Guys, I have this post in my head for at least 4 months and it is finally time to get it out. Since I moved to Chicago, people ask me all the time: So how can you be so slim? And all suddenly people are like: Do you exercise? What do you do? How often? How do you motivate yourself to exercise? What do you eat?
And the list goes on… haha I have to admit, the beginning when I moved to Chicago, I struggled to get used to the cold but now I feel more confident to talk about this subject. First: there is no secret: you are what you eat and what you do. Second: I love sports and I have been doing different ones my all life. Third: I pay a lot of attention to what I eat – I am vegetarian since 2016 and I try my best to avoid processed food. – I can develop this subject in another post if you guys want. 😀
How do I keep motivated to exercise?
I usually say to people: I have been doing it for many years, that’s way! With social media and, especially, with the fast pace life we tend to want everything from one day to another. We start running today and tomorrow we want to be doing a marathon. Well, things that last for long take time to build. For example, today I exercise 4 to 5 times a week but the consistency I have, took me YEARS TO GAIN. When I say, it took years to become consistent about exercising several times a week, I really mean it.
Everything started when I was 14 years old. It was Summer in Portugal. I was never a super happy teen with my body and that Summer I started running around my parents place. I saw it as: it is an easy sport; I can do it anywhere and it will help me not to gain weight. That’s how I started! First for 15 minutes, then for 20, 30, 60 minutes and more. Since then running is my favorite sport. But did I enjoy it straight way? NO!!!
Of course, no. Sometimes I felt like running and sometimes I did not. 2 years later, I became a federated runner and that helped enormously understanding that programming your mind to do things can be a game changer. At the end of the day, you do no always wake up and feel motivated. No matter how bad you like something: when you do it everyday; when you do it in the cold; when your legs and feet are in pain… Damn no. BUT doing it anyway is what brings you the results. So how do I do it? I just do, even when I don’t feel like doing because I know I have more energy when I run, I am more creative, I am less anxious.
So how to program your mind to exercise ?
1. Find something you like
I really mean it. Find a sport you like. Sometimes people tell me: “I don’t enjoy exercising AT LOT.” Then, combine sports with something else. Maybe you don’t like biking but you enjoy listening to podcasts. Do it together.
2. Start small
Sometimes people ask: “How can I start running 10km, like you?”. There is no secret: practice and time. My suggestion is always: start small! Be proud of little improvements. If you start by running 15 minutes, at the end of the week if you are running 20 minutes, that’s great. Small steps are better than nothing.
3. Find friends to do it with you
I usually exercise alone, just because it is my way to disconnected from the world. However when I am lazy, I ask someone to go to the gym with me. Having a friend that lives close by helps when you don’t feel like doing anything.
4. Set goals
But small goals. I believe we all work better when we know where we wanna go. Right? If you are starting, maybe try to exercise twice a week or start with power walks in the morning. Just have a vision. That will help you to keep it going.
5. Schedule your practice
You schedule your meeting at work, right? Why don’t you do it with your practices? Having a time set to exercise is a great way to not forget. Sometimes people ask when it is the best time of the day to exercise. I usually say it depends on each one of us. at the moment, I have a very flexible schedule so I usually run late morning or afternoon. When I was working full-time I would do it in the morning (around 6:30 am) or very late at night (around 9 pm). It is up to you and your schedule, I would say. 😀
Hope this was helpful. And tell me, do you exercise often?
Beijinho,
Daniela