or carbs or saving money, once you say you’re going to do it, find a way to do it, even though there are situations that will throw you off a bit. Sometimes you have to adapt to make exercise fun. What does that mean? Don’t do cardio every single day, you might want to do strength training, running, jumping jacks, pushups, stretching and so many other routines to keep the exercise game fun and exciting.
I think that is reason so many people stop exercising because they get bored or the routine is so mundane it just gives them little incentive to do it. Think of the long-term effects of exercise: burning calories, feeling good about yourself and staying physically active just to name a few. That is the problem with so many of us: we’re NOT ACTIVE. We’re just sitting on the couch watching TV, shoving our face and as a result the calories are being added daily and the weight gain continues, until it becomes a realization that ugh, we have a problem people.
Don’t look at the physicality of exercise, look at the benefit that you get from doing it. Try not to focus on HOW LONG you’re exercising, just focus on doing it. The more you mentally check out from exercising, the bigger the benefit you will see and you will also realize it is not a chore; it’s you spending time to stay healthy people. Do not clock how long you’re exercising, just focus on exercising people that is key to success.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
