Beth Alexander Fitness

What motivates people to exercise?

For some people it’s the endorphin rush, for others it’s the satisfaction of looking good and for me it is the love of connecting to and firing my muscles–I love exploring the human body and exploring how it works! And I am a bit of a group fitness junkie

Regardless of what motivates you to exercise, sometimes it can be tough to get back into a routine if you’ve fallen out of one. We lose sight of old habits (goodbye early morning run!), pick up new habits (hello after-dinner glass of wine ) and before we know it we don’t feel so good anymore.

I’ve been exploring the topic of motivation with clients to learn how I can better support people when motivation is lost and we fall off the train a bit. People says they feel better, look better and are just more “on it” when they exercise… and yet it can still be a bit of a struggle to get a workout in.

As a trainer and a freak-of-nature-fitnesser, I know my frame of reference for the exercise world can be a bit different. So for today’s blog post I’ve invited a client and friend, Miss Jordan F. of Santa Barbara, California, to comment on her dilemma of a declining drive for exercise.

Why We Need to Grin and Bare Those Lazy Urges

By Jordan F.

Recently, I have taken an unintentional hiatus from from my (usually) diligent fitness habits and it has rendered me lazy and extremely unmotivated. After complaining about it to my trainer, she asked me to write a guest blog discussing the issue and the consequences I have faced because of it. Who could have guessed it would take me two weeks to even start it, right? I know Iʼm not alone on this. Everyone goes through it, (except for the freaky people who are so dedicated they do it for a living… ahem Beth…) One minute youʼre a fitness machine, making the best choices for your body, noticing positive changes in not only your physique, but attitude and behavior as well. The next minute, youʼre laying on the couch watching reruns of Family Guy, eating all those cookies you baked, wondering how itʼs possible to gain all that weight back in half the time it took you to lose it. A couple of weeks ago you couldnʼt wait to go out for a run and today you can barely get yourself to walk to the mail box. This is my life right now.

Iʼve loved exercising and have been trying to eat healthy for about a decade now, but I got really into fitness 2 years ago. I was going through a hefty break up and having a hard time in school and living in a town 3 hours away from my comfort zone .. I was at my lowest to say the least. It didnʼt take me long to find sanctuary in running. I ran on the beach, trails, hills with views, basically anywhere that I could get lost in. Once I realized how much I loved it, I started adding miles, stairs, sprints, time intervals, races and then turned to other forms of cardio. I went the gym to row or swim and went to every aerobic class possible. With this change in my life came other lifestyle changes in an almost unconscious effort. My interest in health peaked, I prepared and cooked all my meals instead of going out, my desire for fatty foods and sweets decreased, and my will power became stronger. Instead of turning to hulu while I ate my breakfast, I started reading health and fitness blogs or even…the news. Additionally, I started flossing everyday, I started taking better care of my skin, I had a better focus on my school work, and just became more productive in general. Needless to say, my usual inclination to be lazy melted away and so did my negative outlooks on life.

However, it doesnʼt matter what the excuse is or how dedicated we are, sometimes we fall off the wagon. Other aspects of life take over and it becomes difficult to keep up with these habits and far more easy to turn to convenience. Some of us werenʼt born with the athletic gene and it takes some serious effort to be persistent with these choices. Iʼm here to tell you, KEEP PUSHING! I speak from my current situation. “Life” took over and now Iʼm struggling stay on top of even the simplest of tasks. To prove it, Iʼll admit to you all I have woken up numerous times in the last month, with my street clothes, make up and the light still on and my teeth unbrushed. I have spiraled and now Iʼm paying for it.
Donʼt wait to go on that run until “later”, donʼt start eating healthier “tomorrow”. Guess what.. you wonʼt. Tomorrow will continue to be tomorrow. The harder you push in those times of lazy desperation, the easier it will be with time. Words like “later” and “tomorrow” and “someday” wonʼt exist in your vocabulary. Be about “now” and “today” and you will see the difference you want to see. Take it from me.