Working Out Is More Like Gardening, Not Painting.
“I’m brilliant. This is it.”
This is what I told myself after I came up with this analogy (or metaphor… why can’t I remember which is which).
What’s one of the most frequently asked questions I get?
“How do you stay so motivated to workout?”
Now, if you’ve been a reader/listener for a while now, you know I’ve answered this question many times. Here are a few older articles I’ve written:
This time, I’m going to approach this question a bit differently.
This is for you if you’re more of a visual learner - I think it might hit home for a lot of people. Maybe something will click.
People think working out is like painting.
You sit down and start painting and you see your painting become something within a few minutes.
Once you’re done painting, you have this masterpiece to put up on the wall and admire for the rest of your life.
People think once you start exercising you’ll see results pretty quickly. Whether it’s a few days, weeks, or months.
Once you feel good about the way you look, maybe hit your goal weight or fit into the jeans you want, you can stop and just admire your work.
Nope.
If you can’t sustain your efforts, you can’t retain your results.
This is why I like to think of working out more like gardening.
Gardening at first can feel really frustrating because you don’t know if you’re doing the right thing until your little seed surfaces from the ground. What you do know is that you have to consistently keep giving it water, exposing it to sunlight, and be patient. It could be a long time till you see something happen. The minute you see something happen though, you get excited, and that momentum keeps you going. Eventually, with consistency and time, your little seed becomes a full plant. Now, you don’t just stop watering it. You don’t just stop caring for it or else it would die. You have to continuously do the same thing for the rest of its life. The minute you don’t, it dies (sorry, that was a bit morbid but true).
This plays on the two reasons people stop working out:
They get frustrated things aren’t happening as quickly as they thought.
They hit their “goal” and stop working out and eating well altogether.
Working out is like gardening.
1) You may not see results that quickly, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean it’s not working.
p.s. I don’t blame you for having an unrealistic time frame. We see this type of messaging all the time in fitness:
6 Weeks to Fit
10 min Six Pack
Before/After photos of people within a 3-month time frame
2) You think once you hit your “goal weight” or “body” you don’t need to do any more work.
This could not be farther from the truth.
If you worked out or ate a certain way to build muscle if you stop working out or eating that way you’ll most likely lose your muscle.
If you worked out or ate a certain way to lose weight if you stop working out or eating that way you’ll most likely gain the weight back.
I’m not saying this to stress you out if you have to miss a week of training or if you injure yourself and can’t workout right now.
I’m saying this to hopefully illustrate for you WHY it’s SO important to enjoy the journey.
Working out and eating well aren’t “means to an end.” You don’t just get to your destination and stop.
Working out and eating well are acts of self-care that you are meant to do quite literally for the rest of your life.
…and if that feels like a trap to you, or makes you feel stressed, it’s time to reassess your routine and find something that works FOR you.
Babe, you are a STRONG and GROUNDED freaking Sequoia tree that deserves the best soil, all the water, and all the sunlight, every single damn day.
Take care of yourself.
If you’re looking for a safe space where you'll receive support and guidance in achieving your health goals, you're right where you need to be :) Submit a client application to receive your free 15 min consultation with me. I work with clients all over the world-changing their relationship with their health and wellness so that they can reestablish trust in their bodies and feel empowered and confident that they’re always making the best decision for themselves.
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
