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Why is it so hard to get to the gym on Thursdays to exercise?  Ugh.  Is it because it’s almost Friday and you’ve been dragging yourself through the week up until now and you just can’t make yourself get off of the couch?

Tell me it’s not just me, right?

#1

I will tell you the number one thing that gets me to the gym, park, church, or wherever I’m going to exercise is someone meeting me there.  Knowing that someone, even if it’s just one person, is going to meet me there and expects me to be there will force me to get myself up off of the couch and on the move. This is called external or extrinsic motivation and I sure need it when I can not motivate myself to get up and go.

But maybe you think that I’m just a people pleaser and I want to make others happy?

No, I’m not.

I could care less most of the time if I’m making other people happy and living up to their expectations.  Having someone meeting me means I’ve told this person that I’m going to be there and I hold myself to the standard that I keep my word.

If I’m planning to work out and no one shows up, traditionally I won’t exercise on my own. I generally have very little internal or intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivations vary differently from person to person, but we all need one or the other to get us up and moving.  More on this on #3.

Even when I’ve tried to do at home workouts I’ve needed an accountability partner who I could text, send a photo, or tag in a post to show that I had done my workout.  I knew that if I didn’t send my friend a photo of the treadmill numbers or tag her in a post she was going to ask me whether I worked out or not.

Joining our local YMCA has really been a huge benefit to me because I know the people there and the classes build the community I’m looking for.  They keep me accountable to be there! We keep each other accountable.  

Just having that accountability relationship has been so beneficial!

#2

A second exercise hack is to play with your kids (or your dog)!  There have been many of days when the only exercise I got in was in the backyard playing with my children and the dogs.

I know how hard it is to come home from work physically, mentally, and sometimes emotionally exhausted.  (I taught first grade in a public school for 20 years Y’all.) But going outside, soaking up vitamin D from the sun, and spending the time with my family not only provides some exercise, but it reminds me what is really important in my life.

Keep some sports equipment on hand and near the door leading outside.  A soccer ball, softball, kickball style ball, tennis ball, and a frisbee are all great sports items to keep for spur of the moment thirty-minute family games. If you have a kid learning to ride a bike, scooter, or skateboard you can get in some walking and running time trying to keep up with them.

If you have a dog you can even get them involved. Sometimes the added fun of a dog brings more laughs to your games as the dog tries to take the soccer ball, frisbee, or tennis ball away from everyone.  It becomes a fun game of chase (as long as the dog doesn’t try running over the kiddos!).

Playing with the kids is a double bonus because you are not only exercising, but you are spending time together creating fun memories!

#3

A third idea for sneaking in some exercise is to pick something you enjoy.

Get out there and figure out what you enjoy doing.  If you don’t like the first thing you try, then try something else!  There’s so much to choose from.  Do you like to run (not me), lift heavy things (my husband), swim, dance (me!!!), cycle, row, basketball, baseball, or walk?

You don’t even have to try it all, but try enough to know what you really enjoy doing.  And don’t always give up on a format after one class just because you’re not great at it. Sometimes it takes time to learn a new skill.

The best workout is the one you will do!

If all you really want to do is walk, then walk.  Walk every day if you can.

Back to extrinsic vs intrinsic.  Maybe you are motivated by earning a reward so you buy yourself some new workout gear (extrinsic).  Maybe you are motivated because you want to avoid the negative consequences of not exercising such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or weight gain (extrinsic).

But maybe you just enjoy the exercise that you’ve chosen and you want to do it (intrinsic)!

I personally love to walk, hike, ride my bike, and do REFIT®! 

Whatever you like to do is where you should start!  As the saying goes, just get up, get out there, and do it!