These Three Things Are Why You’re Not Working Out Consistently
Many people find it difficult to work out consistently. They start and start, start and stop, and wonder why they just can’t stick with it.
Some say, “If you find the form of exercise you love, you’ll do it,” while others believe that you have to be born athletic or have a certain body type in order to exercise regularly.
But both of these explanations miss the mark.
Everyone is capable of consistent movement if they understand their personal relationship with exercise and overcome the things that hold them back.
Here are three things that may be holding you back from exercising consistently.
You rely on motivation.
A lack of motivation is the leading excuse for not working out regularly.
It’s common for people to say: “I want to be more active, but, most of the time, I just don’t feel like working out.”
If this sounds like you, the mentality that motivation must be present in order to be active is holding you back.
Motivation is like an unreliable friend. You never know when it will show up and eventually you realize that you just can’t count on it.
So, if you want to be consistent with exercise, you can’t rely on motivation.
You haven’t defined your why.
Without motivation, you may wonder how you will convince yourself to work out when you don’t feel like it.
Here’s the answer: Define your why.
That means that you identify why moving your body regularly is important to you. Not the reason it’s important to your friends or family members. Why it’s important to YOU.
The more you can identify with why you want to move your body consistently and find reasons that you are closely aligned with, the easier it will be to move your body on the reg.
Then, instead of connecting with motivation, you will connect with your why to help you show up for yourself even when you “don’t feel like it.”
You are repeating old stories and beliefs.
Throughout our lives, whether we are aware or not, we create stories about our relationship with exercise.
Maybe you had a gym teacher who told you that you were a slow runner.
Or maybe you had a classmate who didn’t pick you for their soccer team and you assumed it was because you weren’t athletic.
Our experiences shape our beliefs, and from those beliefs, we develop stories about ourselves.
Until we acknowledge those beliefs and the stories we’ve created about our relationship with exercise, we won’t be able to control the narrative.
So, if you’re not exercising consistently but want to be, you may want to explore the beliefs and stories you hold about your capabilities related to movement.
It’s completely possible for everyone to exercise regularly. But if you’re struggling, take a close and careful look at what might be holding you back and then work to overcome those barriers.
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For more guidance on living an active lifestyle, download my free workbook at darciemft.com/workbooks/.