How I Stay Active, Even When I Don’t Want To
Like anyone, I always have days where I want to sit and binge the latest shows on Netflix. But I know my body and mind like it much better when I am active. If I am sedentary for too long, I fall asleep more than I need to, or I get restless, and my mind starts to wander into negative headspace. Physical activity helps with this, probably more than I realized.
Here are the things I do when I don’t have the natural motivation to be active. These are things that you could easily incorporate into your daily routine. Right now, I work a pretty busy job, and I quickly get in 15k-20k steps in my 8-hour shifts. But I still like to do other activities that I love to do outside of that.
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Start Early
I like to start my day early. I work an extremely early shift, so I am up by 6 am, even on my days off. Lately, I want to sleep in super late (okay, I guess 8 am isn’t super late for those who have a regular schedule), but I resist that urge. By getting up early, I find myself more likely to be productive first thing in the morning, have the time to get in some physical activity and get to bed early to get enough sleep.
Typically, I will do school work or write on my days off from work. So I wake up early and get some coffee while I am working. On days that I am working, I am off by noon at the latest, so I have time to complete some other work and additional physical activity that I love.
Take Breaks
I have a terrible habit of getting so focused that I forget to eat, let alone get up to move. My dog, Lyla, has a bad habit of not notifying me she needs outside and holds it; she rarely has an accident. So I try to be a good dog mom and remember to take her out more often. So I have to set several alarms to remind myself to do just those things:
Make breakfast & take Lyla outside
Take Lyla out for a walk
Make lunch & Lyla outside
Longer physical activity, i.e., take Lyla out for a long walk and do a workout/yoga.
Wrap up and stop working for the day & take Lyla outside.
By reminding myself to take breaks, not only do I make sure that I eat, Miss Lyla and I both go outside multiple times a day. There have been too many times suddenly it’s nighttime, and I’ve been so wrapped up doing work I am starving; I can’t remember if I’ve even taken Lyla outside once, I didn’t do anything but sit, and now my joints and muscles are stiff and achy. I am reminded of why I maintain my active lifestyle. Also, if I don’t consciously stop working, I will continue to work into the night and burn myself out with no breaks.
Do Activities I Enjoy
By doing physical activities that I enjoy, I am 100% more likely to make time to do them than if I am doing an activity I don’t want. I love being outside, so walking my dog is an easy physical activity to do daily. Other physical activities I love to do:
Working out and strength training - this is one that I’ve found that provides me with central mental clarity, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, gyms have been closed. I am most motivated once I get to the gym, but even though gyms may be open for limited use, I am still taking precautions and not going to a physical gym to work out. Therefore, my workout routine has been non-existent recently.
Yoga - I began my fitness journey with yoga before I found strength training. Now, I find that yoga is a perfect complement to strength training. Before COVID-19, I would practice yoga on my nonstrength training days. Just like strength training, my yoga practice has been non-existent as well. Getting a new home routine is a new goal!
Walking Lyla - since it is summer and I live in a mountain town in the Rocky Mountains, I love being outdoors. So taking Lyla out on walks is an easy way to get vitamin D and physical activity for the day - for both of us.
Hiking - this is one of my favorite activities. Lyla and I can find a trail to spend a few hours in the woods and take in the beauty of living in a mountain town. But I can’t do this one daily, but I plan a 10+ mile hike on one of my days off - which I also begin early morning.
Backpacking - I love backpacking, but it is also not something I can do daily. So I plan as many trips as possible, even if I do one-night trips. Just hiking for hours, finding a place to camp for the night, and waking up in the woods provides me peace.
Make Healthy Food Choices
By maintaining an active lifestyle, I want to fuel my body to be capable of the stress I am putting it under. This, in turn, motivates me to make healthy food choices. Who wants to put in all their time at the gym (or other physical activity) to undo that time and progress with an unhealthy snack? Not me!
When I eat healthy foods physically, I feel the best. When I eat junk, I tend to feel…. blah. I can’t describe it any other way as I exist. I enjoy eating many healthy foods, so it doesn’t feel like I am sacrificing anything to make healthy choices. I have a weakness for sweets, though, and since sugar is an inflammatory food, I limit my sugar content. However, I do not cut it out entirely but limit my intake to smaller portions.
In addition to making healthy food choices, ensuring I drink enough water is essential. Not only does my body thank me for it, I can FEEL the difference. To ensure I drink enough water, I choose water over almost anything else. Occasionally, I’ll have a soda or alcoholic beverages, but I drink only water and coffee daily Enough Sleep
This one took me so long to realize its importance. Sleeping enough at night makes me less likely to nap after work and more likely to get my body moving. Which in turn keeps me motivated and productive. Since I work such early shifts, I sometimes struggle to get to bed super early, especially in summer when the sun is still up when I go to bed. But remember that if I go to bed early and get enough sleep, I am more productive at work and more motivated to acquire additional physical activity outside of work and get some school or writing done. Also, I FEEL better both mentally and physically.
I’d like to note that I do realize that losing motivation for my strength training and yoga practice due to COVID-19 is just an excuse. But just acknowledging that gives me the power to find other ways to be active. Since I spend time walking Lyla and being outside with her, she has more energy. She also loves being outside. But, I am beginning to crave that kind of movement again, so now I am beginning an at home strength training and yoga routine.
Since I do have a full time job in addition to school and writing this blog, I do have to determine time to relax. I may not be working I do still need to set reminders to take Lyla outside for both our sakes. I still need to get in a work out or yoga session as well, even when I am not motivated to do so.
Living an active lifestyle doesn’t mean that you have to live at the gym, but simply just get your body moving - go for a walk, play a sport, go for a hike, do some yoga - just get moving and daily activity in addition to making healthy food choices. By starting small, it leads you down the path to find the physical activity that you love and will be more likely to incorporate it more and more into your daily life. What do you do keep yourself motivated to stay active?
Note: this post may contain affiliate links. I may make a small commission if you make a qualifying purchase through one of the links. Your support allows me to continue to do what I love and share my passion for living a healthy and active lifestyle. I appreciate your support!
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If you are here and reading this, that means you have an interest in your health and fitness. That is so good; I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is the best thing you can do for yourself in the present and the long term.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
— unknown
I find that quote so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment, and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now and for your future self.
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