Work out motivation tips when you don’t want to exercise 

I exercise six days a week, around 2 p.m. It’s my midday pick-me-up (as opposed to another cup of coffee) that helps me catch my second breath and end the day. How intense it is depends on how I’m feeling. It could be a peloton class or a heavy lifting session. Or it could be a more restorative practice like yoga or a long walk.

It seems like a fairly simple endeavor that’s burned into my schedule and ready for me to execute. However, there are many days when I just don’t feel like it. I could sit in front of the door in my gym clothes with my bag packed and force myself to get up and move my body. Those are the moments when I step back and consider whether to make an effort, make something easier than planned, or treat it as a rest day and observe Rick and Morty repetitions.

Most of us know this feeling well. There are days when you have the motivation, others when you need your willpower to move, and some when you decide to just take the day off. But exercise and determination to do some Even if you don’t feel like it, it doesn’t have to be about getting fit or setting a personal record at the gym. The best benefits of being active in any way are often the ones we don’t see on Instagram — like having more energy throughout the day, building strength, improving brain health, and other mental health benefits. Exercise offers these benefits for almost everyone and every body – no “perfect” aesthetics are required. And while someone going through a major bout of depression or anxiety probably doesn’t have the same intrinsic ability to motivate as someone whose mental health is stable, everyone benefits in some way from exercise.

So how can we structure our lives and surroundings to ensure that we get some movement on the days we struggle? I spoke to several fitness experts to see how. Here’s what they said.

Remind yourself how good it feels to move your body and redefine what is considered movement

The Department of Health recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week, plus two days of strength training.

That doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym every day and press heavy weights or take a HIIT class. There is a difference between exercise and physical activity. The former refers to structured activities aimed at pursuing a fitness goal, while the latter can be anything that requires exercise — including going for a walk, taking a virtual yoga class, dancing around your apartment, playing with your kids or pets, or doing some light stretching. On those days when you don’t feel up to your exercise routine, taking it easy can still be a way to hit recommended physical activity benchmarks.

We feel different every day due to sleep quality, stress, work, family commitments, and our mental health. By saving the hard workouts for the days when you’re feeling great and making changes for the days when you’re not, you can take better care of your body in the long run. Striving for perfection is a surefire way to burn out. It’s okay to deviate from the plan to meet where you are and figure out why you don’t feel like you used to. Do you need more sleep? Better stress management? Or more food?

“Any movement you can do will benefit your body, whether it’s at the gym or doing structured exercise,” said Katie Heinrich, a professor of kinesiology at Kansas State University. “Maybe you’re wearing your gym clothes. You’re like, ‘Man, I just don’t want to go to the gym.’ It’s good. just move Create a song that you enjoy dancing to. Or do 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, and 10 squats. Even just standing and moving is better than sitting.”

Find an accountability buddy

Having friends to help you move your body can be the deciding factor in whether you start the day or stay on the couch, according to Sami Yli-Piipari, a physical activity specialist at the University of Georgia. Making physical activity a group venture can foster a sense of community and make you feel like others are on your side—a powerful motivator. “People need autonomy. They have to be competent in what they’re doing, but they also have to feel like there’s a relationship there,” he explained.

Also, it’s harder to drop out of a pre-planned activity when friends or a coach are waiting for you before class. Yli-Piipari also noted that less simple things, like pre-arranging an Uber to pick you up at the gym, can help.

Create an environment that encourages sustainable exercise

Our personal environment can promote or hinder our well-being – a complex reality influenced by a person’s various privileges and disadvantages – and it has a direct impact on how motivated we are to get something done. Taking your workout clothes to work, packing your gym bag the night before, laying out your workout clothes in advance, or putting them on a chair you walk by are just a few tips from the experts I spoke to for creating an exercise-friendly environment .

It’s imperative to take stock of how you can incorporate phases of exercise into your day. Maybe it’s with a standing desk or walking around the room every hour. For others, scheduling physical activity on a digital calendar or planner the way you would jot down a doctor’s appointment is effective. For those of us who love to cross things off a list, writing down exercises as if it were a chore also helps.

But it’s also important to be realistic about when it will happen. If you’re not a morning person, don’t schedule a morning workout. If you want to spend your evenings with family commitments or going out with your friends, a lunch break might be best. And when a block of hours isn’t feasible, Heinrich suggests breaking it up into smaller chunks, which works best for those with rigid or unpredictable schedules. Parents can also exercise by running around the playground with their children or doing a circle while watching their children play. (A big selling point of home workouts is the fact that you can babysit your kids during a workout session, attend a meeting, or cook a meal in the oven.)

“Every minute of activity that you can do creates physiological and mental responses in your body,” she explained. “And usually when someone is feeling exhausted, you’ll find that moving your body makes you feel better. And that pain you start to feel may just go away.”

Know the difference between feeling sluggish and needing to rest

Everyone I spoke to knew that exercise isn’t always the best way to feel blah. Perhaps the most important thing you can do is figure out the difference between needing to take a walk and needing to rest your body. Fatigue can occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes you’ve been staring at your screen for too long and need a break from activity. At other times you might need a nap. If the fatigue is overwhelming or persistent, your body could be signaling that there is an underlying medical issue that needs to be addressed. And of course, if you have a fever, pain, or an injury, that’s a clear indication that you need to focus on getting better.

But Brittany Brandt, the fitness and well-being coordinator at West Virginia University, said if you’re just feeling tired and want to skip physical activity that day, that’s fine too. Try not to beat yourself up for “breaking a streak,” and indulge in some grace instead, she said. Getting in a little something each day — whether it’s a walk around the block or a quick stretch before bed — will do your body a lot better than stress out because you’re not moving like you planned for the day.

“People sometimes pigeonhole themselves with, ‘Oh, I have to work out Monday through Friday,’ or only certain days, and when they derail, they’re like, ‘I’ll just try again on Monday.'” She said. “But that’s not a stigma. You can move every day.”

Julia Kraven is a writer who writes about whatever she thinks is cool and she is the mastermind behind it Make it meaningfula wellness newsletter.

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