'I tricked myself back into exercise – here's how'

Go from couch to crushing it

This one simple trick helped one writer beat her fitness motivation block. Image: iStock

Lacking in motivation? This simple, science-backed strategy helped Sera Bozza flip her birthday month slump into a triumphant fitness comeback.

Most “zero-to-fit” stories showcase exercise ‘allergics’ turning into power-shredding enthusiasts. Inspiring? Definitely. Typical? Hardly. So here’s my not-so-epic but hopefully more relatable saga. 

I’m usually fit. Annoyingly self-motivated, even... I know, cue the violins. I was hitting the 440-run club, before run clubs were a thing, and have even run a marathon. A humble brag I'll cling to forever).

I'm all over the mental and physical perks of exercise, but sometimes, life’s like, “Hey, remember chilling?"  and my fitness routine takes a nosedive, especially when I’m not gearing up for a running event. 

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Have you ever had a lazy and bingy "birthday week" that spiralled into a "birthday month?" That’s what happened to me last month.

Initially, I binged the joys of doing absolutely no exercise mid-week, leaving my regular solo runs and yoga sessions with Jessica on Apple Fitness+ in the dust. It wasn’t even that my discipline completely disappeared. Weekend group workouts and run club? I was all in. Self-motivated mid-week sweat sessions streamed on Air Play? Crickets. I suddenly became an expert in procrastination, and felt terrible for it. 

The struggle is real when you have the awareness (damn it) to know you should be moving but instead resist getting back into it, playing snooze-button whack-a-mole. And, being Type A, the guilt and shame hit me hard.

So, how did I snap out of it? By letting go of the guilt and backstory and starting fresh, as if I was scripting my own "zero-to-fit" narrative, minus the ego. After all, what's less intimidating than training for a marathon? Pretty much anything.

If facing 40 minutes of my well-trodden yoga Fitness+ routine felt suddenly like climbing Everest, who said I had to be such a hero? Why not just start with 5 minutes?

Enter the "Just 5 minutes" strategy. 

Get back on track with these tricks. Image: Pexels.

What is the 'Just 5 minutes' strategy?

I decided to spend just five minutes doing something, anything, in my yoga gear (which bordered pyjamas) in my living room. Those 5-minute Apple Fitness+ workouts I once mocked only my feed from the perch of my marathoner’s high horse suddenly became my lifeline, transforming "trivial" into triumphant. 

On day one, I did five minutes of Core with Kyle (pure dance, obviously) and celebrated the victory like an Olympic medal. The next day, I did five minutes more and told myself, “That’s five more minutes than yesterday!”

This approach wasn't my brainchild – if anything, I stole it from the abundance of 5 minute options on my Fitness+ feed. But then I discovered it's scientifically sound. The "5-minute rule" is a cognitive behavioural therapy tactic that makes daunting tasks way more approachable.

Before I knew it, I made “stacks,” aka playlists of my favourite 5-minute Fitness+ classes. At the end of each session, I had the choice: continue or stop. This mental "out" was a relief, but more often than not, I found myself eager to press on.

Back on track. Image: Pexels.

Commit to just five minutes, and suddenly, you're not just facing your laziness but defeating it. Quickly, I was back to creating tailored Fitness+ plans, choosing how long and what kind of workout I'd do each day, ensuring I'd keep at it. And it felt bloody good to see Jessica for 40 minutes again, finally.

While I am usually pretty on it with my fitness, the 5-minute rule would be great for beginners, who anyone struggling to get into the right mindset to work out. 

Ultimately, our future is shaped by our habits. I once believed in the necessity of stupidly big, bordering obnoxious fitness goals to kickstart my fitness regime, but now, I’m a covert to the power of starting small.

Maybe it's that whole birthday older and wiser thing, but I've realised it just takes baby steps to help us edge closer to the best versions of ourselves—the smug fitness enthusiasts we aspire to be. Not just the ones who can rise at sadistic hours to attend group classes, but the ones who can wake up at those same sadistic hours - for themselves.

Originally published as 'I tricked myself back into exercise – here's how'