Sometimes I don't feel like exercising. I feel an inner resistance. It feels hard and like a must. This can apply to other things in life as well. I don't feel like sweeping the terrace or cleaning the bathroom, making a phone call or making a decision. It just feels like I don't want to do it . I get stuck in the same thought pattern without realizing it. This can prevent me from doing what I had planned and maybe make me feel guilty afterwards for not doing it.
A while ago, I picked up a tip that I tried out and that actually works. Something that turns this whole thing upside down. Something that makes it fun and rewarding to do what used to feel hard.
I use the English expression because I can't find an expression in Swedish that is as good. Every time I feel this inner resistance to doing something that feels difficult, I turn it around. I say to myself: “I GET to do this.” With emphasis on GET. I remind myself that I live in such a luxurious time that I can actually choose whether I want to go out and exercise or not; I have the time, the opportunity, the equipment. I don't really have any major problems. I have food, water, a roof over my head. I don't live in a place where there is war. I am not injured and can use my body to run or cycle or whatever I want to do. I GET to do this!
However, that doesn't mean that training is always the right decision. Sometimes it's better to not do it. I might feel like I am getting sick or tired from yesterday's workout. In that case, I can offer myself a walk instead of a run, or a shorter strength training session instead of a long bike ride. Be kind to yourself. I adopted this philosophy after listening to a lecture by one of the world's leading long-distance runners, Rune Larsson. That was about 10 years ago, and at that point he had run about halfway to the moon if he added up everything he had run in his life. Absolutely incredible! What is even more fascinating is that his philosophy is not to run further or faster today than that he wants to run again tomorrow. Be kind to yourself and make training fun, not a pressure.
Must or opportunity? The difference lies only in what we choose to focus on.