Sometimes I don’t get my brain.
I’ll wake up early enough to exercise
But then I’ll have a crazy thought like: “Oh it’s 6:02am— You missed 6am. And maybe you can consider starting at 6:15”
(I don’t know why it feels better to start on a round number)
And if I “miss” the starting time, I’m always tempted to skip my workouts.
I know it’s just procrastination but we all make these crazy excuses to skip our exercise and workouts.
How I Overcome My Excuses
My trick is to give myself a TON of options.
I’ve repeatedly written about the “Movement Menu,” and how having options helps you get started.
So I’ll prepare a variety of workout options to combat my crazy brain.
As you can see, I have an 11 minute option, a 15 minute option, a 20 minute option, and on and on till about 1 hour.
There’s different types too depending on the mood I’m in.
All this work just so that I can’t make the excuse of “I don’t have time” or “nothing is interesting.”
It’s about stopping overthinking and just going for it.
By the way, this app is called Seconds and I use it to make custom timers (there are free and paid versions)
Use Each Excuse To Inspire a Menu of Options
While my movement menu tackles the “I don’t have time to run” excuse, let’s address other common barriers:
“I’m too tired”
Maybe your Movement Menu is full of different 5-minute workouts. Some are stretching, some are heart pumping, but they’re all exactly 5 minutes long.
“I don’t have the right equipment”
Your movement menu is for all kinds of gear. Include:
- a bodyweight workout,
- a dumbbell workout,
- a kettlebell workout,
- a band workout,
- etc. etc. etc
“I get bored with exercise”
Your movement menu could include a variety of fun and engaging activities:
- Dance workouts
- Yoga flows
- Martial arts-inspired routines
- Outdoor activities like hiking or cycling
- Team sports or group fitness classes
Remember, the idea is to have multiple options for every situation.
By creating a comprehensive menu of choices, there’s a higher chance you’ll get your movement done.
Do you do crazy things to stay active?
Maybe you:
- Dance while brushing your teeth
- Do squats during commercials.
- Have walking meetings instead of sit-down ones.
- Set alarms with motivational messages to get you moving.
What’s a “crazy” habit to keep yourself consistent?