What is something that we have to do regardless of how we are feeling? Work. It’s Sunday night and you’re feeling dreadful because Monday is coming up. “Ugh, I don’t want to go to work.” Sound familiar? But you still have to go, right? At times, we go in sick (maybe not anymore due to Covid), depressed, angry, sleepy, etc. It is our responsibility to show up to work so we can pay for our living expenses. This is the same mentality I want people to approach exercise. Here are 3 reasons why.
First, having time allocated to exercising. I use my phone calendar for everything. Without it, I would be lost. And I can say with confidence that most people are like me. Our lives are routine-based so when you allocate time for exercise, chances are higher that you will continue to stick with it. We go to work because we know we have to be there at a certain time. If it’s not on your calendar, you will forget to do it. How easy is it to say “I’ll just do it tomorrow.” Then that tomorrow turns into next week, next month, etc. You get the idea. Allocating time specifically to exercise will hold you accountable.
Another is because of the ups and downs in the fitness journey. When people begin exercising, motivation is high because things are new and exciting. But, if you have been at it as long as I have (23 years and counting), maintaining that level of motivation is difficult because you won’t see results as fast as you did in the past. The same can be said in terms of work. Our day-to-day operation doesn’t change drastically, maybe some minor details here and there. But overall, work stays consistent. We work because it pays the bills. Exercise doesn’t pay the bills, but we exercise because we want to improve our well-being. There may be more downs than ups during the journey and you have to find that motivation to get back into it. For example, this past month my son got sick and I got sick. It took 4 weeks for my son to get healthy and my body to recover 3 weeks. Work doesn’t stop during those days. But when it comes to fitness, the longer you stay away from it, muscles atrophy, and the easier it will be to gain weight. Rather than seeing it as a “reset,” think of it as you just went a different route and are now getting back on the right path. If the path to the finish line is easy, then everybody wouldn’t have to work as hard, right?
Lastly, when you treat it like work you won’t expect to see results every time. Do you expect to get a raise every month at work? No, right? You have to put in the time, and I am talking about years before you get to the position where you want to. Before starting my own business, it took 8 years to feel comfortable enough to step out of the corporate world and venture out on my own. The same can be said with exercise. Yeah, you can lose some weight here and there, but the long-lasting results don’t happen overnight. So when you treat it like work and believe exercise will improve your well-being, results will follow as long as you show up for it. Hope you enjoyed reading this week’s blog. Stay tuned for more! -Kei