Your Biggest Barrier to Starting an Exercise Routine
I hear it all the time. Hell, I've experienced it myself several times throughout my fitness career.
You take a break from working out and the minute you decide you are going to start up again (or for the first time) you freeze. You think about all of the options you've seen on the internet and in magazines and ask yourself, "Where do I start?" Crossfit? Yoga? Pilates? Weights? Running? Zumba? Aggghhhhh!
And then, you realize you've just whittled away the 30 minutes you had to exercise pondering exericise... and then, you get overwhelmed and frustrated and you put off exercise... again.
Do you know what is keeping you from starting?
Fear of starting.
Or rather, fear of failure or, doing the wrong thing. But you know what? In this equation- movement and exercise- as long as you're trying, you can't fail. As long as you're trying, you can't do anything wrong. The biggest mistake you can make is not trying or, continuing to tell yourself you are going to start and not starting.
Do you want to know how to get over this hurdle? How to stop this cycle?
Just start.
Start wherever you are, with whatever tools, time, and energy you have.
Just start.
Yes, certain types of exercise will help you achieve certain goals faster and easier BUT, this is not {yet} about that.
This, is about taking those first few steps and allowing yourself to feel successful so that you can progress into a more challenging program.
This, is about feeling successful and knowing that you can.
This, is about making time for yourself and showing up. You might only last five minutes, make it a half a mile, or finish one set, but at least you'll know you showed up, put forth the effort and now, you can move forward.
A little sidebar:
Lately, I've been wanting to change my schedule- I have been wanting to get up at 5:00am, workout and then devote 30-60 minutes to work before Ethan gets up. I decided that Monday was the day. And then, I forgot to set my alarm.
Der.
Luckily, I woke up at 6:00am, got Lando out for a run, and then got to work for about 20 minutes. It wasn't perfect and, in fact, it wasn't at all what I had planned, but I adjusted and made it work. This simple step forward made me feel successful and empowered and I realized that this small change to my schedule, no matter how hard it was going to be, was going to progress me towards my goals.
I know that I won't always be able to make this work. After all, I have a toddler who sometimes decides that sleep is for the weak. But, I know I can, and that's half the battle.
How does this relate?
I want you to approach starting with this mindset- it is going to be hard. In fact, It might be a giant pain in the ass. But, JUST START. Get it over with. Allow yourself the opportunity to succeed, feel capable and most of all, allow yourself to feel good about who you are, where you are and the space you are in right this moment.
Just start.
Need some help starting? Reach out, let me know how I can help. I'd love to talk about your challenges, struggles, and what is keeping you from starting.
You can also grab a copy of my Busy Mama's Fitness Kick-Start Kit, a free 4-week workout, recovery yoga practice and, a calendar to plan out your workouts (click the image below to sign up).
Be well,
Lauren
