Oh, dear gym, I love you so much… but shit some weeks it really is hard to spend time with you. Have you tried starting the gym? If yes, have you always been consistent? Were you there EVERY week without a doubt? Then, on the days you were sick or just couldn’t make it to the gym, how did you feel? Yep, that’s what I want to talk about; the consistency & guilt of skipping.
Starting off in the gym world
A few months ago, I was talking with someone and they told me how they started going every week to the gym for the last I think it was 10 months? Yea, and he said he didn’t enjoy working out, but that the feeling after was really great and was part of what kept him going. The other part was his objectives towards his body. I completely understood. I mean, if you’d asked me three years ago that I’d be in the gym every week, I would’ve never believed you. I personally HATED the gym, because it stressed me out and it made me compare myself really bad. I kept saying ‘’No one will ever be able to bring me to the gym’’. Well my friends, never say never, cause I’m the one that took ME to the gym LOL and it’s in my top 5 of things I don’t regret at all.
Anyways, the hardest part at first, was to get my ass to the gym every fucking week. Didn’t matter how long the workout, as long as I went and suffered (in a good way). Then, I started learning more and I completely fell in love. Now, I work out because it makes me feel good, as much throughout it as after it. Although, even if I enjoy going, some days and even some weeks, the motivation isn’t there. Which is okay and normal.
Motivation & consistency
Most of the time, you should kick your ass and go to the gym, consistency isn’t only about motivation, sometimes there is no motivation and you just need to be THERE. Once you leave home, there’s no going back on you walking in the gym and doing that workout. At least that’s how I see it. The gym is a place to make you feel better, it’s also a place in which you take care of YOU without doing anything else. I mean, you rarely to never regret a workout.
Like I said, motivation isn’t the thing that keeps you going to the gym every week, consistency is.
I either go to the gym at 6AM do waking up at 5:30AM, you think I have the motivation to go sweat and suffer? No, not always. I also go after work; the motivation isn’t always there either. Consistency though, HAS to be there if you truly want results.
So, no, motivation isn’t THE thing that makes you get up and workout ALL the time.
How to keep consistency
- Just go
Getting out of the house, is the hardest part but kick your butt out of it.
- Remember how good it feels after the workout
The feeling is just *chef’s kiss*
- Put on some good fucking music
- Go with a friend
GYM BUDDIES ARE THE FUCKING BEST. I mean, when a gym session is scheduled with your friend, you’re less likely to skip it.
- DON’T SIT ON YOUR BED & DON’T OPEN SOCIALS
My fucking issue is that the moment I sit on my bed or I open TikTok or Instagram, I’ll be scrolling and it’ll be unstoppable. Then I’ll be too ‘’comfortable’’ to go workout. That’s a killer. If I decide I’m going to the gym, there’s no ‘’10 minutes’’ scroll beforehand because it’ll last longer than that.
- Just. Fucking. Go.
Consistency isn’t hard if you just GO. Don’t overthink it, just get up and leave and it’ll be done.
It’s okay to skip
Of course, you have to get up and go, even on days in which you’d rather rot in bed. However, listening to your body and mind is important too.
Two weeks ago, I had an absolute shit week at work, it was intense, mentally draining, I was feeling very anxious and to top it off, I got my period. Oh, I forgot, I also hurt myself and had to go see an osteopath. Anyways, a total shit show it was and I ended up working out only once that week. It made me feel like shit to not workout because I enjoy it, but also because I didn’t want to ‘’lose’’ my progress. Although, I couldn’t do shit that week, I was just completely drained and my body needed some rest. My mind too.
I guess, what I’m trying to say is, if you listen to yourself, you know the moments when you just need a little push and the ones in which you can’t be pushed because you need to lie down.
Reasons it’s okay to skip once in a while
- In a few years you won’t remember that you skipped that one time
- Letting your body relax is as important as making it move
- You can move in other ways than working out
- Your progress won’t leave because of a few days off after months of consistency
- It’s just, okay.
I’ve realised that yes, going to the gym is to achieve your own goals, but it’s also fun, I enjoy working out and pushing myself, I don’t want to ‘’hate’’ it because I forced myself on days I mentally and physically shouldn’t have. The week I took for myself, I spent it doing other things I love, and I started the week after wanting to go because I missed it. Life happens, it can’t always be the same routine over and over, at least for me it isn’t. Feeling the guilt of not going is normal, but what the fuck does it bring you? Not peace LOL. You can take care of yourself other ways today. You’ll go tomorrow feeling better and the workout itself will feel better.
Mwah.
