You’re sick and tired of your life being the way it is.
Maybe you’re just sick and tired.
It’s time to change your life! But how?
Move your body.
But exercise sucks right? Maybe not.
Here’s why you need to exercise, not because you need to lose weight but to change your life.
How does exercise change your life?
I’ll confess; I’m 45 years old. Ouch! I remember when I used to think that anything over 40 was old.
I also remember when I used to wake up and at 5am I used to jump out of bed. Every day I’d hear the alarm or the birds, whichever came first and I’d spring out of my bed ready for the day.
That’s not so much the case now. Although I’m still a morning person, I’d much prefer a 7h30am start.
But I also prefer to work out before work which means a 6h15am start it is!
Here’s why;
Most days I wake up and my brain feels a little fuzzy. My body feels sluggish and some days a little stiff.
Exercising is the last thing I feel like but I go anyway because literally an hour later, 9 times out of 10, I feel like a different person.
Post my morning workout leaves me feeling energised and mentally more clear.
But that’s not all.
Notice the cumulative effects of exercise
Think exercise sucks? You’re doing it wrong
I get it. Who wants to make life hard? The sweat. The discomfort. The heaving breathing. We all know there are far more enjoyable activities to do.
But maybe you’ve been doing it wrong. Exercise I mean.
Maybe you hate exercising because;
- You haven’t found something you actually enjoy.
- You’ve been pushing too hard in the beginning so you just end up sore.
- You haven’t gotten through the first 21 days.
- You’ve been doing it too much.
Pick something you love
Firstly it’s vitally important to choose something you actually like. I hate team sports like basketball but I love cycling with my friends. You’d probably never catch me training for a marathon, although I did finish a Half Ironman once and I love to hike. I have 0 coordination so you won’t catch me in a dance class but I’ll happily dance in my bedroom in the morning.
Pick an exercise you love and you’re more likely to stick to it.
Don’t love any exercise? Walk! 3 times a week is enough to make a difference.
Start slowly – this is a consistency game
Most of life’s successes come from consistency not once off massive efforts. And I don’t just mean in career or business. Strong relationships require consistent showing up. As do friendships. As does managing your finances.
Pick an exercise you like and then do it. Consistently.
Rather go dancing 2 or 3 times a week than sign up for 5 days a week.
Make it a habit (and drag along someone you love)
I love cycling for two reasons; I love seeing the countryside and I love having coffee with my mates. It’s worth 2 hours on a bicycle for me because I also get the added benefit of feeling great.
The more you make your choice of exercise a habit, the easier it’ll be to stick to. And what’s the easiest way to make it a habit? Get a partner in crime. Get a friend and make it a weekly thing. That way you won’t be able to cancel as easily.
Ok fine but how does exercise move your life?
Most people have the whole exercise thing all wrong. They think it’s all about getting a beach body or weight loss.
Nope, exercise is mostly for the rest of you. Yes, it helps all the things that doctors warn against like high blood pressure and obesity but more than that, Exercise has been shown to improve mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Exercise will help fix your relationships
But as one of my favourite coaches, Dan Go states, exercise is about far more than just that.
How many couples complain that the sexual energy has died in their relationship?
“Following a 15-minute exercise session, adults reported greater attraction to pictures of the opposite sex compared to those who didn’t exercise, with the attraction increasing based on perceived indicators of exercise intensity.” The Conversation
Not to mention the fact that exercise increases self-confidence.
And it isn’t just about the sex.
Ever heard of the saying that couples who train together, stay together? This isn’t just because of the shared experience but because of the shared endorphins.
As it turns out, exercising with another person is more fun than when compared to exercising alone.
Exercise helps you solve problems
Exercise also improves brain function as it promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. Moving your body shifts your state of mind.
“The brain is literally in a different gear when the human being is in motion”, Richard Maddock.
He goes onto to state that there are consistent findings that the brain works better after exercise.
Forget the beach body, if you’re keen on increasing your professional performance, it’s time to move your body.
Exercise shifts your perception of yourself
What I find interesting which hasn’t been documented much at all in mainstream media is how exercise shifts one’s perception of oneself.
In my article “Forgetting who you are could change your life” I talk about how I imagine myself as a professional cyclist in order to climb the hills better.
But it’s not just that.
Getting off the bike having climbed a pass makes me believe I’m much more capable in my everyday life. It’s almost as if putting on all that lycra (which seems like a clown suit to some) makes me feel like anything is possible.
Lisa who thinks everything is hard is suddenly transformed into Lisa who can do anything.
You can see then how, thanks to my consistent workouts, I’ve begun to see myself and the world a little differently.
If our beliefs are the basis for so much of how we experience life, what would happen if you began to move your body and shift some of your self-defeating beliefs?
What might happen if you started to believe you could?
How long will it take to change my life?
I can tell you that just ONE workout will change your state of mind.
ONE week of working out will change the way you feel.
ONE month of consistent working out will start to improve your work and your mental clarity.
Moving your body on an ongoing basis WILL change your body, relationships, state of mind, health, work and life?
Bottom line? Move your body, move your life.
