Hello everyone…I have a confession.  Now I know that this may come as a surprise to many of you but here it goes… I don’t always feel like working out.  GASP!!  Somedays, I downright dread it depending on what horror of a workout I’ve conjured up in my mind.  And now that I am pushing dangerously close to 50 I would dare say that this internal battle happens more often than not at this stage of my life.  I know, crazy right?  But yet I still have a 99.9% success rate finding the escape velocity from the pull of gravity’s seductive embrace.  Naturally, I kind of have to considering it’s my livelihood and all.  Plus, it would be hypocritical of me to preach the benefits of exercise, make countless others rise n grind while I opt to sit on my gluteus maximus opposed to working it off each and every week.  But hypocrisy aside, there is much more that motivates me to stay in the game.  Here are a few things I draw upon to get me moving. 

I immediately start feeling better.  I always remember this.  Typically within the first 5-10 minutes of the warm up there is a noticeable shift not only in my energy, but also in my mood.  From that point I”m officially “all in” on the workout whether it’s a steady state cardio session, strength day, or a soul crushing spartan workout.  And I always feel better after!  Of course sometimes it may take a few minutes depending on the intensity of the workout, but once my bearings are back, I am in a peak state and ready for whatever the rest of the day has in store for me.

I can still do most activities I’ve done my entire life.  With the exceptions of certain feats of my younger years (e.g. 42” Box Jumps, 4.6 second 40) I can’t really complain.  Being able to snowboard like I did in my twenties, run without knee. pain, maintain my strength levels, and take on challenges like Spartan Races has been beyond rewarding.  None of it would be possible without staying in the exercise game for as long as I have.  That alone is enough to get me going on low motivation days.

I do it for the mental benefits more than anything.  Physical results aside, exercise is instrumental when it comes to my mental health.  I often tell clients that there is not a single amount of money I would trade to give up exercise.  I hold it in the highest regard because how it makes me feel and the person I am as a result.  Exercise generates a cascade of feel good hormones like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine.  Couple that with the self-confidence of tackling a challenging workout, my mental toughness always gets a tremendous boost.

Remember it’s never to late to get in the game!  I have worked with countless clients who didn’t start exercising until they were in there 60s or older.  As a result they are living the best years of their life.  And if you are feeling stuck, just simply start moving and add a little more each week.  That’s when you reach the escape velocity needed to be forever changed and exercise is something you’ll always want to do…even when you don’t want to.