7 things to remember when you don’t feel like exercising

We don’t need to tell you that you should be exercising more.

The problem is that you don’t always feel like it. And you may be more prone to do what you feel like doing, rather than what you should be doing.

This post is about seven points what to remember when the last thing you want to do is get up and do your workout.

1. You’re sitting in your death

Sedentary people die sooner. A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that sedentary lifestyles increase chances of death from all causes.

All that time spent on the couch is not passive time. It is an active march toward an early grave. Interestingly, researchers cannot pinpoint why sedentary lifestyles increase odds for getting almost all diseases, but the facts remain.

2. It only takes a minute to feel better

The hardest part of your workout is showing up. After you’re into about a minute, you’ll settle in, feel more energy and keep going.

Therefore, set a small goal to simply get off the couch and exercise for one minute. That’s it! Just one minute. Or, if you prefer, make your goal to do nothing more than step on the treadmill. Just stand on it. Can you handle that much?

Once you’re there, chances are high that you’ll take a few steps, then a few more…

3. Exercise is a true panacea

Most people know that regular exercise is “good.” But they don’t know that exercise is the very best thing you have power to do for yourself physically, and perhaps even mentally.

Exercise extends your life and reduces your risk for nearly all diseases. Not only do you live longer; you live much better! More strength, endurance and immune function – and a better outlook on life. Exercise does all this and more – and you don’t even have to think about it.

4. You might not have found an exercise that you like

This is not an excuse to sit around all day, but it’s true that, when exercise is fun, you may be more likely to actually do it. A common solution is to take up a sport that you can play (with minor chances of injury or overexertion).

Yet, whatever you do should be convenient and easy to pull off. If you like to play tennis, then schedule some play time with friends. However, that won’t be enough, unless you play nearly every day.

5. A sedentary life is a form of self-sabotage

The human body is built for work and activity. It functions best when put to the task. If you’re lazy, then you won’t feel good physically, period. If you’re overweight, then you won’t feel good about yourself, most likely.

When you look in the mirror, how do you feel? For many, the words grossed out, disgusted, ashamed, unworthy and discouraged come to mind. For the most part, your weight is under your ultimate control. For some reason, you’re making choices that lead to feeling bad about yourself.

Why do people do this? The answer lies in the mystery of self-sabotage. To solve this mystery within yourself, you must learn how self-sabotage works in the psyche. You should begin by watching this free and enlightening video.

6. Exercise starts a positive cycle in your life

So, let’s say that you get up and do that one minute of exercise, but you actually stay on that recumbent bike for 20–30 minutes. Hey, nice! Chances are that you’ll eat better, sleep better and – most of all – feel proud of yourself for doing something positive.

This starts a positive cycle in your life. Tomorrow, you’ll wake up a little more refreshed and be more likely repeat the process (again, unless you tend to self-sabotage). Why not start a positive cycle in your life?

7. No sacrifice, no gain

It’s not “no pain, no gain.” You can enjoy your exercise, lose weight and feel great. However, doing this will require sacrifice. Even if it’s the latest episode of Bob’s Burgers, it’s still a sacrifice (although you can watch it on your tablet while you’re swinging away on the elliptical).

How badly do you want it? You’d think that all of us would sacrifice dearly in order to be in shape and live longer. Alas, that darned self-sabotage convinces us to do otherwise and does so with a variety of compelling emotional excuses.

Make the sacrifice anyway!

Sources:

Health.Harvard.edu

KitKoNursePractitioner.com