A long time ago, a client asked me a question that broke my heart. “I’ve been doing this a couple months now. How long will I have to keep doing this?”
<<SHOCK on my face>>>
“Forever.”
You gotta keep going! Why would you stop? Why would you not keep going? Exercise is good for us acutely and chronically.
It makes creators more creative.
It makes athletes more athletic.
It makes all of us more focused and patient.
It improves blood sugar levels.
It improves sleep and recovery.
The Process is GOOD
I could see the sadness on her face as I answered. And, I can see how that’s devastating, to think you’ll always be working for something just outside of your reach.
That’s not how it goes though; it IS within your reach, and you keep reaching!
Along the way, you attain many things that make your life better, and make it more worthwhile.
Imagine you have 30 pounds of fat to lose. You picture it in your mind. You’ll feel so confident and happy with the “new” body you earned. You’ll love your clothes and the inhibitions you shed. You’ll feel GREAT when you get there.
The thing is, you’ll feel great when you’ve lost 10 pounds, too.
You’ll feel great when you’ve lost 15. You’ll feel great when you put it on your calendar to go to the gym 3 times this week and you do.
This is true of any goal. Let’s say you’d like to increase your deadlift 50 pounds. YEAHH that’ll feel great when you get that! (Be sure to video, ya know it doesn’t count otherwise.)
You’ll feel accomplished when you’ve increased it 20 pounds, though.
Related: if the gym makes you nervous, try these short term mindset shifts to gain long term confidence.
You’ll Feel Great Along the Way
You’ll feel great all along the way, as you make progress. There’s nothing that says you’ll only feel great AFTER you reached your goal.
This is because exercise is good for you acutely. Exercise is good for you NOW. Every day.
Go do something good for yourself today!
Related: When Will I See Results?
About the author
Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.