The 15 second trick that will motivate you to exercise

WE ALL use excuses to avoid getting out from under our warm doona and exercise. But try this easy trick and you’ll be bouncing out of bed.

Tim hits the local park to work out (show off).

EXCUSES, excuses, excuses. We’re good at making them, but who really believes them?

When it comes to exercise, I’ve heard every excuse in the book. From ‘it’s too cold’, to ‘my dog chewed my runners’ and ‘I can’t afford a gym membership’.

But regular exercise is a requirement of good health, so we need to find motivation to move.

One thing that rings true for me is the old saying, ‘people forget what you say, they forget what you do, but they always remember how you made them feel’. The same is true for exercise and can be used to get you motivated. Try this simple technique that takes less than 15 seconds if you are lacking motivation.

Tim hits the local park to work out (show off).

Sit with your eyes close. Do it now if you’re not sitting in front of 20 people at a cafe.

Take yourself back to a recent memory of getting a sweat on during your morning walk with the crisp air and smell of morning in your lungs … or bounding to the beat of your music on your last scenic run … perhaps pushing out that last couple of reps on a new weight … or even hitting those boxing pads with a crisp and clear ‘whack!’ that brought a smile to your face.

Now remember how that made you feel. Feel the endorphins it released, the mental stress and anxiety leaving your body, the expelling of toxins as the sweat compliments your complexion.

Think about how your cravings for bad food decrease as you balance your hormones. Then finally, feel the energy that lingers long after your complete your exercise for the day. How you feel when you shower off when you’re ready and empowered to face the day ahead. The spring in your step as you kiss your partner hi or bye for the day.

Now open your eyes and tell me you don’t feel like moving!

My intention here is not to guilt you into exercise, but to empower you. It’s imperative to remind yourself of how good you feel when you are taking time for yourself and giving your body what it needs to thrive.

Love your body and it will love you back. Always remember how exercise makes you feel!

Tim Robards.

Dr Tim Robards is a Chiropractor and exercise scientist (B. Med. Sc, M. Chiro) and regular news.com.au columnist. His observations and research into what people really need to live a healthy life and thrive in their environment has lead him to develop The Robards Method. You can follow Tim on Instagram and Twitter.