I don’t want this to be complicated, Peach, because it’s not. I can promise you that this post will not be an effort to read, or give you any more reasons to avoid your workout. We’ve all experienced the dreaded ‘Slump’ – the internal battle, the decrease in motivation and the lack of desire to workout. Excuses seem to be endless, off the top of my head – “It will take too long”, “I’m tired”, “I really need to vacuum”, “I will do it tomorrow”, “I need a rest day and then I will feel like doing it tomorrow” all feel a little too familiar to me.

But just know, feeling this way is completely normal and you are not alone. We find ourselves in an exercise slump because mentally we’ve established a barrier, and put it in our ‘too hard’ basket.

The problem with this mental barrier to exercise is it also blocks us from receiving our daily dose of endorphins. And, my friends, Endorphins = Happiness. So, if you metaphorically ‘cock block’ yourself from getting these little guys, it can lead you into a headspace full of negativity and yet another slump is established – extending to other areas of our lives such as work – and things can spiral quickly. GO FIGURE.

Movement breeds energy, and we’re here to help you kick start your routine again. Here are four Peachy tips to help drag you out of the Exercise Slump and give your body the sweet, sweaty love it deserves.

Choose Exercise That Suits YOU

Exercising in the wrong way is similar to restricted eating – when we force ourselves to avoid the things we love, or eat the lettuce leaves that we hate, we are going to eventually end up in a chocolate binge that we were avoiding in the first place. Our bodies require diversity, excitement and challenge. There is not one form of exercise that is best or most effective. Movement is what your body is craving and that comes in many different forms. We need to love what we do to create a spark and motivation that will be your catalyst to move. Get creative, try new forms of exercise, make it a social experience or maybe your solo time, as long as you are honouring what your mind and body are craving, you will ENJOY your endorphin hit. Peaches Online offers a huge variety of classes including low impact, high intensity, boxing, barre, cardio, yoga, stretching, mindfulness and more – we’ve got your routine covered.

Activate Your Energy

Exercising when you’re in a rut feels like a complex and challenging endeavour. We need to figure out how to activate our energy using the minimum amount of effort required to cause a reaction to occur OR for us, to get something done! This may feel like a ‘coffee energy, or no coffee energy’ situation in the morning.

What we need to do is decrease the amount of activation energy required to start working out. To put it plainly, be organised, Peach, make sure there is no room for excuses or setbacks. Make exercising the easiest part of your day.

A few movements to make working out less of a hassle.

1. Set out your exercise clothes at the end of your bed ready to go in the morning
2. Make breakfast or lunch the day before
3. Pack your bag the night before
4. For those that may interrupt you, let them know that you have 45 minutes of alone time planned
5. Mat out and equipment ready – Create a space that is always ready for your movement

Plan Ahead

Let’s stay on top of things and avoid the burden of an undue amount of stress. On a Sunday plan WHEN your weekly workouts will be. We see our schedule clearly before the week begins, so plan your workouts on a Sunday evening. Pop your workout into your calendar where you see fit, where there will be no interruptions and no opportunity for excuses. This may require getting up a little earlier or convincing yourself you are an afternoon person.

Importantly, don’t overcommit at this point. Start slow and maybe only pencil in two or three workouts that you are 110% positive you have time for.

From here, it is always good to plan WHAT your workout will be. Booking in a class, finding a Youtube video, scrolling through your online program – whatever it may be, pick your workout beforehand. Otherwise, we get stuck on the mat scrolling through Insta, searching for motivation to workout or ideas for what to do (yes, we’re all guilty of it).

Make Yourself Accountable

Accountability, I believe, is one of the most effective forms of motivation. Telling someone you are going to workout – or better yet, finding a way to move WITH them is incredibly important if you are struggling to self-motivate. There is no better form of motivation than knowing you’re letting someone down or cheating on your word. You can plan to workout with a partner, friend or family member, you can pop your weekly schedule on the fridge, text a friend every time you workout or even just book into a group class. The more voices you have telling you to get it done, results in more smiles at the end of the workout.

PS – We’ve found that in lock down, zooming in together to do a class online is a great way to stay connected AND accountable.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this…

Most importantly, Peach, remember that movement is a blessing. Perspective is key. Not everyone is healthy and able-bodied, blessed with the freedom and opportunity to move.