As an athlete, fitness influencer and founder of Naked Training (and more), Brooke Ence knows a thing or two about workouts. But even though she’s as sculpted as can be, she says, like us, there are still days she really doesn’t want to exercise. When we chatted with Ence about all things fitness, she explained how she finds the motivation to work out even when she has zero interest.
1. Check in With Yourself & Ask Why
The CrossFit champion said she typically finds herself wanting to skip a workout when she has a lot going on. But, she explains, “On days when I really just don’t want to work out, I have to check in with myself. This is where you learn to understand yourself and practice positive self talk.”
She gave a couple examples of what that might look like: “If it’s a day when you really don’t want to work out, ask yourself why. Is it because you’re sick? Are you really sore? Have you been training and it’s just one day that you don’t feel like it? We need rest and that’s OK. Is it a day that maybe you’ve been doing the ‘I don’t want to work out’ for a while?”
Even if it’s the latter option, Ence says there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. “Whether it’s with training or with diet, we have a million moments in a day where we can make a positive change and a step toward what our goal is,” she explained.
2. Skip the Gym & Get Outside
Aside from busy days, Ence finds herself avoiding the gym when she’s on her period or has eaten poorly over the weekend. That’s when she hits the pavement instead. “I’ll tend to go running or ride my bike. To go for a jog, whether it’s ten minutes or 20 minutes, not only do you get that rush of endorphins but it’s a compound effect. Fitness and health is a compound effect, it’s about little changes over time. You feel better, you feel like you’ve taken a step in the right direction and it’s no longer a question of ‘When will I get started?’ You’ve already gotten started.”
Ence went on to muse that “We can get very overwhelmed by the choices we’ve made, the food we ate, the choice not to work out, but luckily we have another opportunity to change it and that’s constantly happening.”
3. Remind Yourself of Your Goals
But if you notice that you’re ghosting your workout more and more, Ence suggests taking a good hard look at your end goal.
“What do we want? What’s our goal and what are we willing to sacrifice to get that?,” she said. “Nothing is easy and when it comes to changing your mind, self esteem and body, nothing is free, it takes work and time…It’s about what you can do today. Don’t worry about what’s happening tomorrow.”
If you’ll excuse us, we’re off to get our sweat on.
