What’s Your Exercise Attitude?

DO YOU THINK ABOUT EXERCISE AS:
– another chore on your to-do list?
– something you “should” do, but don’t want to do?
– what you HAVE to do in order to lose weight, burn calories, look a certain way, or as punishment for overeating?

If you feel any of the above feels, it’s very hard to enjoy exercise, feel motivate, or be consistent.

And if you feel any of the above feels, I’d like to help you shift to a more POSITIVE EXERCISE ATTITUDE. One filled with more fun, joy, and play. Read on…

I recently did an interview on how & why to HAVE A MORE POSITIVE EXERCISE ATTITUDE and I am sharing the interview here…

QUESTION: What are your best hacks for making fitness more FUN for the average person?
1. Have a no comparison rule.
The number one way to not have fun with fitness (or life!) is to compare yourself to other people. Comparison is the killer of joy. Use all of your energy for enjoying the activity, not worrying about what other people are doing, wearing, or how much stronger, faster, or whatever they are.
 
2. Ease up on the competition vibes.
Not every workout do you need to be a hero! Show up for the fun of it and if you happen to feel extra motivated certain days, sure push for your personal best, but don’t feel like you need to do that every darn time.
 
3. Get curious & keep an open mind.
Try new things, even the workouts or gyms you think you won’t like because hey, you just never know. For example, I really didn’t like jump rope the first time I did it, but after a few times it started to feel easier and I began to LOVE it!
 
4. Practice body gratitude.
When you make fitness about what your body can do, not what it looks like, the fun can begin! Joy in fitness and life all starts from a place of gratitude. Read about gratitude showers HERE.
 
5. Ditch the judgement bully.
If you judge yourself as not being fast enough, strong enough, coordinated enough, good enough at something you will never be able to have fun. Loosen up and just enjoy the movement and be proud of yourself for showing up! Progress baby, not perfection.
 
6. Be social.
Fitness with friends is always better! Make new friends with people in the gym, try new classes with friends, or schedule a fitness date before dinner & drinks.
 
7. Music, music, music.
Fitness & good music are just the perfect pairing. Research shows that you will naturally do a workout longer & harder when you have great tunes! And it most definitely is more fun to do a workout with the right beat! And my pro-tip is turn the music on BEFORE your workout to get motivated and energized to actually do it!

QUESTION: What’s the benefit of having FUN with exercise?
The most powerful benefit of adding fun is it actives your natural motivation system. Think about it, if you enjoy something you naturally want to do it again, if you don’t enjoy something you naturally don’t want to do it! Use the science of FUN to work for you when it comes to fitness, or anything in your life!

QUESTION: What do you like to do for workouts?
1. Weight lifting classes.
I love to feel strong and I love classes so I can be with other people as we laugh, sigh, or groan through each move.

2.  Jump rope.
There’s nothing like it to make yourself feel like a playful kid again! My favorite way to jump rope is wearing bright workout clothes, blasting music, and practicing a routine with my jump rope friends.

3. Mini trampoline.
I bought one for my home office and I use it throughout the day for a minute here & there to help boost my energy and creative juices. I also will jump on it in 10-15 minute time chunks while watching my favorite TV shows.

4. Hot girl walks.
I fell in love with this tiktok trend because I used to think I always had to jog and that walking didn’t “count” as exercise. I was so wrong! Walking is so fun, reconnects me to nature/fresh air/sunshine, and I listen to super motivating podcasts that nourish me! Sure I throw in a little jog during hot girl walks here & there, but I mostly focus on walking which has been such a great way to improve my holistic wellness.

QUESTION: Any tips to making exercise more of a habit if people are having a tough time getting motivated? 
1. Shift from future goals to joy now.
I find my clients who have a tough time getting motivated are focused on the future outcomes they want instead of finding the joy right now of moving their body. So the solution is to find fitness you enjoy and do it for the fun in the moment, not for some future weight loss or body change. To make fitness fun in the moment: Focus on how grateful you are for a healthy body, how strong you feel during a workout, how much more energy you have after a workout, how much your skin is glowing, or even how proud of yourself you are for doing it.

2. Energize with music & caffeine.
Put on workout music before workouts to get into the energetic state. And caffeine from coffee or matcha green tea can help give you a dose of energy to get moving. If you’re not a caffeine lover, you can try beet root powder lattes or smoothies as a natural energy booster.

3. Do less.
Don’t think about doing a 1-hour workout, instead promise yourself that you’re just going to do 5 minutes, and if you are tired after that you can stop. Most of the time you will keep going since getting started is the hardest part! Here’s the truth: A 5-minute workout is always better than a 1-hour workout that you DIDN’T do! 😉