I'm Calling BS on the Two Reasons You Missed Your Workout
#1. You don’t have time
BS. You do have time. But you need to plan for it. Add “workout” on your schedule and make it a non-negotiable. Do not take that last minute meeting during your scheduled workout time! Do not run that last minute errand and most certainly do not get caught up on emails. Put your workout time on the calendar and treat it like gold. Because it is gold. It is your health and wellness, physical and mental, and it impacts every single thing you do. From the way your neurons fire when you are at work, to your sleep quality, to your ability to play tag with your kids, to the ride you want to do this weekend and the even bigger ride you want to do this summer. The workout you do releases endorphins which makes you feel happier, more energetic, and relieves stress and anxiety. These feelings have a positive impact on the way you feel about your body when you get dressed in the morning, to the relationships you have with your friends and family, the patience you have with your kids or spouse, and the empathy you express for yourself when you look in the mirror.
If you do not have your health, you are not showing up as your whole self. We know that during the past year American’s stress and anxiety levels have increased, weight has been gained, and alcohol consumption has increased. Working out combats all of these negatives! A 20-60 minute workout will reset your mind, help you focus, and makes choosing the salad over the nachos an easier choice. You have the time to workout, but you need to plan for it and treat your workout time like gold!
Right now, schedule your workout time on your calendar. DO IT! Nice work! Now practice saying these words out loud, “That is during my workout time, it will have to wait.” Or, “Oh, I”m busy then, will 2:30 work?” Don’t apologize for prioritizing your own health! Your workout time is gold.
#2. You Aren’t Motivated
BS. Motivation is a feeling. It comes and goes like the feeling of happy, sad, or scared. You aren’t motivated to wash the dishes, but you don’t want to eat off a filthy plate. You aren’t motivated to do laundry, but you don’t want your kids to show up with dirt stains. So you wash the dishes and do the laundry. If you can’t rely on motivation, what can you rely on? A consistent schedule, a plan, and accountability.
Consistency builds routine and with consistency comes results. With a consistent schedule you eliminate the question of “When will I workout?” You answer that question before the week starts because your workout time is scheduled on your calendar.
You need to have a plan. Especially if you are pinched on time, you can’t be looking up 18 different workout routines on YouTube or Instagram. This is where apps such as Peloton and Mirror are excellent. Your plan might be a 20 min Peloton ride with Cody and 10 min core workout with Cliff. Great! Plan in place, workout time scheduled. GO! Or perhaps you’re following a 3 month mountain bike specific strength training program and you know it’s week 4 and your body is ready to push a little bit further than last week. I always like to know what my workout will be ahead of time so I can mentally prepare.
Lastly, you need to have accountability. This can come in the form of a habit tracker in your planner or phone, crossing off a box on the calendar, texting a friend, hiring a personal trainer, joining a class, or following a plan where you see all the previous days you’ve worked out and how they’re adding up. You know yourself best. Decide what you need to hold you accountable. For me, I simply don’t feel good if I don’t get some form of movement in every day, and that’s enough to keep me accountable. For many of my clients, it’s the personal interaction and the knowledge that someone else is showing up for them, so they need to show up for themselves. Take a moment to think about what will hold you accountable. I’ve heard from many people who do my strength training programs that the program tracker is enough to keep them accountable, for my build class over Zoom it’s simply knowing I will be there to get their butt moving at 6am!
A few special situations:
“OK, fine Bekah,” a client said to me recently, “It’s not that I lack motivation, but I don’t have time for the activities I enjoy.” BS. You don’t have time for the activities you enjoy every day. But you have time to be active every day! And that daily activity will set you up for success when the weekend rolls around or you have a day off and you want to go crush it on the bike or tackle that big hike or ski adventure! Imagine if every time you rode you felt strong. You felt energized. You felt in control and could keep up, or even lead the pack instead of hanging on for dear life. That feeling is what 2-3 structured workouts per week will give you.
I had the time and motivation, but I was injured. Injuries happen and they’re a total bummer, but they can also be a good reset or a chance to shift focus. Do not give up that workout time you blocked off! Stick with your schedule and shift your plan. If you’re injured, work on mobility or isometric exercises. Maybe your workout time becomes a walk or a mellow spin on the bike. Whatever you do, do not take away your workout time. Keep the consistency, stick to your plan, develop a strategy to hold yourself accountable, and treat your workout time like gold. Because it is gold.
Click HERE if you want to jump into my build class on Zoom, or get started with my 3 month MTB Strength Training Plan.
