HOW TO OVERCOME A LACK OF MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE
As of right now it is 2:30 PM, without question the time of day when the natural rhythm of my body’s energy is at its lowest point. And yet if I do not take advantage of this window of time to exercise, I know that my schedule will not allow it the rest of the day. The corner of my mouth curls slightly to a private grin. A sigh and a slight laugh heard only in my mind. Why? Because I’ve been here before. Thousands of times. A small skirmish has broken out in the war of wills inside my mind. And I know I will win if I ignore the voices of laziness and excuse making and simply start.
SIMPLY START
If you were to draw up a list, two columns, one side representing reasons to exercise, the other indicating reasons not to, the pro side would be quite full. To live longer. To be here for your family in the future. To travel and see the world. To save a small fortune on healthcare costs. Etc Etc. The con side however would most likely contain only one item. Laziness.
So how do we overcome this lack of motivation to exercise when our rational brain knows what to do but another lazy, weak, self indulgent voice is fighting it? Stop thinking and just start. I would be hard pressed to remember a time when I started exercising and I regretted it. But I can easily think of times when I regretted not exercising. Once you are in the midst of a sweat inducing, heart pounding bout of exercise, it is doubtful you will be thinking of your bed or couch. When we entertain that negative voice of laziness, waiting to be convinced, chances are that we will be convinced. So stop the internal talking and commence the external action. You will prove to yourself that you are a strong person. You will be proud of yourself. And you will be fortified against these future debates in your head because you’ve overcome it once and you will again. Let’s go!
