Why Do We Hate Working Out...

I was asked yesterday by a journalist to help them with an article they are writing about exercise so I thought I'd share with you on here to as I know you might be one of these people who struggles to get motivated.

The first question she asked me was:

1. Why do we hate working out? And here was my answer...

I think a lot of the time it's because of the way we have been brought up and not had that much influence through the adults in our lives as children. If they weren't into exercise then I think the child doesn't feel like wanting to exercise. I was brought up in a very sporty household so I think that has helped me to stay sporty and very active.

Another reason I think we hate working out is because we don't like our bodies and we think we have to be a certain size to go for a run or don a swimsuit because of all these thin models and influencers. We as a culture don't like our bodies which is really sad. Women are worse at hating their bodies especially after having a baby. But when we do actually exercise it's hard to get motivated and stay in that mindset. A lot more people now are trying to get on the fit bandwagon and will give it a try but they dont give themselves enough time to see results and so they give up. Then they don't want to exercise because they won't see results straight away. A lot of people don't know that to lose weight it's all about nutrition and then it becomes a lifestyle change. People don't want to change their habits or find it hard to change so again just give up. Also I think if we try and we don't succeed then we give up too quickly. If you are out of breath then you won't want to carry on. It's all about learning to know your body.

Another reason is that I think we have a goal in our mind that we want to get to a certain distance with maybe running, swimming or cycling and our minds are not in the right mindset so we try but then give up because we think we are a failure. It's also a lack of motivation to get going. What is it that makes us want to exercise? So many people will get home from work and just veg out in front of the tv but in the morning they will say to themselves right Im going to exercise after work but then have had a bad day and won't want to because they are so tired. But then when they do actually exercise, they are releasing serotonin(the calming hormones ) and decreasing the cortisol (stress hormone) so then they feel good but it's that motivation in the first place to go and exercise. Any kind of movement is good because of the good hormones that are released making you feel good about yourself.

And the second question was:

2. What are your top tips for learning to love exercise? And my answer was...

1. Find something that you are interested in and have a go. Give yourself 4 to 5 weeks of it for your body to really feel the vibes from it. If it isn't for you then find another activity that you might enjoy. Just keep swapping to find the activity you really like. You might like a group exercise class or a team sport so try them all out.

2. Have a positive mindset to begin with so say to yourself 'I am going to enjoy this today and it is going to make me feel good' Immediately you have released the serotonin and you feel good without even doing anything so that's a great mindset to be in.

3. Find what time during the day is best for you and your body to exercise. Some bodies like to exercise in the morning whereas some are better in the evening. So see what works better for you. Also some people like to exercise on an empty stomach so see what works for you. It's all about knowing your body and knowing what works for you. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another person so get to know what it likes and dislikes.

4. Take up an exercise with a friend. If you are not feeling motivated to go then your friend is and visa versa. You can keep each other company, workout at the same time and see results quicker because you are having fun.

5. Most of all, have FUN during your exercise.

Now I know you may or may not agree with these but give them a try and if you are struggling then let me know. I know how hard it is to stay motivated right now and to see the results you are wanting but trust mem if you stick with it, you will see results. I know you will. Believe in yourself and you will be amazed at what your body can achieve.

Did you know that you only need to do exercise for 30 minutes a day 3 times per week to see phenomenal benefits and also did you know that you only need 3 minutes in the morning of stretching to feel amazing. This is because the body releases serotonin your calming hormone which makes you feel good. And lets face it, who doesn't want to feel good right now.

So let me know how you get on. leave a comment below. I'm always up for sharing new ideas and trying them out.

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Have a great day.

Lots of love xxx