how to get back into working out… when you’ve lost your groove.
The inevitable ebbs and flows of life may lead us through a period of time where movement just isn’t it. Life can sometimes become complicated or chaotic, which forces us to invest our energy into other things. While this is common, it can be exceptionally challenging to reignite our excitement and motivation back into our health and wellness. I see this often with clients — ‘getting started’ appears to be the hardest part. However, the difficulty with ‘getting started’ shouldn’t be the reason that you tap out all together.
After all, exercise is one of the most valuable tools in your tool kit to optimize your mental and physical health. There is no room for negotiation around this — so let’s explore ways to make it a bit easier to get back into your rhythm with movement and consequently cultivate a more sustainable relationship with exercise moving forward.
Forgive yourself! How often do we become hard on ourselves for taking a rest day, for having a ‘cheat’ meal, or for sleeping in? We’ve all been there. But, holding a grudge against yourself is going to make returning to your exercise routine much more challenging. Instead of feeling frustrated or discouraged that you’re back at step one, rejoice in your decision to get started again! It is understandable that you’re feeling discouraged or disheartened by your journey at present, but allowing that to then dictate your choices moving forward is useless. Be willing to forgive yourself! This is a part of life — even those who are the most dedicated to their workout routines misstep sometimes too. Looking at exercise as a habit you plan to integrate into your routine for a lifetime is essential to this forgiveness. As mentioned earlier, life throws curve balls and there are inevitable ebbs and flows that may take place — if your relationship with exercise is created with the long haul in mind, it will be much easier to give yourself grace during times that movement is slowed.
Be realistic in where you begin. This one is huge! I admire ambition, I do, but when it comes to getting back into the swing of your exercise routine, it can be harmful to your long term success if you set the bar too high right off the bat. Even further, expecting too much from yourself can lead to injury and prolong your estranged relationship with exercise. Being patient with your process and starting at step one, versus jumping to step fifty, will allow you to reform your habit, which is most important for sustainable change. Meeting yourself where you are and giving yourself grace to get back into a groove honors your relationship with exercise at this moment in time. From there, you can build, develop momentum, and inevitably create a much more solid foundation, instead of the alternative. Meet yourself where you are and take an inch — this is my philosophy.
Give yourself rest days. Even if you’re feeling like you’ve had a rest week, rest month, or rest year, you still need to allow yourself rest days following any kind of movement. Rest is essential to any movement routine and simply because you’ve struggled to maintain consistency in your movement as of more recently, it does not mean you are exempt from honoring your body’s need to rest. Incorporating rest days will allow you to maintain sustainability in your routine and give your body the space it needs to recharge and refuel.
Address your mindset. Mindset is huge on any wellness journey, especially as it relates to movement. We don’t always recognize how powerful our thoughts are on our ability to make any behavioral change. Change without recognition of our thoughts is only half made. Listening in to what your thoughts are saying can offer you insight on how you feel about exercise, beliefs you have about yourself in relationship to exercise, and so on. Imagine if a small child was attempting to ride a bike for the first time. He or she is just getting started, getting a feel for the pedals, finding his or her balance, and so on. But, there is someone off to the side telling this small child: “you’re not good at this,” “you’ll never be successful,” “why bother?”, “just give up now,” and so on. How successful might this small child be at riding his or her bike? This is similar to what is taking place when we have negative beliefs about ourselves in relation to exercise. Maybe you’ve felt like you’ve tried 99 times, so why might the 100th time be different? Or, maybe you hate running or strength training, and have begun to resent it because you’ve forced yourself to do it, even though it’s not a form of movement that brings you joy. Whatever the case, however it looks for you — it’s normal! But, it must be addressed in order for you to see long term, sustainable change in your relationship with exercise. Before getting started, listen to your thoughts. Be willing to examine them, address them, reframe them, and move forward. If you need support in this arena, let’s chat. Mindset shifts are essential alongside behavioral change!
Just get started. No more, “I’ll start tomorrow,” or “I’ll start Monday,” or “I’m not ready to step into the gym, so not today.” If you allow these excuses to dictate your actions, you will never get going. Start by getting outside for a brisk 5 minute walk. Do one rep with your dumbbells. Take time to stretch before bed. Just dive in with something. Remember: the hardest part is getting started. Starting small, starting with something, is getting started.
Find movement that is right for you. As mentioned before, if you hate running, or hate the gym, or simply detest your chosen form of movement — stop doing it! The more you force yourself to do something you truly don’t want to do, the more damage you might do to your relationship with exercise. Instead, reflect on movement that works for you — that brings you joy. Most everyone can walk, so get walking! Most everyone can dance, so get dancing! Most everyone can stretch, so get stretching! Be willing to experiment and explore didn’t forms of movement for the sake of finding what works for you. It is also important to diversify your movement as it is — for the sake of muscle recovery and to avoid any movement plateaus.
Reflect on what happened in the past. Instead of dwelling on the reason why you may have lost traction in your movement journey before, use this as information to equip you moving forward! What caused you to lose momentum prior to this moment? How might you use this information to be more successful in the future? What’s past is past — right? Use this learning opportunity as value for your steps ahead.
Seek out accountability. This one is big! When you have a cheerleader to help support you regain traction on your movement routine, you are significantly more likely to find success in doing so. You don’t have to do this alone! Accountability is a powerful tool on any wellness journey and may be exactly what you need to regain your rhythm and stick to it for the long haul.
If you need support in reestablishing your relationship with exercise or getting started on your movement journey, feel free to schedule a free consult below to discuss how holistic health coaching could be right for you!
