Hate Working Out? Tips to Stay Motivated

If I am being perfectly honest, I don't really like working out. I can cite several reasons and experiences, but the two most important ones are, ironically, health related. I was an athletic kid - right up until a bad fall led to a pre-teen diagnosis of scoliosis. I was fortunate that it was caught early, but the treatment for it (back brace for a few years) put a damper on a lot of physical activity. Fast forward to the 2000s, when near-constant pain saw me in and out of pain management, physical therapy, and finally surgery. Unfortunately, surgery did not solve the root cause of my pain.

I completed two marathons, but running is now a challenge for me, so walking is a better option. The distance I can walk varies by day depending on how much pain I am experiencing. All of this to say that getting back into a regular routine of exercise has been daunting. I have tried joining a gym, I have bought exercise equipment and watched workout videos tailored to people with chronic pain - none of these have "stuck" for me. One of my friends who is a gym regular has written out exercise plans to help me, and my physical therapist has given me stretches and exercises to help maintain my mobility. My boss encourages me in his own ways to stay fit - he works hard and exercises hard as well.

If you're like me, finding the right motivation is essential. Part of finding the right motivation is learning to tune out the "demotivators". An article I read recently pointed out a study done by the University of Sydney- it tracked over 11,000 women and found that beginning a regular workout routine in your 40s or 50s still has substantial positive health impacts, even when you have not been consistently active in your younger years. Benefits included improved/increased strength, fewer falls (this one is important for me, as I have peripheral neuropathy on the side where my spine has compromised the nerve), and improved cardiovascular health. We already know from research that regular activity helps maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis, and helps maintain cognitive ability, but this study shows that women who begin a routine later in life still have positive health outcomes as a result when they reach seventy and beyond. These results helped me tune out the "it won't make a difference if I start now...I am already too old" demotivating thoughts.

Another study I read recently showed that resistance exercise in your 60s and 70s continues to yield results in staving off age related muscle loss. Participants who did heavy resistance exercise for one year maintained their muscle strength even four years after the initial study. As someone who can already see the effects of age-related muscle loss, these results tell me that it's not only not too late to begin, but that the effects are long-lasting. I want to continue to be able to travel, live independently, and maintain my strength, so even though I don't enjoy working out, I have built resistance exercises into my routine.

Make Working Out Fun

What do you enjoy most? Build workouts around those things so that they will seem less like work and more like fun. I like dancing, so I looked for dance classes at my local community center. I also like swimming, so I added swimming into my routine. I still walk most days, as walking helps me clear my head.

Make it Social

I am a bit of an introvert, but I have found that having a workout partner helps me stay motivated. When I was competing in marathons, I trained with a group - I don't think I could have completed the training on my own.

Set Goals

As I said above, I want to be able to continue to travel, live independently, and maintain my strength. This helped me with goal setting. As I wrote my goals down, I was able to state what it is I want to achieve. I was also able to factor pain management into my goals in a positive way instead of thinking of it strictly as a limitation.

Don't Know Where to Start? Join Group Classes

Group classes designed for 50+ are a terrific way to build structure into working out as you begin (or if you're already working out on your own) - they provide professional guidance, can teach you how to properly do exercises, and add some camaraderie into your routine.

Listen to Your Body

Prioritize recovery. Eating well, getting rest, and prioritizing recovery are essential in sticking to your workout routine. For me, this also means listening when my pain level tells me I have done enough for today. It is okay to push yourself - but you should not push yourself to the point of injury.

Back later - I have some weights to lift.