photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/d_vdm/533344086/
Last year I finally did it. I got myself to exercise nearly every day. And instead of being a chore, it was a wonderful thing I looked forward to!
How did I pull this off?
Well, I wasn’t born loving exercise. I’m a skinny intellectual who in the past would have loved to download his mind into the matrix rather than care for and feed “human body 1.0.”
The previous five years I unsuccessfully started and stopped various exercise programs, usually pushing myself really hard the first few weeks, achieving some results, but then burning out quickly. But last year I successfully practiced yoga daily, only missing a few days and easily picking up the routine again without guilt or shame.
Two weeks ago, I decided to up the ante by joining a gym. I’m starting to get in decent “yoga shape,” but my strength and cardio is lacking, and I’m wanting more energy and overall fitness. I used the same principles as when I took up yoga, and I have barely even noticed that two weeks have passed–except for some sleepiness the first few days and some mild soreness. I’m already feeling more energy and vitality at work, and in *ahem* partner yoga.
If you don’t already exercise regularly, it’s probably because when you think about exercising, you experience aversion, otherwise known as fear of pain. But exercise doesn’t have to be painful, and nowadays I look forward eagerly to going to the gym…even though I’m still not in that great of shape!
So what is my secret formula for mastering exercise motivation? How do I get myself to go to the gym 5+ days a week, and even do yoga at night some days?
Well, I didn’t learn how to cause myself pain and tolerate it. What I learned is a way to love exercising, by following these simple principles:
- Exercise daily. I find this to have several advantages. First, it feels good to move my body daily! I work at a desk, so this is really my only opportunity to get my lungs, heart, and muscles working. Second, by committing to exercising daily, I don’t push myself too hard on any given day, because I know if I do, I’ll be sorry tomorrow! This reduces soreness, fatigue, and injury, which in turn makes exercise less painful and more fun! Third, daily exercise gives you more frequent direct feedback on your physical condition. In my experience, this encourages the development of a gentler relationship to my physical experience instead of trying to push my body into submission and “shape up.”
- Make minimum commitments. I used to set extremely high goals for myself, like “do 100 pushups.” Now I set minimum commitments, like “show up to the gym 5 days per week and do whatever I want once I get there.” With my yoga practice, my minimum commitment was 20 minutes every day. Since my yoga sessions always end with savasana (relaxing on your back), sometimes that meant 10 minutes of stretching and a 10 minute nap! But setting a minimum commitment works well for me, because while some days I feel tired and lazy, just as often I am excited about doing more or exploring a new exercise. By setting minimum commitments instead of lofty goals, I develop both integrity (because I’m doing what I committed to doing) and enthusiasm (because I leave myself extra energy to go above and beyond). The reason I used to set high goals is that I thought I was naturally lazy; I never thought minimum commitments would work. But instead I quit my brutal regimes when I got too sore and tired from them, and I easily stay on my new programs because they are so fun!
- Create a menu of options. Along with my lofty goals, I used to set very precise and strict routines for working out. But I’m not an elite athlete, and I don’t care to be! I’m not motivated by beating other people at sports, or anything else for that matter. I simply want vitality, health, fitness, and energy to do the things I really care about. So instead, I now have a menu of options available for me every time I exercise. The menu only includes things that are good for me (in that they lead towards my outcomes) and fun (otherwise why do it?). One of my options on my menu is sitting in the sauna. If I’m especially tired and lazy today, I’ll usually do the elliptical machine for 10 minutes and then sit in the sauna for 10 minutes. This beats the exercise I’d get at home sitting on the couch with the Macbook!
- Start with a check-in. Before beginning my exercise, I quickly jot down a few words about my physical and emotional condition in a little journal. Just taking a minute to do this provides a context for how hard I can realistically expect myself to work. For example, if I’m feeling frustrated about something in my life, I can usually push myself really hard on the elliptical machine! But if I’m exhausted and stressed, I’ll go easier, just to “work hard when it’s hard to work.” I also jot down the exercises I do, both to monitor my practice over time and to remember what I did yesterday when I’m feeling exhausted today.
- End with rest. Happiness studies have shown that we generally remember experiences by their peaks and their endings. In particular, if something is painful but trails off slowly, we tend to remember it as less painful. People who got colonoscopies where the tube was left in there for a few minutes at the end were more likely to return for future procedures, even though the total time for this uncomfortable process was longer. Applying this to your workouts, if you end with relaxation, either in savasana (lying on your back for a few minutes) or sitting in the sauna or hot tub, your whole memory of exercising will be that of feeling wonderful–even though it may be 5 or 10 minutes longer! This will make it more likely that you will continue with the program, and even begin looking forward to it. Make sure to really let go and relax during this time. How often do you take even 5 minutes to enjoy life and relax deeply, with nothing to do and nowhere to go?
- Go with others. I decided to join the gym in part to support my girlfriend, but then I realized she was supporting me! Everything is easier when done together. As social mammals, we are often more likely to do something for someone else than for ourselves.
If you are not currently consistently exercising, you are missing out on the health and vitality that you are meant to enjoy. Please try this strategy out, starting today, and let me know how it works for you by leaving a comment below.
If you have a different strategy that works for you, please share that in the comments as well.