Do you ever feel like you’ve “fallen off the wagon”? I have.
Maybe you haven’t been exercising, maybe you overdid it on the chocolate eggs over Easter, maybe you had a few too many drinks on the weekend.
And as a result maybe you decide that you’ve had enough, and from now on, you’ll be a different person. Fuelled by the dizzying high of a “last meal” sugar-laden dessert and bottles of wine (because after tonight, it is nothing but green juice and fermented baby carrot kimchi), you start to think about what you’re going to do tomorrow.
The plan
First up, you’ll wake up at 5am for a cardio class. You’ll have a boiled egg for breakfast with a black coffee, a salad for lunch, and poached chicken with rocket pesto. You’ll drink all three litres of water AND you’ll also sip on herbal tea when you’re hungry. The day will also involve a thirty minute walk with the kids and the dog at 5pm (the perfect end to the day!) and a Pilates power session before bed.
It’s a credit to you, because on day one, you do manage to stick to your Get Fit Plan. You even follow through with a weights class on Tuesday, and a barre class on Wednesday.
But on Thursday? You wake up tired, and sore. You skip the gym. And you tell yourself that:
- You’re lazy
- You’ve failed
- You don’t have enough willpower
- You just aren’t the “motivated” type
Does any of that sound familiar? What if I told you that there was a different approach to looking after yourself and looking after your physical, emotional and mental health?
Because here’s the thing:
- You’re not lazy
- You’re not lacking in willpower
- You’re not lacking in the secret “motivation” that other people seem to have
- You’re not the problem
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What is the problem, then?
The problem is that throughout our lives, we (women) are taught not to trust our bodies. If we’re hungry, we tell ourselves to stop eating so much. If we’re tired, we tell ourselves that we’re lazy. The problem is that from a young age we’re taught to be ashamed of our bodies.
The problem is that we hold up celebrities as our ideal but we also forget that those celebrities have money and power and influence and probably a personal trainer and a chef to do their cooking. That’s the problem. Not you.
So what do we do about it?
Well, a good starting place is to start listening to your body. I get it, it sounds woo woo.
I’m more of a “gimme a plan and some guidelines” type of gal. Plus, if you’ve spent decades not listening to your body, it might take a while to not only listen to it but also understand what it’s saying.
The Five Minute Rule
So here’s a guideline that’s worked for me. Do whatever it is for five minutes. Do whatever it is for five minutes, and if after five minutes you’re not feeling it – quit. Give yourself permission to stop. I call this my Five Minute Rule inside Run with Turia.
If you’re thinking, I really should clean my house but that thought is very overwhelming for you and you’re not sure where to start, use the Five Minute Rule. Give yourself permission to stop after five minutes. Give yourself permission to quit if you’re not feeling it.
If you’re thinking, I really should go for my run but you’re feeling tired and lethargic but you’re not really sure if you’re just being lazy or maybe you’re getting sick or maybe you’re just unmotivated…Use the Five Minute Rule. Give yourself permission to stop after five minutes.
f you’re not feeling it after five minutes, it’s best for your body to stop, and rest, and eat chicken soup and watch Netflix. Your body is telling you that it’s not up for a run, and that’s okay. In fact, doing excessive exercise while you are sick might set you back even more because you tried to push yourself when you just should’ve listened to your body.
So, listen to yours.
Because sometimes all we need is five minutes to get in flow. Sometimes after five minutes it feels good, and we’re happy to keep on. That’s your body’s way of telling you that it feels okay to go for a run. Listen to it.
I want you to remember this: it’s really normal to lack motivation. But, just give yourself five minutes before you give up.
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