Struggling to get motivated to exercise?

By Erin Haske
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We all know how hard it can be to stay motivated to exercise and stay healthy.

We sat down with Erin Haske, Exercise Physiologist and Health Coach to discuss tips and tricks to stay motivated when you're tired, 'not feeling it' or struggling to stay on track! 
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1. What’s your favorite strategy at the moment for getting out of bed to exercise when you don’t want to? 

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Having a plan! I’m a big fan of the snooze button, so I’ll plan or review my workout program the night before – that way I know exactly when I need to get up, and how the workout will fit in with the rest of my day. If I just plan generally to “get up and work out”, at 5 AM I’m probably going to decide that I’d rather get more sleep.

Specific planning works well even if you aren’t (or want to be) a morning exerciser. Once you know when you want to or can exercise, it’s much easier to plan exactly what you’ll do, and stick to it.

2. What are the main things you find people struggle with when trying to stick to an exercise plan and how do you address them?

Making the time and maintaining motivation. Both of these can be tough! One thing solves them both though: Finding a plan, program, or activity that you actually enjoy. It’s much easier to make time for the fun stuff in life, so finding a type of exercise that’s enjoyable will help you make it a lot more of a priority.

3. What can people do who find starting an exercise program daunting?

Start small. Every little bit counts, and there is actually a lot of research showing that several short bouts of exercise can provide the same health benefits as one longer workout – think three 10-minute walks versus one half-hour walk. Don’t get stuck thinking that it has to be a big workout to be worth doing.

4. What are your ‘non-negotiables’ for each day to keep your health and fitness on track?

I have two. My first is making sure I get as much low-intensity movement as possible on a daily basis. I make time to get out for a quick walk at lunch most days, which is great for my energy levels, and I’m lucky enough to be able to walk to work. I also try to move around as much as possible during client sessions. As much as I would like to work out six days a week, I’m usually lucky to get 3-4 sessions in. It’s important to me to have an active lifestyle to fall back on.
My second non-negotiable is planning my food for the day. I don’t always do a lot of meal prep, but I always aim to have an idea of what I will be eating for the day so that I can maintain an even level of energy and be at my best for clients. Planning ahead also keeps me from being stuck with fast-food-only options, which leave me feeling sluggish and icky, and it only takes me about five minutes on any given morning.

5. What’s your favourite success story?

I can’t pick a single one! Many of my clients hate exercise when I meet them. I won’t tell you that they all become gym junkies and triathletes, but it’s not a small number that tell me after a few months that their joint pain is gone, blood pressure has normalized, energy has increased, and they simply feel better than they remember ever feeling before. It’s exciting to feel like you can reverse the aging process and I love being a part of the experience!

A little movement goes a long way towards better quality of life, especially in conjunction with eating fresh food, sleeping well, and using tools like remedial massage. Our bodies are designed to work well throughout our entire lives, and it’s a privilege to help people learn to support them and get back to great quality of life.

​Thanks so much to Erin for taking the time to give us her awesome tips! 

For more health tips and/ or to learn more about Erin
​Check out her website by clicking the picture below!