6 life hacks for those who really want to, but are too lazy to exercise

At a certain stage, many may face a dilemma on how to force themselves to play sports. We may understand the need for physical activity, but at the same time we lack the desire or motivation for a new healthy habit. To force yourself to play sports, you need to clearly understand all the benefits we get from it.

Don't be tied to one gym

Standard memberships only allow you to go to a specific gym.
But getting to it is not always convenient. For example, a gym may be located close to the office and can be conveniently visited on weekdays. And if you want to train on a weekend, you have to travel halfway across the city. The GOGYM fitness marketplace comes to the rescue, allowing you to train in different fitness clubs and gyms without purchasing a permanent subscription. You can choose different workouts, combine them taking into account your goals and budget, and not have to adjust to the schedule of a particular institution. For example, if you are short on time, you can go to a gym near your home. And the next day - go to a wellness club outside the city, where, in addition to exercise equipment, there is a relaxation area and SPA.

The fitness marketplace allows you to create a training schedule taking into account your life circumstances. For example, if you have a rush at work, you don’t have to freeze your subscription; you can simply schedule a workout for another time.

Users of the GOGYM application can train in more than 190 fitness clubs, crossfit gyms, yoga and Pilates studios in Moscow and the Moscow region. They also have access to fitness clubs of the Alex Fitness network in St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Perm, Voronezh - in total 20 cities in Russia. The number of partner halls is constantly growing. This means that you can not stop training, even if you are traveling around the country.

Payment is for a one-time visit or minutes spent in the hall. To use GOGYM, you need to select a fitness room and scan the QR code at the reception. After training, the QR code must be scanned again. Per-minute payment - from 3 rubles, group training - from 400 rubles per lesson.

Select a workout

Reasons for laziness

For the majority of people, the state of “laziness” has reasons.

-Lack of perspective -Internal protest against something -Internal protest against someone’s psychological pressure -Negative emotional state -Fears -Negative life experiences -Lack of skills necessary for action -Dependence on the opinions and assessments of others -Low self-esteem -Inflated self-esteem - Loss of self-confidence - Disappointment in life - Loss of moral and life guidelines - Demotivation

If the cause of “laziness” is not found and removed, the problem may worsen. As a result, a person can drive himself to the brink. This can cause apathy, gambling addiction, alcoholism or procrastination. As a rule, the hidden cause of laziness “corrodes” a person from the inside and does not give him peace. Those. laziness is a consequence of another problem!!!

Basically, the problem of “laziness” concerns primarily men.

Of course, I would like to say that the reason for the large number of men suffering from laziness is our subtle mental organization, but this is not so.

The reason for the common male laziness, especially the functioning of the male brain. The male brain is more conservative and less plastic than the female brain.

Many men, finding themselves in a difficult situation and not understanding how, what and when to do, end up in a dead-end state of consciousness. And until they see a solution to the problem that has arisen, they cannot get out of this state.

This is often the cause of so-called laziness.

Of course there are other reasons.

For example, if a person was brought up only with the “stick” motivation and never saw the “carrot”. Such a person remains “allergic” to pressure, demands and coercion for the rest of his life, especially from close people. And when such pressure begins, a person unconsciously avoids the necessary action. The most difficult thing is that all this happens at the subconscious level and the person does not understand what is happening to him.

Or

If a person has a negative experience and is afraid to make mistakes. Accordingly, in difficult situations, he unconsciously avoids performing an important or significant action. What looks like reluctance and laziness.

Or

If a person is dependent on the assessment of others and has low self-esteem. Such a person tries to do everything to earn due appreciation. And his whole life is a desire to earn the necessary assessment from the outside by “correct” deeds and actions.

But a moment comes when a person has neither the strength nor the desire to live further with such a motive. And then “laziness” appears.

And sometimes it’s just fatigue, which sometimes accumulates for years.

Many different subconscious reasons can be a trigger for laziness. And they need to be dealt with. I described only a few possible options

Learn to enjoy sports

Image: As Good As Possible, CHIARI VFX
The treadmill was invented in the Victorian era as a torture device. And today, some people perceive sports as a way to punish themselves, for example, for eating cake. It is difficult to train with this approach for a long time - usually people try to avoid what is unpleasant for them. Therefore, it is important to learn to enjoy the process.

This can be achieved in different ways. Try training with a friend. He will encourage you during training and will not let you shy away from them when you are lazy. GOGYM provides the opportunity to train together with a friend or partner. Some people find group activities inspiring: having like-minded people keeps you motivated and healthy. And if you prefer individual lessons, you can find a coach who will inspire you to achieve sporting achievements.

Music can set the mood for a workout. Not only will it relieve boredom, but it will also increase the duration of exercise and help you move rhythmically. If you are too lazy to exercise, turn on energetic songs - they make it easier to endure difficult workouts. Suitable music can be found in MTS Music. You can include an existing selection for sports or create your own playlist.

Where to get motivation

First, answer the question: “Why do I want to exercise regularly? Why do I need this?

Each person has their own reasons:

• lose weight and maintain optimal weight;
• become stronger and more resilient;
• develop flexibility;
• overcome laziness and apathy;
• improve physical performance and learn the limits of your abilities;
• meet new people and perhaps find your soulmate;
• throw out accumulated aggression;
• relieve mental stress;
• introduce your children to sports, becoming an example for them.

And this is not the whole list. Sport helps to develop iron willpower, self-discipline, learn to achieve goals in any area, and therefore become better overall. That is why playing sports is one of the main habits of successful people.

Motivation is divided into 2 types:

• violent;
• voluntary.

In the first option, you force yourself to play sports, surrendering to a professional trainer who will squeeze all the juice out of you. This method requires extreme efforts to achieve super results - winning competitions, championships, Olympics, etc.

Or other people force activities on you. For example, a man forces a woman to start working out so that she gets rid of extra pounds and becomes fit. Or vice versa, a lady asks her overweight man to lose weight. It also happens that parents force their child to take up sports because he is overweight and spends too much time on the computer. A father forces his teenage son to go to training because he wants to make him a professional athlete or simply raise him to be a “real man.” Is it worth forcing a child? After all, these are all other people’s imposed goals.

As they say, you can’t force yourself to be nice. Therefore, the second type of motivation is much more productive. If your goal is not related to achievements in the world of big sports, then you just need to find the type of physical activity that will inspire you. Moreover, these days the choice is huge.

Don't think about others

Newbies feel like everyone in the gym will pay attention to them. To overcome shyness, you can take a personal instructor for your first lessons, who will create a training program and tell you how different exercise machines work. The right sports uniform will help boost your morale. Equipment is important not only from the point of view of beauty - it provides comfort when moving, helps maintain thermal balance and protects against injury.

Sportswear, accessories and sports equipment can be found from partners in the MTS Cashback service. The service allows you to make your usual purchases in stores and earn cashback. The accumulated cashback can be spent on paying for MTS services (renew your subscription at KION, purchase tickets for your favorite events at Ticketland and MTS live) or buy goods in the MTS online store with a discount of up to 100%.

How to overcome laziness and apathy

Apathy appears, as a rule, on the basis of accumulated nervous tension.

The cause of tension may be:

-Intrapersonal conflicts that torment a person for a long time.

- Unresolved conflicts with other people (especially with loved ones) that last a long time.

-Hard to solve problems that a person spends a lot of time trying to solve.

-A difficult atmosphere at home or at work, which burdens a person for a long time.

Or something similar.

Considering the reason that has been pressing on a person’s psyche for a long time, it is necessary to select something that will help him cope with apathy and laziness.

The simplest and most effective thing that I usually recommend to my clients in such situations is high-quality physical activity.

Physical activity: Relieves tension. Shift attention away from the problem. They give new impressions, sensations, emotions and strength. Raises self-esteem.

When a person begins to exercise regularly, within 2 - 3 days he receives the first results. Energy, interest in life and even a good mood appear. He begins to feel the taste of life again.

But the unresolved problem may continue to weigh on us.

The second tool I usually recommend is changing the atmosphere. Go on vacation. Start visiting cultural institutions (theaters, concerts, exhibitions, etc.). This will allow you to switch and get new impressions and emotions that are not related to the problem.

But even in this case, sometimes the problem remains a problem and continues to press.

If sports and a change of atmosphere do not help, then it is necessary to deal with the unconscious. We need to find what weighs on us from within and free a person from it. I usually resolve this issue through human consultation. This can be done by another quality specialist. As a rule, either a psychologist or a psychotherapist.

But basically, sports and a change of atmosphere are enough. You can sign up for a consultation with me here .

Celebrate your sporting achievements (even very modest ones)

If you haven't exercised for a long time, start small - even if it's half an hour of physical activity a day. Regular short workouts during the week or one long workout on the weekend provide the same benefits Association of “Weekend Warrior” and Other Leisure Time Physical Activity Patterns With Risks for All‑Cause, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer Mortality / Jama Network for health. The main thing is that the required weekly minimum is observed - 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense physical activity. But if it can be difficult to allocate 2.5 hours to exercise, then training for 20–30 minutes a day is possible even with a busy schedule.

Celebrate your achievements to get extra motivation to exercise regularly. Fitness trackers and smart watches will help you track your progress. With their help, you can count steps taken, calories burned, and monitor your heartbeat and blood pressure.

You can find suitable gadgets in the MTS online store. Users have access to more than 200 models of smart watches and more than 50 models of fitness trackers from well-known manufacturers. For example, you can purchase the new Apple Watch Series 6, which includes apps for measuring ECG and blood oxygen levels. And owners of an Android smartphone can pay attention to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 or Huawei Watch GT2 Pro.

To monitor your weight, you can buy bathroom scales. The MTS online store has models that can measure body mass index, the proportion of fat, muscle and bone tissue and the volume of fluid in the body.

A smart jump rope will help make cardio training more interesting. Its handles have built-in sensors that count the number and intensity of jumps and transmit the data to an application on a smartphone. Some jump ropes have LEDs built into the cord that, when rotated, create a screen effect, and you can see the number of jumps you have done before your eyes during training.

How to motivate yourself to exercise

Don't have enough motivation to force yourself to exercise? Options to choose from.

Good reward

Not impressed by goals like “good health”, “well-being in adulthood”, “beautiful body in a few months” and the like? Create a more tangible reward. Please yourself after each workout with healthy treats, small gifts or other amenities. The Pulitzer Prize winner explains how the Habit Loop works in three steps.

First comes a sign that provokes the brain to launch a habitual action, then the action itself and the result - a reward. The most important stage is the last one. It shows you the benefits of the activity, the brain is tuned to a positive result in any case, the habit loop starts easily and quickly.

How does this scheme work for gym goers? Sign: Pack your bag for the gym. Action: Practice. Reward: eat your favorite healthy dish while watching an episode of your favorite TV series. You choose the reward according to your taste. Soon, motivation will come from within, and the brain will associate heavy physical activity with the upcoming release of endorphins.

Public promise

If you care about the opinions of others about you as a reliable, purposeful and responsible person, then a public promise will be an excellent motivation. Tell your plans to a friend, family, loved one, co-worker, or any other person who is an authority figure for you. You can even inform everyone about your plans by posting a photo with a number on the scales on a social network, or promise to upload photos from the gym three or four times a week. You can set a goal and promise a friend if he fails, to pay him a certain amount.

Jeremy Goldhaber-Fiebert, Ph.D., talks about the effectiveness of the approach, citing the well-known stickK website developed by economists. On the site, the site visitor declares a certain intention, promising to donate a certain amount if it does not come true. Research shows that people do not want to part with money, so they are more willing to fulfill a promise.

Positive thinking

Learn to think positively. Getting up early is usually depressing and ruins your mood, but imagine how pleasant it will be to stretch out on the couch in front of the TV in the evening or have dinner at your favorite cafe, and the anticipation will brighten up the morning minutes. The mood improves and incentive appears. The reason is simple: visualization is the main companion of motivation. Same with training. It’s easier to force yourself to do sports, imagining how in a few months you will go on vacation to the beach and take spectacular pictures.

Gabriel Ettingen, Ph.D., talks about meeting important conditions. He has written several books, and in one of them (Rethinking Positive Thinking) he described a detailed structure of positive thinking that produces the desired results.

What does it consist of?

• A clear understanding of what you want.
• Presentation of the result, and definition of what it is associated with and what it entails.
• Identify possible obstacles.
• Several ways to overcome potential difficulties.

Fifty respondents who decided to eat healthy food took part in the study. Those who clearly understood the benefits of following the PP rules were more successful in achieving results.

Cash reward

Many are convinced that money rules the world. The statement is exaggerated and controversial, but it can help achieve results. The likelihood of financial reward motivates sports achievements. According to University of California Dr. Gary Charness, monetary rewards will significantly increase the strength of aspiration.

Teenagers can offer such a scheme to their parents, and wives to their husbands, but it is much better to use the Gym-pact web service. The community pays for fruitful training at the expense of truants.

Try different types of workouts

If you go to the gym every day and do the same exercises, you will most likely get bored with them quickly. Try to combine different types of training - changing the load will add positive emotions and allow the body to develop harmoniously. By changing the nature and intensity of physical activity, you will give overworked muscles the opportunity to rest and recover.

The GOGYM app allows you to choose different types of workouts. For example, on Monday you can go to a Pilates class, on Wednesday you can try CrossFit, and on Friday you can stop by the dance studio.

A good habit is to exercise every day.

All your efforts to force yourself to do sports are not helping? You can prepare your body for physical activity by doing normal, everyday activities.

Stretching

When washing your face or brushing your teeth, do not slouch your back, bending over in an “arc.” Instead, bend your back straight from the waist without rounding it. This is a stretch for the gluteal and calf muscles. A more difficult option: do the same thing while standing on one leg. Do a warm-up a couple of times a day (morning, evening).

Strengthen your ankles

Do you get to work by metro, bus or train? Travel time can be used productively. You can either sit or stand. Without attracting the attention of your neighbors on the transport, raise your leg and make 10 rotational movements of your feet clockwise. Then there are so many movements counterclockwise. Repeat with the other leg. Do several approaches. The exercise is simple but very useful.

Walking

If you have time, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way. Breathe in rhythm with every step. In certain sections, speed up the pace, then slow down.

Ladder

Take the chance to warm up if your home or place of work is in a multi-story building. Regular steps are an excellent free exercise machine that can serve as a replacement for a step platform. Avoid using the elevator and go up and down on foot. The results will not keep you waiting.

Wall

It is also possible to warm up some muscles directly during a telephone conversation. For example, the calf muscles. While standing, rest your hand on the wall, lift your leg off the floor and slightly bend it at the knee, holding it suspended. The second leg rests firmly on the floor.

Continuing to lean on your hand, move your body forward until you feel tension in the calf muscles of your supporting leg. Now you can transfer the phone to your other hand, repeating the movements, focusing on the other arm and leg.

Just charging

Just by dedicating 5-10 minutes to exercise at any time during the day, you will already prepare your body for sports, improve your figure and posture. Start with simple exercises like squats, head rotation, scissor hands, jumping in place, bending left and right. Remember school physical education lessons. Over time, this will not be enough, and it will be easier for you to tune in to the gym.

Thank yourself for exercising

Image: As Good As Possible, CHIARI VFX
Post-workout rewards will lift your spirits and motivate you to keep going. Buy yourself something special when you reach certain goals - for example, if you haven't missed a workout for a whole month. It is better to choose things that will provide additional motivation to exercise. For example, give yourself wireless headphones that are convenient to listen to music during training, collapsible dumbbells or new sneakers.

After class, you can go to the relaxation area and SPA. This is useful. A sauna, for example, can speed up the process of muscle recovery by improving blood circulation. GOGYM users have access to all the opportunities that are available to holders of regular subscriptions. They can also go to the relaxation area and SPA of the fitness club where they came to work out.

And in the application you can get 1000 points for your first workouts. To be credited upon registration, you need to enter the promo code LIFEHAKER. You can pay for training with points, 1 point = 1 ruble.

How to force yourself to exercise

You are full of awareness that training is necessary. All that remains is to decide how to force yourself to play sports.

Choosing a sport to your liking

You won’t be able to force yourself to play sports for which you have no desire. Having tried running, not everyone is delighted with it. Some people feel lightness, good mood and other advantages after a run, others feel unwell and tired. Same with other sports. Experiment with running, yoga, strength training, and swimming.

Share a hobby (with a friend, with friends)

Is it difficult to start training on your own? Do this with a friend, loved one, or group of friends. Some will do better, others will do worse - be an example to each other. Is it awkward to go to the gym alone for the first time? You will feel calmer in company.

Purchasing sports equipment

Make sport an important and enjoyable part of life. Buy nice sportswear that fits you well in colors that suit you. This will give you confidence. Don’t ignore sports equipment that allows you to keep fit at home - dumbbells, fitness bands, etc.

Favorite music

It has been noticed that listening to your favorite dynamic music during training makes classes more productive. It’s easier to keep the rhythm, and your mood improves. Recently, the high pace of life does not leave time for your favorite hobbies, and during classes you can combine two at once - books and sports. Don't want to listen to music? Try audiobooks!

An example to follow

You can print out photos of ideal figure idols that you want to be like and hang them around your home. However, stars always seem to be from another planet - it seems that they have more opportunities than “ordinary” people. Instead, subscribe to communities where others share before and after pictures of their results. You will decide that you are no worse than the girl or guy from your city, and you will be more willing to start playing sports.

Own unique system

You shouldn't be equal to others. When taking your first steps towards sports, it is important to take into account your own desires and characteristics.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Hope:

Many “zombie” themselves with two liters of water a day and 10 thousand steps, and then, without drinking these liters and without taking these steps, they begin to scold themselves. Your own system is important. This is the only way a habit will gradually form. And I'm not saying this will happen in 21 days. Everyone here will have a unique path.

Source

Previously on the topic:

• How to start playing sports from scratch at home or in the gym correctly and without…
• How to start playing sports: n reasons why it’s never too late to change
• 5 super motivating photos of fit girls in tight sportswear
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• Women are banned from playing sports in Afghanistan
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Why working out is great

Still can't figure out how to motivate yourself to exercise? Just check out the list below - it's sure to get you motivated!

Regular training has a proven effect, namely:

Motivation table on how to force yourself to train
After training, you feel as if you were born again. And as soon as you see the first result in the mirror, you will probably want to flutter like a butterfly! So pull yourself together and don’t waste any more minutes. Training is exactly the activity that is appropriate at any time of the day and in any mood!

How to overcome laziness and fatigue

In the previous example, we looked at cases in which some external or internal problem leads to apathy and laziness.

Now let's look at another option. A person has accumulated fatigue, which leads to a lack of desire and strength to do anything.

In this case, the cause is often workaholism, high responsibility, perfectionism and inability to rest.

Workaholics devote their entire lives to work activity. Work for them is the meaning of life. If they don't have a job, they feel lost.

The problem is not even workaholism, but what makes them so? And why do they feel uncomfortable without active work?

Basically, the cause of workaholism is a false attitude located in the subconscious.

Here are examples of such settings:

-A good person must be hardworking! - Selfish people don’t like to work! -Only constant work will give you the respect of the people around you! -To achieve success, you need to constantly work! -You can’t catch a fish from a pond without difficulty. And so on.

A person, under the influence of such attitudes, “works hard” around the clock. He realizes the meaning of his unconscious attitude into life day after day. He plows in order to be respected, appreciated and loved! In order to achieve success or fulfillment! So that he is not considered lazy or selfish! In order to secure a future for yourself and your children!

But no matter how strong a person is, mental resources have a limit. As you reach your limit, forcing yourself to work becomes more and more difficult every day. A workaholic begins to feel lazy more and more often.

In the case described above, a person needs to learn how to rest effectively.

In such cases, I usually recommend that the person choose daily and weekly rest options. Rest should bring joy, new impressions and emotions.

Plus, a hard-working person simply needs to rest for 10-30 days, twice a year at least! But this vacation should be filled with impressions and a change in atmosphere, climate and living conditions!

In addition to all this, the workaholic needs to get out of the influence of false attitudes. Because it’s not so much work that takes strength, but unconscious motives coming from limiting attitudes.

This can be done either independently or by contacting a specialist who understands such problems.

You can sign up for my consultation here .

In perfectionism, hyper-responsibility, as well as in workaholism, there are attitudes that have become a false motive for a person’s life. People with such attitudes do not live, but implement their attitudes.

And until you resolve the issue of attitudes, perfectionism or hyper-responsibility will not go away.

How to overcome laziness and start taking action

Very often, the root of laziness is a lack of perspective. A person performs a familiar set of actions at work and at home day after day. But he doesn’t see any prospects.

Basically, this happens when some more or less comfortable life has been achieved. There is housing There is a set of necessary material goods There is a job that brings the necessary income

Everything is fine. Everything has been worked out.

This is where some people have a dangerous moment! There is nothing to strive for! Why stress if everything is fine?

Laziness appears. Or it would be more accurate to say - lack of purpose. The goals have been achieved - there is no motive.

A person may begin to look for a motive in harmful activities. And they can delay it.

Some people who find themselves in such a situation begin to unconsciously destroy what they have. And they do it without realizing it themselves.

Having destroyed what they have, they come to life again and start their lives all over again. And life is in full swing for them again.

In such cases, it is necessary to develop your life and define new goals. There is always something that can be improved.

You need to consciously look for something new for yourself that will impress. Communication with more successful people who constantly find something new helps with this.

New types of recreation, communication with new active people give new ideas and desires!