Happy February!
We've made it through January, hooray! And we are creeping slowly towards spring and hopefully seeing some of the lockdown restrictions eased. I'm not going to lie but life is tough (to varying degrees), for all of us right now and I bet a lot of us are lacking in motivation. Speaking for myself, even as a personal trainer there are days when I just cannot be bothered to exercise. Of course I know all the benefits and I know 100% that once I finish I will feel so much better mentally and physically. It sounds silly but some mornings all that's holding me back is actually changing out of my pyjamas and into my workout clothes! So my answer is to remove the barrier and workout in my pjs!
You might be facing a lot of barriers to exercise at the moment so try eliminating them or working around them, for example:-
‘I just don’t have an hour to spare right now’
Ok do you have 20 mins to spare? Could you set your alarm 20 minutes earlier and do a workout then? Could you multi-task and do a workout in the kitchen whilst you’re waiting for something to cook? A client of mine told me this week that her young daughter needs her close by whilst she falls asleep in the evening, so she takes her dumbbells upstairs and does some exercises on the landing whilst her daughter drifts off.
‘The gyms are closed and I don’t have any equipment’
Ok but you have a body, right?! There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do using your own body weight - a lot of them very challenging.
If lifting heavy weights is your fave type of exercise then get creative. Load up a backpack with heavy books, use large 5l water bottles (with the handles), large laundry detergent bottles, big plastic milk bottles etc. Chairs, benches, staircases are also very handy for home workouts.
‘I don’t have any childcare so I’m unable to exercise’ Depending on the age of your kids get them involved! Mine love joining in, (well for about 10 minutes anyway!) and then wander off to watch TV! If your children are very young then lower your expectations. It is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to do a whole workout without any interruptions so break the workout into smaller chunks and spread it out over the day doing bits whenever you can. It won't be a perfect workout so don't expect it to be, but it will be better than nothing.
‘I haven’t done any exercise for a long time and I don’t know where to start or what exercises to do’ Book a few sessions with a personal trainer to get you started. They can help you set a goal and work out a training plan for you. I happen to know a great one who can meet you either in person outdoors or over Zoom (FYI the initial consultation is free! )
What are your barriers to exercise? Let me know below and together let's find a way to work around them.