You’ve set a goal to start exercising regularly. Congrats! First step = done. A couple weeks (or let’s be real, days) in, you’re probably realizing that changing your habits is really hard. It’s hard to incorporate exercise into a routine that formerly did not include any exercise. You’re tired when you finally finish with the work day. Plans come up, and hanging out with friends just sounds so much better than spending an hour by yourself at the gym. You’ve tried to get up early to take that spin class before work, and it just doesn’t happen. The snooze button wins every time. Instead of beating yourself up over it and quitting all together, start smaller.
If you scroll through Instagram, you probably think the only way to make exercise a part of your day is to spend hours on the treadmill, hitting the weights, or at yoga class. #Fitspo has its place and I’m all for anything that inspires people to get moving. The problem is, it often does the opposite. When all you see are unrealistic expectations, it really kills your motivation to even try. The secret that all those perfectly filtered gym photos won’t tell you is that it isn’t all or nothing. If you haven’t made exercise a priority in your life up until now, it’s crazy to expect yourself to just dive right in without an issue. As much as I love me some Nike, sometimes you can’t “just do it”.
Instead, get off the subway a stop sooner. If you are lucky enough to live right off the 86th street subway station, get off at 96th. Walk the ten block difference. You just walked half a mile, without doing anything other than your daily commute. If you’re a driver, park your car at the far end of the parking lot or a few blocks away from where you actually want to be. Walk back. Think of how many times a day you get in and out of your car. That’s a lot of extra walking (which does count as exercise!).
Take the stairs. I know, it’s cliche. But seriously – take the stairs. Even the fittest among us get winded walking up stairs, myself included. There’s a reason why. Stairs are a great workout. Walk up apartment? Excellent. Try to pick up the pace a little bit as you home at night. Office on the 5th floor? You know what you have to do. It’ll also feel pretty cool as it gets easier and easier to climb those steps. That’s you getting stronger!
Take a walk during your lunch hour. This might seem tricky, as most of us don’t get a lunch five minutes, let alone a whole hour to ourselves. But with whatever time you can spare, take a walk. Even if it’s only around the block, just get moving. As an extra bonus, it’ll wake you up better than that second (or third, or fourth… no judgment) cup of coffee.
There’s no shame in needing to start smaller on your fitness journey. There are some things that take a while to become enjoyable and a regular part of our day.
As a runner, I always knew strength training was something I should do because of all its many benefits. And yet, I couldn’t do it. I’d make a plan, I’d have the best intentions, and then no. I just didn’t like it. So I started smaller. I started with 2 minutes of planks before I went to bed. That’s not hard, right? Two minutes. I can do that. I did, and then was able to slowly build up from there until I got to the point where I can do my 30 minute routine three times a week without an issue. It’s now as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth, so it no longer feels like a struggle.
Small steps lead to big goals. A wise and very important person in my life once said “Inch by inch is a cinch – yard by hard is very hard”.
So don’t feel badly if you can’t get it together to spend hours of your week at pilates – yet. Take a walk instead. Start there. A small something you will do is always better than a big something you won’t do.
Contact Viva Wellness to tell us about your exercise goals and get some more helpful tips to make your daily routine more active!
Author: Rachel
Rachel is a licensed therapist and co-founder of Viva Wellness. She gets most of her inspiration for the blog while on the run, and if you ever need to find her, she’s probably in Central Park. If she’s not running, you’ll find her planning the next time she’s going to eat, exploring all things wellness in NYC, or raising her stress level by watching her sports teams.
