Exercise is not a must. That’s what many or most people think. Work is a must. Being with their family is a must. Eating (at least something) is a must. But exercise? Nah, it’s a should…or an “it’d be nice”.
Exercise should be fun, sexy, or both. At least that’s how we want it to be. Since exercise usually isn’t fun, and feels far from sexy, we’d really rather not do it.
We spend time with our friends and family because it gives our lives meaning, and adds to who we are.
Work isn’t fun, in most cases, but we do it because we have to make a living for ourselves and our family. It’s a must. It adds meaning and a sense of contribution to the world.
We sleep, at least 5-6 hours in most cases, hopefully more, but we do it because we have no energy for work and don’t feel good if we don’t. It helps us recover from yesterday and start a new day. We also can’t survive without it for very long.
We eat, because we’re told we should, and we can tell the difference when we don’t, so we do it a few times each day, for better or for worse. It helps get us through the next few hours or fulfills a need for immediate satisfaction.
Then there’s exercise.
Who has time? I don’t need to do it do I? I don’t usually feel good when I do it, so what’s the point? Sexy? How in the world is exercise supposed to make me feel sexy?
Exercise needs to go from I’ll think about it or maybe or should to a must, just like work, eating, sleeping, and time with friends and family.
Anyone who has ever played a sport and trained consistently for 3 months or more will tell you how they feel better, look better, perform better, and have a better self-image. You trained 5-7 days each week then.
You don’t need to be a great athlete, unless you want to be. But exercising 5-7 days/week (and yes, 7 is FAR better than 6 or 5) over 90 days will change you in ways you won’t believe possible.
Forget the ridiculous concept that you MUST PUSH harder every day. You must ask more of your body, not push it, each day. If you ask, by doing 1% more, or at least not doing 1% less, then your body will improve.
Small changes will “trick” your metabolism into not even realizing a change is being made (so it won’t work against you in trying to preserve bodyfat and maintain weight) and it will support you along the way.
Add 2 minutes of exercise in today (yes, if you do zero, it’s only 2 minutes). Walk, lift weights, do yoga, whatever suits your fancy that is 2 minutes more than before. Then, each day, either add time, add speed, add weights (no don’t carry weights while you walk or run, that’s a whole different topic).
After 90 days, and you’ve made monstrous progress (and you will) seek out an experienced coach or partner who cares about you enough, WANTS to know you enough, and is willing to do what it takes to help you make another 90 days of great progress.
You could also seek that person now, but you must make that decision. You don’t get in shape before getting help, you get help when you need it, and you do it for you.
So it begins…