Perspectives on Exercise: Finding Your Balance

People struggle with motivations to exercise all the time. Sometimes, I think the best way to make it a habit is to evaluate different Perspectives on Exercise.  What is the driving force behind the action?  Moreover, what is the driving mentality behind the action?  I think the “secret” to maintaining a consistency exercise routine and making it a true lifestyle is identifying those things and making sure everything is aligned in a manageable way.

Perspectives on Exercise

Making it Realistic

What do I mean when I say “making sure everything is aligned in a manageable way”?  Well, for example, say someone is looking for a quick fix, they are trying to drop 10 pounds in a week and so they exercise twice a day for an hour each time.  Is that sustainable? Absolutely not.  Nor is it healthy.  It is a good way to injure yourself and burn out quickly! 

Making something manageable is how you can incorporate it into your lifestyle for the longterm.  Then make your goals realistic and be honest with yourself.  You know your schedule and obligations.  Can you squeeze in a 30 minute workout?  Can you wake up a little earlier to get it done? Find where you can add it in, start slow if you need, and you’ll figure out the best schedule for you.  But spare yourself the excuses…if it’s truly important to you, you will find the time! If it’s not, you won’t.

Find Something You Enjoy

Now I can tell you all day long that running is the best exercise and how it makes me feel alive and happy, but if you have tried running and loathe running, you probably aren’t going to listen to me. You certainly aren’t going to be able to create a consistent exercise routine with running because you hate it and it feels like a chore! (Side note- I have tips here on how to start running, if you DO want to try to get to where you enjoy running!!)  But you know what I mean.  You will never be able to introduce and keep something in your lifestyle if you don’t look forward to it or at the very least, appreciate how it makes you feel afterwards.

If you have a hard time finding the motivation on the front end of exercise…do it a few times and remember how good you feel physically and mentally afterwards.  I mean you might be sore, but that’s because you’re awakening your body in ways it’s not used to be utilized, and that’s a wonderful thing!  Take the leap and try different things to find something you enjoy.  

A Place of Punishment?

Sadly I know many people only view exercise as a primary method of punishing themselves…for something they ate, something they did, something they didn’t do, whatever.  I’ve been there.  In college I often struggled with this, especially once soccer was over.  I had one semester in college, my second semester of senior year, where I had no college soccer obligations since it was a fall sport.  I replaced the time I would have previously spent playing soccer with counting calories, exercising multiple times a day, and trying to lose weight. It was a stressful time trying to handle that, because when I’d go out and enjoy myself like a normal person, I’d feel guilty about having dessert in our cafeteria or having a drink at dinner.  I’d figure out how many calories it was and I’d exercise that plus some to burn it back off. 

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t really work that way, I lost zero weight, was constantly stressed out and mentally I was just in a bad place.  That approach does not work.  You cannot view exercise as something that you have to do nor as a punishment.  I think it’s important to separate the exercise/eating relationship for the most part if you’re prone to that thinking.  Focus on doing the two things the best you can in silos if that helps.  What I mean by that is, don’t think “oh I’ve eaten a 500 calorie burger, now I have to go run 5 miles to burn it off.”  No.  That kind of relationship will never work and only hurt you.  Instead, think of one silo as exercise: do it more days per week than you don’t, and find something you enjoy doing to move! 

Then the other silo is eating:  make healthy choices for the most part but don’t deprive yourself or keep yourself from living your life.  This is how you find balance.

Feel Gratitude

This one is really a huge game changer for me when it comes to getting my exercise in, especially on days where I have no better reason except “I don’t feel like it.”  I understand that my body, my health, and my ability to move are a GIFT.  There are so many people out there who, for one reason or another, are not fortunate enough to be able to run, to jump, to walk.  I derive so much of my happiness and so much of my life, the people I’ve met, and the activities I enjoy from my ability to do those things.

I met my best friends in the entire world on the soccer field. I can’t imagine not having those relationships in my life. I would have like, almost zero friends. Ha.  My husband and I go on nightly walks and we love to go on hiking, camping, kayaking, (insert other outdoor activity) adventures together. My childhood revolved around playing tag and riding bikes.  My dad taught me how to play basketball and be tough (I played in a boys league!). Some of my deepest conversations were held taking long walks with my mom around our neighborhood. 

I have to feel GRATEFUL for these things because I understand that so much of my life truly revolves around exercise in some form or another.  And I know there are so many people out there that can’t…when I can come from a place of gratitude about moving my body, I’m far more likely to go do something active to appreciate it and not take it for granted.

Listen to Your Body

An important thing to remember is to listen to your body.  While yes, I think just getting out and moving your body most days is super important, you should also be mindful of rest and certainly the importance of that as well.  It is all about finding the right balance for your body. 

Remember that with a consistent exercise routine, your body and your mind will also need to rest.  It not only helps you physically recover, but it helps give you a mental rest that allows you to come back after a day of rest ready to pick it back up and carry on!

If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below!  I have a question for you: What is your personal perspective on exercise, and how do you find motivation?

xo,

Bess