Exercise logging. I keep a file on my computer (in Scrivener, in fact). It's useful to be able to look back at a glance and see that it's a while since I had a proper rest day, or that I haven't done any shoulder openers lately. And I don't like having to write that I didn't do anything.
Making it a rule that I have to do something every day (unless I'm ill or injured or it's a planned rest day), just to stay in touch with my body. "Something" can be ten minutes of slow gentle stretching, and if I'm exhausted sometimes it is. But once you get into the habit of doing something every day, it tends to lead to doing more.
Having lots of convenient options on hand. I mentioned in a comment recently that it's been incredibly useful to have a lot of 20-minute yoga podcasts on my laptop -- I don't have to go anywhere or stick to a schedule, I just need to plonk my laptop on the floor and do one on the spur of the moment because I've got twenty minutes free. I also have enough bits of equipment at home that I can do a strength workout without leaving the house. So, yeah. It's good to have fallback options for an exercise routine that's very quick, or that's gentle, or that doesn't require me to leave the house, or that I can do before bed, etc. etc.. It also means I don't have very many excuses that work. *g*
Not sticking too rigidly to plans. Maybe I've planned that today I'll go to the gym and lift heavy metal things, and I wake up feeling run-down and unmotivated and my back's aching. I've found it usually doesn't help to push myself too hard; I'll give myself permission to do something more low-key instead.
Finding stuff I like doing. If I'm not interested and engaged by a physical activity, it doesn't happen.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-11-26 02:46 pm (UTC)Exercise logging. I keep a file on my computer (in Scrivener, in fact). It's useful to be able to look back at a glance and see that it's a while since I had a proper rest day, or that I haven't done any shoulder openers lately. And I don't like having to write that I didn't do anything.
Making it a rule that I have to do something every day (unless I'm ill or injured or it's a planned rest day), just to stay in touch with my body. "Something" can be ten minutes of slow gentle stretching, and if I'm exhausted sometimes it is. But once you get into the habit of doing something every day, it tends to lead to doing more.
Having lots of convenient options on hand. I mentioned in a comment recently that it's been incredibly useful to have a lot of 20-minute yoga podcasts on my laptop -- I don't have to go anywhere or stick to a schedule, I just need to plonk my laptop on the floor and do one on the spur of the moment because I've got twenty minutes free. I also have enough bits of equipment at home that I can do a strength workout without leaving the house. So, yeah. It's good to have fallback options for an exercise routine that's very quick, or that's gentle, or that doesn't require me to leave the house, or that I can do before bed, etc. etc.. It also means I don't have very many excuses that work. *g*
Not sticking too rigidly to plans. Maybe I've planned that today I'll go to the gym and lift heavy metal things, and I wake up feeling run-down and unmotivated and my back's aching. I've found it usually doesn't help to push myself too hard; I'll give myself permission to do something more low-key instead.
Finding stuff I like doing. If I'm not interested and engaged by a physical activity, it doesn't happen.