It’s a total lie that exercise is supposed to be easy, but you can make it easier.
If you feel like working out is a hard, you’re not alone, you’re not broken, you’re also… not wrong.
Working out IS hard, because it’s SUPPOSED to be hard.
I see it all the time in my coaching practice when I first start working with someone who wants to start working out, but never has, or maybe they do, but they’re always on again and off again. They struggle with staying consistent.
…and there are a lot of different reasons why this might be happening.
The one I want to talk about, is the presumption that it’s “supposed” to be easy.
People make it look easy online. So if it’s not easy for you, then the only conclusion is that something must be wrong with you.
This just isn’t meant for you, so why even bother.
So let’s dive into…
3 Reasons Why Exercise is Hard, and why, That’s Kind of the Point:
1) It’s hard, because it’s new
If you’re new to working out, you’re asking your body (and mind) to do things it’s never done before. It’s like learning a new language - you feel awkward, uncomfortable, out of place, vulnerable, silly. All normal. If you were to sing for the first time, or start a new career, or paint… Would you expect it to be easy? Probably not. There’s a learning curve. You have to be bad before you become good. Everything takes practice and repetition. Trying. Refining. Making mistakes. Learning. Trying again. Exercise is no different.
2) It’s hard, because that’s what creates change
With my clients, we always aim for, “uncomfortable, but doable.” You don’t need to crush yourself every workout, but you do have to push yourself a little past your comfort zone. The key to progress is progressive overload (increasing resistance over time), so it will always need to be… hard. And that’s one of the things I really love about working out, and I think one of the biggest transformations I see with my clients. The realization that, we can do hard things. We can push ourselves to the limit, and recover. If you’re looking for results in the gym, it has to be hard. If you’re looking to make a big change in your life, it’s also going to be hard.
3) It’s hard, because you won’t see results immediately
Exercise is a long game (most healthy habits are), so you won’t see your “return on investment” (time, energy, money) for a while (no, not 6-12 weeks). But the effects are cumulative and truly life-changing. In a world of short-term gratification, this can be difficult for people to accept. What I find most helpful here, is to focus on those smaller wins, for example: increase in energy, boost in mood, sense of pride, better sleep, improved focus. Use those to keep the fire going (like kindling).
5 Ways You Can Make It Easier to Exercise:
1) Try different things that you might be interested in
Make it fun. A client and I laughed recently at this quote that just rang SO true: "There are no such thing as boredom, only boring people.” It’s harsh, but it places the responsibility back on to you. Which if we switch our mindset, can be empowering. If you want to hate exercise, you will. If you want to like exercise, you will. The wonderful thing is that there are SO many different forms of movement: barre, pilates (mat and reformer), swimming, bootcamps, yoga (aerial, vinyasa, hot), pole dancing, running, walking, the class with the drumsticks, weight lifting, kickboxing, adult league sports, so many. Have fun trying different things.
2) Schedule it in
Don’t wait for the moment you “feel” like it, because you will “feel” like it 20% of the time (if that). Think about all the things you probably wouldn’t do if you didn’t schedule it in: work, doctor appointments, therapy… This is YOUR time to do something good for yourself. Treat it as a date with yourself that you can’t flake on - because how much does it suck to have someone flake on you or keep moving your date back?
3) Include a friend for fun and accountability
Feel like you need the extra nudge? No problem! That’s literally why people work with me. You can hire a coach or you can ask a friend that maybe you look up to that exercises often to be your accountability buddy. Maybe they can take you to a class they like, or go on a hike or walk with you every weekend. I love when my friends ask me to try a new workout class with them and then we’ll grab a coffee after!
4) Pair it with something you enjoy
Look, I get it, sometimes things start to feel redundant. You go to the gym and “lift the same weights,” or your walk looks the exact same every day. This doesn’t mean you have to change your walk or stop lifting (please don’t). Incorporate something different into the same routine: a fun new workout playlist, call a friend, an audiobook, a podcast, etc.
5) Commit to the first 5-10 min and tell yourself you can stop after.
If it all feels intimidating, or if you don’t feel like you have the energy (it feels counterintuitive but you often gain energy by spending a little bit of energy) then just tell yourself you’ll do 5-10 min and THEN decide if you really don’t want to do it. Get up, put on the clothes, move around a little, put the pump up music on, see how you feel. Sitting there, on that couch though… You’ll never feel like doing anything else.
An extra little bonus tip, is to simply ask yourself: What would it look like if it were easy?
I just gave you a bunch of tips, but the truth is, I don’t know you - wish I did though!
You know you best, and by asking yourself that simple question, you might come up with a better solution.
Finally, I just want to leave you with something to think about:
What if it’s not your relationship to exercise that you need to work on.
What if, it’s your relationship with doing hard things that is?
Azul is a Certified Health and Self-Development Coach on a mission to change the way you approach fitness and nutrition - by first changing the way you approach your relationship to self. She coaches women who want to improve their wellness and relationship to self with science-based holistic practices designed to transform their habits and mindset around food, fitness, and self-care. You can schedule a free 20-minute intro call to learn more by clicking here.
