When You Just Can’t Face A Workout …

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don't feel like a workoutOh no, not another motivational thing … I can’t cope with training right now and I certainly don’t feel like sitting through another motivational thing. It’s just too much for me!

I hear you. Loud and clear. You just can’t do it. You just can’t face it. Even the thought of it makes you feel queasy. Been there, done that!

This is different. I don’t want to try to gee you up. I know what it’s like to feel down. And when the last thing on your mind is training, hearing how you should be bright-eyed and eager to train is about as welcome as a pig in a beauty salon. What I’m aiming to do is get you over that feeling. And to do it oh, so gently.

First off, forget about training routines. Forget about sets and reps. We’re going to take it easy today, and when I say easy, I really do mean e-a-s-y. I want to introduce the idea of something that is so easy you’ll think “you know what? I could do that … I actually think I could”.

Okay, so now, if the mention of exercise, or the mere thought of it, is banished from your mind, I’m going to suggest what you might want to do instead. And here it is …

The plan

I want you to come up with something that is not exercise, but is still … well, it’s still a form of exercise, but by another name. For example, it might be stretching. Nothing extravagant, just gentle stretching, the kind of thing that you might do after a nap, or maybe just after waking up in the morning.

climbing stairsThere, that was easy, right? It’s not really exercise, is it? But, at the same time, it is exercise. And it doesn’t have to be stretching. It could be taking a stroll. Or walking up the stairs. Or taking a load of books down from a shelf and stacking them in a box on the floor, and then putting them all back again, carefully, one at a time. It could be almost anything. Anything, that is, as long as it involves movement of the body!

Just do that. That little … how can I put this … er, … exercise. Just do it. Take the stroll. Or take the books down and put them in a box, and then put them back on the shelf. Or whatever non-exercise exercise you came up with. Just do it, and pretend it’s not exercise. That makes it easier to face, right? ‘Cos who wants to do that nasty exercising stuff, huh?

The rest of the plan

so here's the planYou’ve started well. You’ve tricked yourself into doing something that’s actually a little bit of exercise, but you haven’t shocked yourself with the thought of actually exercising. So far, so good.

Now, make a note of it. No, I’m not joking. I know it’s not much to crow about, but make a note of it anyway. Just write the date, and what you did. That’s it. Easy-peasy. Now you’ve exercised, and you’ve started keeping a record of your exercise! And this is an important part of the plan, this record keeping.

Once you start keeping a record, you automatically want to continue with this thing, whatever it may be. You feel (despite your current feelings about exercise) that this ‘thing’ is something worthwhile, and you might just as well carry on with it. It’s natural. Not only have you done it, you’ve even made a note of it. And now, like it or not, you kinda want to keep doing it.

Hey, we’ve achieved something! And we haven’t even broken sweat. Can’t be bad.

Expand the plan

Okay, we’ve made a start. But, let’s be honest, it hasn’t been training of an Olympic standard. In fact, it’s been so easy, it’s almost like you haven’t had to do anything yet. Yes, you might be forgiven for thinking that, but the fact is you have exercised (sorry to use that word again!) and you’ve made a note of it. Not bad. But we can do even better. Oh yes we can, and it needn’t be frightening, so don’t lose your nerve, okay?

Maybe you’ve done enough for today. Yeah, it might well be that you’re happy to leave it at that, and if that’s how you feel, that’s fine. Just have it in mind that you’ve only just started. There’s more to come. Only it’s nothing to be afraid of.