Can’t find the motivation to exercise? 6 false beliefs that are stopping you from exercising
Late at night, you scroll through social media looking at body transformation posts, inspired to start exercising and get in shape.
The next day whizzes by, long and busy, fruitless of any fitness endeavors. Scrolling through social media again that evening, you see similar body transformation posts. This time they taunt you, making you feel guilty and defeated.
You’re left wondering where last night’s inspiration disappeared to, and if you’ll ever muster the motivation to exercise and reach your fitness goals.
So what happened?
This is what happened: You ran an exercise stigma through your mind.
What is an exercise stigma?
An exercise stigma is a false belief about exercise. It’s a story that you’ve been told that society has deemed collectively true. Simply put, it’s a lie that you learned as truth.
Inspiration may give you a glimpse of hope above this stigma, but then your habits condition you to return to the original negative story. The false narrative continues to run, and the stigma always prevails.
Where did these stigmas come from?
These false beliefs about exercise have changed over time because fitness trends have evolved socially, culturally, and generationally.
What matters more than where these stigmas came from, is how you can rise above them.
First, you’ll learn what they are, so you can recognize how they are stopping you from exercising.
Second, you’ll explore positive beliefs to help you find the motivation to exercise.
Inspiration is fleeting. Motivation is lasting. Let’s go find your motivation!
6 myths about exercise
1. Exercise hurts. No pain, no gain.
This is the top reason why people don’t exercise. Many people believe that exercise is supposed to hurt. They believe exercise is only worth doing if it’s painful. This is NOT TRUE.
Exercise can be uncomfortable when you really push yourself to your limits. This may look like high-intensity exercises, such as sprinting or lifting heavy. Or it could be doing too much low-intensity exercise, such as hiking 5 miles when you’ve only ever walked 1 mile.
But not all exercise has to be like this.
“No pain, no gain,” is a statement that comes from a 1980s Jane Fonda workout tape. The idiom represents the idea that no reward comes without hard work. It’s true that physical effort is required to make physical improvements. Physiologically, the body must break down muscle tissue before repairing it to be stronger.
However, exercise does not have to be painful for you to reap benefits. It simply requires effort. A little effort is ok. Something is better than nothing.
As a physical therapist, I’ve realized that many people do not know the difference between discomfort and pain. Let’s discuss the difference between the two.
Discomfort during exercise is okay. Discomfort comes from lactic acid. When a muscle is activated and contracts repeatedly, the muscle releases lactic acid as a byproduct. Lactic acid lingers in the muscle for seconds before the body clears it out into the bloodstream.
Lactic acid is not bad. It is a normal physiological response to exercise. It means the muscle is working. Lactic acid build-up isn’t always uncomfortable, but it can be. And this is OK.
Pain is a complicated phenomenon. Sometimes people are so fearful of experiencing discomfort, that they are afraid to feel their muscles activate. Pain can be experienced when discomfort is surpassed by either fear or overload.
Fear of movement can change an individual’s perception of sensations and can make a person experience discomfort as pain.
Overloading past the point of tissue tolerance during exercise can cause damage and may cause pain. Overload is okay, and you may experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) or inflammation of tendons or fascia. This may be painful.
Easing into exercise is key. Slowly build your training load to prevent overuse injuries. Look at your reasoning for why you push yourself during exercise.
Do you push yourself because you think it should hurt?
Do you feel guilted into doing more?
Do you feel unworthy if you're not trying harder?
These are all negative motivations.
Pain science is a growing field of study, so I cannot do it justice with this brief explanation. However, having this knowledge can empower you to not avoid discomfort when exercising.
So, discomfort is okay. This is how we grow. But even with this truth, exercise can feel good too!
Exercise releases endorphins into the body, which are your feel-good hormones. Endorphins help reduce pain and stress in the body.
Ever heard of “runner’s high”? It’s the euphoria that runners experience after working out. But don’t worry, you don’t have to run to obtain the benefits from endorphins. Any type of aerobic activity releases endorphins, including walking!
So when you’re contemplating whether to exercise or not, remember, you don’t have to cause yourself pain. Start with small increments, something manageable. You can actually feel better afterward!
2. Exercise is boring.
This is another very common reason I hear as to why someone doesn’t exercise.
I agree, walking on the treadmill or climbing the stairmaster for an hour can be boring. Doing the same weight-lifting routine with single-joint motions can be boring too.
But it doesn’t have to be boring! And to be most effective, exercise shouldn’t be boring.
So don’t hold yourself to any ideas or standards about what your exercise has to look like. Instead, try different activities and find things you enjoy participating in.
Take different classes at the gym. Bring a friend if you’re hesitant. Maybe you try the classes and don’t like any of them. That’s okay! There are many options. Maybe you prefer outdoor exercising, so try a meetup group at a park.
In our current day, sometimes we have too many options and get overwhelmed. Start simple. Take a beginner class or course. Or go for a short walk outside. Don’t feel like you have to do it all or know it all.
Especially don’t be fearful or feel guilted into a new exercise. Try to find something that interests or excites you! Interest and excitement are key motivators and predict people most likely to hold themselves accountable.
Movement can feel good. Our human bodies were structurally designed for the purpose of movement. Have you ever watched a new baby fling its arms and legs around? Or watched a baby take its first steps? Pure joy in those movements.
Movement can be joyful for adults as well. Again, when you shift your mindset away from guilt as your motivator and instead experience joy, you will find yourself less judgemental toward yourself and looking forward to your exercise.
For example, once or twice every summer, my favorite activity is to play with the stand-up paddleboard at the lake. The following day, I’m always a little sore because I use muscles that haven’t been used in a while. It’s so fun that I don’t even notice I’m working out!
If you think exercise is boring, find something new to try.
3. I’m lazy.
Let’s nip this one in the bud. “I’m lazy” is a flat-out excuse. If you’re using this as an excuse to not exercise, then take a closer look to uncover the real reasons.
Laziness is a state of mind, not a physical state. The definition of “laziness” is “an unwillingness to work” (dictionary.com) or “disinclined to activity or exertion” (merriam-webster.com).
Laziness is not bad; it's a part of life. We all go through periods of time throughout the day or week when we don’t feel like doing something. Why? Are you tired, overwhelmed, or burnt out? These are all legitimate reasons for not wanting to exercise.
Or maybe you just don’t feel like working out. That’s okay. So in this situation, you might say, “I’m feeling lazy.” But to say, “I am lazy,” is a dangerous trap. You are condemning yourself to a state of perpetual laziness, dripping with excuses and avoiding the real reasons why you continuously avoid exercising.
Be honest with yourself in your reasoning behind why you don’t want to exercise. Being lazy is different from being tired. If you’re feeling tired after a long workday sitting at a computer, getting out for some light exercise can energize you.
This gets back to your expectations about exercise. You can’t expect to lose 15 pounds of fat or get really strong in a week’s time. Those are going to be long-term goals.
Your initial and short-term goals for fitness should be to (1) get started and (2) hold yourself accountable to a reasonable schedule.
So ask yourself, “Why do I call myself lazy? What are the deeper reasons behind me feeling lazy”? List out the reasons and deconstruct those.
Then, establish small goals that respect your time and reasons and will allow you to commit to a fitness routine.
Many people may jump from the “I’m lazy,” excuse to “I don’t like to exercise.” So again, ask yourself why you don’t like exercise. In analyzing this, you’ll discover the deeper reasons behind your self-sabotage.
As mentioned previously, our human bodies are built to move. Just as plants reach toward the sun seeking light to sustain life, humans move in all directions seeking life too. It’s our true nature to move.
Just as cars need maintenance to continue running, humans need movement to keep tissues mobile, strong, and healthy. To deny yourself exercise is to deny your human existence and limit your human experience.
You are not lazy. We all have fears. Don’t let your fear of not being enough limit you from living your fullest life.
Start simple with your exercise. Begin with small increments that are manageable. Set reasonable short-term goals that you can hold yourself accountable to.
4. Just do it. No excuses.
You know this inspirational quote from Nike shirts: “Just do it.” This slogan was popularized in the 1970s and still today is used to inspire people to just do the exercise. It’s a nice sentiment, but the emotion working at the root of this slogan is guilt.
Nike uses this slogan during its commercials with videos of professional athletes doing incredible stunts. But let’s be real– most people will never achieve this level of athleticism. Those athletes didn’t get to where they are by “just doing it”. They were intentional and dedicated for years.
For Nike to brush off those athletes’ concerted efforts and talent with such a quip is disrespectful. To imply that a professional athlete or even the average person has such shallow motivations is delusional.
For me, “Just do it” conjures images of mindless activity. Doing something because you’re “supposed to” and “just getting through it.”
It also arouses feelings of guilt, like “Come, on loser, just do it. Stop making excuses.”
Don’t let this guilt be your motivator. Negative motivators aren’t as sustainable as positive ones.
Establish positive reasons for why you want to exercise. Instead of setting the goal “to lose 15 pounds”, establish why you want to lose 15 pounds, such as “to feel confident walking down the aisle in my wedding dress 15 pounds lighter”.
Establish your positive motivators and don’t listen to guilt, shame, or judgment. Listen to your body. What does it need? What do you want? Every individual is on their own journey.
Get started and trust the process. Your body is highly intelligent and knows what to do!
5. Go hard or go home.
This is an all-or-none mentality. This will definitely stop you from establishing good fitness habits. If you think that every time you exercise, you have to “go hard”, you will burn out for sure.
The yo-yo effect looks like this: you “go hard” on your workout. You are so sore for 3-4 days and can’t work out again. Your schedule has now been thrown out the window and you lose hope. When you’re finally not sore anymore, you “go hard” again to make up for the lost time, and subsequently get sore again. The cycle continues and you never make progress because you can’t commit.
Or the yo-yo-ing looks like this: you “go hard” on your workout. You’re so fatigued for the next 2 days. You’re not too sore to exercise, but just thinking about exercising makes you tired because you can’t possibly “go hard” again. So you skip the gym and “go home.” You lose motivation and hope, thinking that you can’t possibly commit to such difficult physical exertion for months to come. You give up.
This all-or-none mentality will quickly deflate you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Do not attempt to motivate yourself with this adage: “Go hard or go home.”
Instead try this: “I will do my best with the resources I have right now.”
When you treat yourself with grace, you will find your fitness routine will be more manageable and enjoyable. If you can’t do everything that you planned in a day’s routine, that’s okay.
Allow your body to do what it is capable of. Whether limited by time, energy, or money, do what you can in the moment and let that be enough. As long as you put forth effort toward your commitment, allow that to be good.
Be proud of what you can do, not critical of what you can’t do.
This shift in mentality will give you emotional freedom and flexibility. You will find yourself to be more forgiving and adaptable, to help you stay motivated with your exercise habits.
6. There is no point.
What is the point?
If you think there is no point to exercise, that’s plain ignorance. There are many benefits to exercise, but the purpose of this article is not to discuss all the benefits. The purpose is to discuss how to harness the motivation to obtain the benefits.
The better question is, what is the point of exercise to you? What do you want to get out of it? What do you want to experience with exercise? Weight loss is the most common reason for people beginning to exercise.
But what do you want beyond that? These are all intrinsic reasons that motivate people to exercise:
Euphoria
Happiness
Clarity of mind
Improved sense of self-worth and strength
You may not be able to determine your reasons ahead of time. Instead, you may discover them as you begin and explore during your journey.
Curiosity. This may be a simple motivator. Curiosity about how exercise could benefit and change your life. Maybe this is what gets you started! No expectations, just curiosity.
If you’re still struggling to find the point, I challenge you to shift your perspective. Don’t think about exercise as “exercise”. Think of it as movement.
When you participate in movement with intention rather than exercise out of obligation, your intention is seeking a higher purpose or calling in a potential benefit. It’s a dedication to make you into the best version of yourself.
Establish goals that are meaningful to you. Motivation will come from wherever you find meaning.
Live in peace, Ali
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not considered medical advice.
