I have a reputation as a major advocate for exercise.
I’m sure that it’s annoying to some people, but it’s really hard for me not to be an advocate! Why? Exercise transformed me.
Relatively early on in my working career, I got into a pattern where I was basically sedentary. I was unmotivated. I was feeling stress in my work life and in my family life. I saw a therapist. I started taking antidepressants.
I wasn’t meeting expectations in my new group, and I had to start putting in crazy hours. Like 100-hours-a-week crazy.
I turned to food for comfort, to a certain extent. Cool Ranch Doritos and the big Chipotle burritos became go-to meals for me. I gained 25 pounds.
One day a work colleague invited me to play basketball at lunchtime. I had played in high school, and if I was going to be at work 16 hours a day, what was an hour away from my desk? It was lovely Arizona day in October. I was in.
It might be an oversimplification, but I feel like that lunchtime basketball invitation was a turning point in my life. I started playing 3 times a week. I enjoyed getting to know the other players. My mood improved. I even started clicking with more of my co-workers.
After consulting with my doctor, I stopped taking antidepressants.
When I got a later invite from someone else to play soccer after work, I accepted that too. My outlook on life improved. My energy and motivation were up, at work and at home. I slept better.
Why? Exercise.
That’s a bold statement, I know. But I really believe it’s true. Sure, there were other factors: I got better at my job. I removed much of the highly-processed sugar from my diet. I reduced my caffeine intake. I moved closer to work. I got more sleep. I improved my competency and my reputation at work. I was connecting with people.
So much of that started with a decision to go run around outside for an hour one day.
Focus on short term benefits
The long-term benefits of exercise are amazing, so why don’t more people exercise regularly? Why do the rowing machines and treadmills collect dust? I think it’s because people have high expectations. One day they get tired of being overweight. They want to lose 50 pounds, so they go for an angry run in the park, then collapse on the floor. The next day the mirror and the scale tell them that nothing has changed. Maybe they stick it out for a week or two. Still no visible results. Screw it: it was a failed experiment, they tell themselves.
It plays out every January. But there’s a better approach: focus on the short-term benefits.
We tend to stick with things that give us more immediate benefits, so focus on those, at least to start. Think about (and maybe document in a journal) how you feel after a short walk. If you are like me, I am more energized and focused. That helps me to have a more productive day, and then I can more often end work on time and actually enjoy some downtime. More downtime leads to a better mood and better relationships. That can happen today. And it’s a virtuous cycle.
As your habits get better and as you start to buy into the necessity (I said what I said) of exercise, you might introduce more challenging exercises that you don’t enjoy as much. But that’s not necessary for a good life.
So stop expecting motivation to come from the numerous long-term benefits of exercise. Disease prevention is a perk and not a motivator. Looking better is another amazing perk, but it takes time. Sometimes it takes years (and diet changes) to feel good about your body. So don’t trust yourself to keep going if that is your focus.
Pick something that works for you
I can sprint, but I don’t want to. In fact, if I try to run on the treadmill for more than 2 or 3 minutes at 10+ miles per hour, I don’t enjoy life. You might say that I hate it. Sure, I can improve my endurance. Maybe if I keep sprinting, day after day, I’ll not hate it as much. But since I exercise primarily for my brain (and my happiness!), why would I?
You know what I do like? Soccer. You know what I do when I play soccer? Sprinting. But during a game, if I have to beat someone to a ball to try to save a goal or win the ball back, I’m so focused on doing that that I want to sprint. I want to do the same thing that I hate to do on the treadmill. Soccer works for me.
Many people hate to run. So don’t! Or at least don’t start there. Walk instead. Maybe listen to a podcast while you walk through the park, or build houses with Habitat for Humanity, or play Beat Saber.
Consider working out with others
If you are a social creature (I mean we all are to some extent, right?), you might find it easier and more enjoyable to do your workouts with others. That could be having a 1-on-1 conversation while walking around the neighborhood, or signing up for Orange Theory.
It’s also harder to skip your workout if you have the accountability of someone depending on you to show up. They may need you as much as you need them!
Consider using weights
Personally, I didn’t really lift weights consistently until my late thirties, but now I wouldn’t give it up. I’m able to get a more rigorous workout for the time spent. That gives me more time in my day. And lifting weights can work against the loss of muscle that happens as we age.
I also like my body composition better when I’m using weights regularly. I suppose I’m vain after all.
All movement matters
If your reason (excuse?) for not exercising is that you don’t have the time, it’s an especially good idea to take advantage of exercise and movement where you can fit it into your day. The classic answer is to take the stairs instead of the elevator, but there are so many more opportunities than that.
If you park a bit farther away from school or work or the grocery store, you can get more steps in, and you might even save a bit of time, since you don’t have to deal with the extra competition/traffic for the closer parking spots.
If you are working from home, you can pace or do some dumbbell curls during a meeting. Just keep that mute button handy, since probably no one wants to hear you grunt while you pump that iron.
Don’t have time for a 30-minute walk? Take a 15-minute walk. Or a 5-minute walk.
Track your progress
I’ve probably gone through 5 or 7 Fitbits over the last 10 years, and probably only 2 of those died in my washing machine. (I even lost one in Austria!) If my Fitbit died tomorrow, I’d probably order one the same day. The goal of 10,000 steps isn’t magic, but for me, I know from the tracked data (my weight and my steps) that 10,000 steps is better for me than 8,000 steps. That may change as I age. For now, I still like that little hit of dopamine when I hit 10,000 steps, and it motivates me to walk and run more than I would otherwise.
I also keep a log of my workouts. This helps me to remember to do everything in my plan, since I’ve been known to forget things. What was I saying? Oh yeah. I use Google Sheets. Maybe you prefer a bullet journal. Or poster board and stickers. Make it fun.
Take small steps to get started now
Optimize later. Walking for 5 minutes today might be better than planning out a whole workout routine for tomorrow. Even better: do your planning while exercising. Use a treadmill desk or take a walk in the park and use an audio transcription app to record your thoughts about how to make the week’s plan to exercise better.
Don’t overdo it. Build up to more weight, more activity. Being sore the following day? That’s a good sign that you are pushing yourself. Being sore after 5 days? You probably went too hard, you might have hurt yourself, and you’ve probably skipped exercise when you shouldn’t have. If you take it a bit easier now, maybe you’ll stick with it long enough to go harder/better/faster/stronger later.
Seriously though: Get started!