People often ask me what I do when I have no interest in going to the gym or exercising at home, or outside, or wherever I am at. There are days when I am tired, short on time (the most precious commodity), feeling guilty of leaving the kids, not motivated, compare my results to a much higher standard, the list goes on and on. We will all have those days – it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. I will tell you my approach and it works because it’s that simple. My biggest motivator, slogan that propels me to move one foot in front of the other and into those gym shoes and onto the squat rack – that slogan is Nike’s “Just Do It”. Sometimes, rationalizing and anticipating is the enemy of doing.
So on one of those mind-against workout-resistance days I compel myself to put on my sneakers and go for a 15 minute walk, just go for a short time. Most often, it turns into a 3-mile run, but even if it’s just a 15 minute walk, it’s still more than sitting at home and wishing you did it.
This, by the way, doesn’t have to be just about fitness. It could be taking charge of an important habit – such as drinking more water. Do you think you need to drink more water? Start with one glass and do it now!
When all the planning is set and done, there is still no alternative to action. Doing is what moves you forward, and in the case of fitness, literally.