Three Things Holding You Back From Exercise

Often when it comes to exercise, I hear women share all the reasons they can't exercise. I see the fear, the misinformation, the mindset shifts that can occur to change their perspective and get them started. I am on a mission to help women overcome these fears and myths to heal their relationship with exercise. I want to share what I see as three things holding you back from exercise and how I can help you get moving, healthy, strong and confident.

Three Things Holding You Back From Exercise:

Unrealistic Expectations
Aiming for Perfection
Obstacles with Your Body

Unrealistic Expectations

Exercise has been given a bad rap. There is this misconception it needs to be 1 hour long, intense, loads of sweating, jumping, heart racing and in a gym or bootcamp. When we have these expectations of exercise, of course we won't feel good enough or fit enough to give it a go. It sounds too hard, too painful and too exhausting.

What to try instead:

If you find the word exercise too much, call it movement. Any movement is good for your body. The more you move, the strong your body will get and the more you will be able to do. Aim to keep active in ways that feel good for your body. Start with walking. Dancing around at home. Playing with the kids. Commit to small, regular actions and see the momentum grow as your energy increases, mood improves and your confidence grows with movement.

Aiming for Perfection

We all love to start fresh on a Monday with a new diet or exercise program. We commit to exercise every day and eat perfectly clean - no treats! Then you get really tired as your body isn't used to the movement, so you reach for a sugar pick me up or you hit snooze for more sleep. You miss your workout and you decide to give up and start fresh again next week, month, year. Now that you are off your diet or program, you throw out the fresh food and jump on the couch with your snacks.

What to try instead:

Give yourself a break. Life is hard, workouts are tough to begin and your body needs rest sometimes. Instead of aiming for perfection, aim for consistency. Commit time to your program but also give yourself permission to miss a class if life gets in the way or you need rest. The next step is to pick it up at the next opportunity. A day of rest might be all you need to stay consistent with a dose of flexibility. Remember that consistency isn't perfect. It's showing up and trying again and again and again.

Obstacles with Your Body:

Throughout a woman's life we face many obstacles and significant change such as pregnancy, post natal recovery and menopause. You likely battle pain, injury, surgery, lack of energy, weakness while struggling with feelings of weighing too much or feeling too unfit. It's understandable to find exercise difficult, especially when you do not know how to navigate these changes, injuries or pain within your body.

What to try instead:

Modify! Modify! Modify! I am a huge fan of modifying workouts to suit your body's needs. Exercise Modifications are a tool to help you build strength and fitness in the body while taking into consideration your individual needs. I often set up a simple framework with exercise for my clients and give them options to modify the effort level, movement type and duration of the workouts to suit their needs. There is a movement for you and your body. Check out the blog on exercise modifications here. I have even written a blog on how to modify your workouts to take into consideration your monthly cycle - read here.

When it comes to exercise, you need to consider the purpose. Are you looking to run marathons or compete in body building. Or are you looking to enjoy life with your family, be energised each day, feel confident in your body and have fun!

When creating my Fit & Fearless program, I wanted to help women to participate in exercise in a simple way. I create strength or resistance training workouts aimed at energising you, not exhausting you because you have so much else to juggle in your world. I balance it out with stretch classes and coaching in our closed Facebook group, where you can ask advice to overcome your obstacles or fears.

I would love to support you to overcome your fears and obstacles to get started with exercise. Try these tips to stop being held back from exercise and reach out if you need help getting started.

Categories: Exercise