Some days it’s hard to work out. Some days it’s not so hard. Truthfully, I never find it super easy. Despite the fact that I enjoy working out, I always need to give myself a nudge – sometimes a small one and sometimes a huge one – to get myself going.
Einstein’s First Law of Motion starts with this:
An object at rest tends to stay at rest.
This is so true and yet, at the same time, the remainder of this law doesn’t always apply to me.
An object in motion tends to stay in motion.
So, what are some good ways to get in motion and stay in motion? I do know that once I’ve made the commitment, these things help:
Music: I love music when I’m teaching fitness classes. It’s motivating and fun. The right playlist also gets me moving faster when I run, but I usually run without music as it’s my thinking time. I sort through things in my brain when I run, so that’s a motivator in itself for me to get out.
Movies: I may be alone on this one, but I think good action movies can inspire better workouts. Try this – channel your inner Rey, Wonder Woman, or whoever you want in your next workout. You might amaze yourself.
I like this particular reverse lunge. I can’t follow it up with any martial arts moves, but it’s fun to do. Speaking of which, we’ve watched a few Jackie Chan movies recently – not big on plot, but excellent and fun fight scenes.
Music and movies can motivate us and help us pretend we’re super awesome when we’re working out, even on our not so awesome days. And the really great thing is that nobody knows what’s going on in your head… unless you start spouting lyrics or dialogue in the middle of the gym.
"You underestimate Skywalker, Ben Solo, and me. It will be your downfall." - Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi 2017
How do I overcome inertia? I lie to myself. Frequently. I’ll say to me, “C’mon. We’ll just do a short run/a few weights/a quick workout.”
Sometimes these lies work and I trick myself into doing a longer run/more weights/a full workout. And sometimes they don’t. Some days it’s okay to let inertia rule. You can be strong tomorrow.
“You are stronger than you believe. You have greater powers than you know." - Antiope to Diana in Wonder Woman 2017
See? Even Wonder Woman needs a pep talk every once in a while.
Best wishes in overcoming any inertia you may face!
