How to change our mindset around exercise

In today’s conversation with Sophie, we discuss mindset around exercise. I am guilty of seeing exercise as a chore and something I would rather not do, even though I know I always feel better for doing it. So why do we feel this way and how can we change this mindset?

Read on to find out Sophie’s helpful tips!

For anyone who doesn’t know you, please could you introduce yourself?

Sure! I’m Sophie Pearce. I’m 35, live in Clapham and I’m a Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach.

 On your website you share that you believe all good fitness programmes should nourish your mind as well as your body. How do you think this can be achieved?

First and foremost, by taking the time to cut through all the cr*p (all the comparison, all the “I should be doing this...”, “I should want that...”) and really listen to yourself and your body to work out what actually works best for you.

What makes you feel genuinely lighter and brighter afterwards? What boosts your mood? What makes you feel energised?

Exercise is a great opportunity to switch the mind off from everyday drama/stress/worries, because it’s pretty much impossible to think about any of that when you’re in the present, focusing on moving your body - whether that’s through lifting weights, powering through a fitness class or focusing on your breath through a yoga flow. But it’ll only truly help you to disconnect from the stressors of the outside world if it’s a form of movement which you connect with and enjoy doing. And if it’s not? Don’t waste your time! Find something else.

And this will be different for everyone, which is why I always say to my clients – it’s very easy to get sucked in to believing that you want what everyone else seems to want or that you should be doing what everyone else is doing. Watch out for that. Because you’ll get so much more out of exercise, physically and mentally, if you learn to work with your body, not against it.

For many of us, myself included, we can at times guilt trip ourselves into exercising and see it as a chore or punishment. Why do you think that is? Do you believe we can change our mindset around this? If so, how?! 😊

I see and hear this every single day and I was also stuck in this mindset for pretty much all of my 20s so I know how REAL this can feel!

I actually think there are two reasons for this.

Firstly, and most importantly, it comes from a place of not feeling like we’re good enough as we are (so a lack of self-worth / self-esteem) and the comparison trap that we inevitably fall into as a result of that, e.g. looking at others and telling ourselves we need to be more like them / do what they’re doing, lose weight, build washboard abs etc... so that we fit in with everyone else. And this way of thinking has become so ingrained that it just feels normal to us now. Basically, we’re very good at beating ourselves up!

Secondly, when we first start exercising it doesn’t exactly feel comfortable does it! Pushing our fitness levels and getting out of breath isn’t exactly easy at the best of times, especially if we’re not used to it. It’s hard, it requires effort and places the body under stress. So therefore it’s quite easy to associate this with being a chore, a punishment, something we HAVE to do even though it it’s hard. It’s all about our approach.

Do I believe we can change our mindset around this? 100%. I did and I’ve seen my clients do the same.

Our whole approach to exercise will dictate whether or not we enjoy it. If we always think of exercise as a chore, something to dread, a punishment for that doughnut we ate earlier, we’re not going to suddenly start enjoying it!

But I also know how hard it can feel to suddenly change your way of thinking around this. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about dropping the idea that there is a ‘right’ goal to have, a ‘right’ way to exercise, a ‘right’ fitness routine to follow, and checking in with yourself, listening to how your body feels, learning what feels good and what doesn’t feel so good for you. And catching yourself when you start to compare that with what other people are doing.

Fitness is such a personal, individual thing. It isn’t about anyone else. It’s about YOU. And when that finally lands (and it will), your approach to fitness will change. You’ll be able to use it as a tool to feel BETTER about yourself, not worse; and as a way of nourishing your mind and your body, instead of tearing yourself down through comparison and feelings of inadequacy. And when you do that, everything changes.

How can we encourage ourselves to step out of our comfort zone?

Great question! For so many, getting into a new fitness routine or heading to the gym for the first time can feel daunting and uncomfortable. And what I’ve learnt is that there is no quick fix to suddenly take away the icky feeling of stepping out of our comfort zones. We’re human. We’re creatures of habit. And we like to feel safe in situations and environments that we know and understand. Doing anything outside of that can feel intimidating.

Ever heard the phrase “get comfortable feeling uncomfortable”?! That’s the answer to this question. Stop waiting to feel ready, because that feeling will never come. Get used to feeling uncomfortable and nervous and know that instead of that being a bad sign that something is going to wrong, it’s actually a GREAT sign that you’re stepping up, you’re experiencing something new, you’re growing. And the more you do it, the easier it will get.

In my experience, I know that I will feel better after exercising and that if I continued to do it, my self-confidence would improve but this still doesn’t get me motivated to do exercise on days when I don’t feel great mentally. How can we motivate ourselves to exercise on these days?

My honest answer to this is...don’t! Remember that we’re not designed to push ourselves to the max 24/7. Sometimes a workout is not what you need. Berating yourself for not feeling motivated or for missing your fitness session is going to do you and your confidence way more harm than having a day off ever will!

And there’s a million reasons why some days you feel like it and some days you don’t – what you’ve eaten over the last few days; your hydration levels; how you’ve slept; stress levels that week; hormones – all of these things play a big part in our energy levels. So it’s good to remember that we’re not supposed to feel the same every day, especially as women. We run on a monthly cycle. We reset every month, not every day. So don’t be alarmed if some days you just don’t feel like sweating it out in the gym – it’s very normal!!

That being said, I do totally understand that it is very easy to fall into a fitness rut and lack the motivation to exercise for weeks and months at a time. I get it. And I still experience it too. And this is when it’s good to have an understanding of how motivation works. Because it’s definitely not going to come from beating yourself up!

I think we often place too much of an emphasis on motivation. When we don’t have it, we let it stop us from doing anything, blaming it for our lack of movement. We spend a long time wondering when it will come back, telling ourselves that once it comes back we’ll go for that run. And it makes sense to our logical mind that motivation enables us to act, right? But quite often motivation actually comes AFTER the act. Have you ever gone to a fitness class, not really feeling like it at all, but afterwards you feel so great that you book in your next class straight away and feel motivated to keep it going?

Unfortunately that does mean that it’s on us to get ourselves moving before we really feel like it! Taking that first step is the hardest bit. I’ve actually written a blog post all about this so check it out here: 5 tips to take you from ‘meh’ to motivated post-lockdown | Sophie Elizabeth Fitness

For a beginner – where would you recommend they start?

It completely depends on what your goals are, but always start slow, ease yourself into a routine and try lots of different things out to see how you feel afterwards.

Fitness classes are a great place to start because you can follow along, learn correct form and technique from the instructor and try lots of different classes to see what you enjoy.

How can we find out more about your programmes and keep up to date with you?

You can find details of the programmes I offer on my website www.sophieelizabethfitness.com and I’m also on Instagram @sophieelizabethfitness And of course, if you have any questions then feel free to use either of these to get in touch with me directly. I love hearing from you guys!