Redefining Exercise

“New year's resolutioners” is what some gym goers say disdainfully about the folks who start working out in January and are nowhere to be seen by mid-February. They are not wrong. Most of us start the year all motivated to work out and be healthy. So why do most people quick before the end of the first quarter? You might think it is because they have lost their motivation. I disagree. I think most of us quit working out because we have an unhealthy definition and relationship with exercise. For the past three years, I have exercised consistently every week. Here is how I did it.

Exercise is not for weight loss.

I know this flies in the face of what the fitness industry tries to teach us. They say that if you want the body of your dreams, join their exercise program. The thing is, there are no exercise programs that can work off unhealthy eating habits and a negative relationship with food. Using exercise as a punishment to try and compensate for overeating made me resent and avoid exercise. After all, who wants to be punished? Exercise has many physical and mental health benefits. When I separated weight loss from exercise and embraced those benefits, I began to look forward to exercising. I now exercise as an emotional release and a chance to clear my head. I use it as an opportunity to see what I can push my body to do. I exercise because I like how my body feels when I am done.

Exercise should adapt to your day.

When I had a rigid exercise routine and missed a workout, I felt like a failure. I would skip one workout and then another. The next thing I knew, I had stopped working out. Now I have replaced my rigid exercise routine with general guidelines. My goal is to move my body for 3 hours a week. On weeks when I am fully engaged and feeling great, this means two Orange Theory workouts and one long run. On those weeks that are super packed or I am feeling run down, that might mean a long walk with my sister-in-law and a couple of short walks. I don’t push myself to squeeze in a strenuous workout if it will stress me out more, then it will help. This also requires brutal honesty with myself. I can’t lie to myself and say that I am not up for the workout if the truth is I just don’t feel motivated. When this happens, I usually tell myself that I can start with a walk or a mild workout, and if I feel up for it, I can add in some short runs. Most of the time, I end up running the whole time. 

Exercise should be fun.

I like Orange Theory. I like playing mental games about how fast I can run or how heavy I can go with my weights. I like that I don’t have to think about what to do. I simply show up and do what the coach says. I have always enjoyed running and am addicted to the runner’s high. If workouts like this don’t interest you, then don’t do them. I have dabbled in barre workouts, beach body classes, and yoga. I’m not afraid to switch it up when I get bored. If Orange Theory starts to become unfun, I will find the next thing. Staying consistent with one type of exercise is less important than consistently exercising.

Set yourself up for success as you plan your New Year’s exercise routine. Find another motivating reason for exercise that does not involve weight loss, adapt your exercise routine to you and your days, and make sure it is fun.