4 ways to get your exercise mojo back!
Last summer, some pretty shocking research came out. 47% of women surveyed said they’ve done no ‘vigorous’ weekly exercise for a year. The chaos of the pandemic, combined with a new hybrid working model that puts particular pressure on women who juggle caring responsibilities, has clearly wreaked havoc on lots of women’s training routine.
Finding your flow with exercise after a long hiatus is really hard and it’s something I am always focused on addressing within Ladies Who Crunch, my female only training community.
If that statistic resonates with you and you’re ready to make a change to look after your mental and physical health, here are four tips to get your mojo back!
1) The power of language
So many fitness products use pejorative language to try to guilt clients into training - just think about dreadful (and scientifically incorrect) phrases like “sweat is your fat crying!” Or “no pain, no gain”.
I’m a firm believer that using positive, empowering language is far more effective if you’re trying to create a sustainable fitness routine. Women in particular are bombarded with “weight loss” language in their fitness journey, but focusing on phrases like “getting stronger, not smaller” is the best way to build a healthy body for life.
2) Track your mood
Exercise is a really powerful tool to boost your mental wellbeing. I regularly ask my clients to reflect on their mood rating, zero to 10, before they’ve started moving their body, and then share their rating after exercise, to highlight the difference. On the days you’re feeling sluggish, having a written ‘before’ and ‘after’ rating is a great reminder to motivate you to do some exercise.
3) Set holistic goals
One of the reasons I founded Ladies Who Crunch was to educate women about the importance of holistic wellbeing. The corporate hustle puts huge demands on your body and rushing from one manic HIIT class to the next, before you hunch over your desk for 10 hours a day, is not the ideal solution.
Set some targets for yourself that prioritise broader lifestyle habits, like getting consistent hours of sleep, improving your functional mobility and maintaining general activity levels with a solid step count goal. Your 85 year old self will thank you!
4) Find your tribe
Getting back into an exercise routine can be daunting and at times, lonely. If you don’t have a sense of accountability, lots of people find it hard to stay consistent. Being part of a community, or exercising with someone, can really help drive results.
Remember, motivation isn’t linear – it’s natural to feel an ebb and flow. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve taken a break from training, instead focus your energy on reconnecting with exercise as an act of self-care.
Nancy Best is a women’s health expert and the founder of Ladies Who Crunch, a female training community.
