Lazy? How to start moving
Lazy days don’t usually come from one decision. They pile up quietly: one skipped walk, one evening ice cream, one weekend where the workout gets pushed back yet again. Here is a simple plan for getting moving without a lot of drama.
Why lazy breaks wreck your fitness
From now on we will pick up, and suggest ourselves, new and old topics. From everyone and for everyone. I happened to come across some instructive words from Kaisa Teimann, head coach of the Estonian Aerobics Festival. Since some of us are still, even at the end of May, in a winter-spring slumber, it’s worth browsing those guidelines again.
Kaisa Teimann’s main idea is simple: the body loves consistency. Over the course of a year, it won’t tolerate a person who has resolved to get moving taking a wellness break of more than two weeks, in other words doing nothing at all. That doesn’t mean you have to train yourself to pieces every day. It means the body needs a regular signal: I’m moving, I’m using my muscles, I’m not stuck in the armchair.
Honestly, many people find this uncomfortable to hear. It’s much easier to think I’ll start in the autumn, I’ll start in January, or I’ll start when things quieten down at work. But life doesn’t usually become convenient on its own. If you wait for the perfect week, the gap can stretch longer than you planned.
The good news is that even walking at a certain pace or cleaning the house can give you a taste of training. When your pulse rises, your body warms up and your breathing gets a little faster, it’s no longer quite nothing. It’s a start.
How to get moving on lazy days
First rule: don’t pin all your hopes on the weekend. Nor should you do your workouts two times a week on consecutive days, such as a weekend. If all your movement is squeezed into Saturday and Sunday, the week is left with too long a gap. The body doesn’t find its rhythm, and the mind quickly finds a reason to skip this time.
When it comes to getting in shape, exercising fewer than 3-5 times a week is out of the question. That may sound like a lot, but not every session has to be a long gym workout. One day, a brisk walk. Another day, light exercises with dumbbells. On the third day, cycling or skiing, if the season allows. On the fourth day, a shorter general fitness workout at home.
Of course, it would be good to have within reach not only a bike or skis but also dumbbells, a barbell, or simply a suitable chunk of wood lying in the yard. The point isn’t to admire equipment. The point is to make starting so easy that your excuses sound weak.
And try to do this exercise only when you’re completely healthy. If you have a fever, a bad cold and cough, or a general sick feeling, the effect can be the opposite and end in something worse than a cold and cough. Movement is good, but stubbornness isn’t the same thing as wisdom.
Start so that tomorrow is easier
A simple truth: a start that’s too hard makes a person lazy again. If your first workout ends with pain in every joint, your brain will start hitting the brakes next time. That’s why it’s better to finish the first session feeling that you could have done a little more. That feeling calls you back.
Lay out your tracksuit. Pick the nearest fitness trail. Don’t debate with yourself for half the evening. Go right now. That was also the heart of Kaisa Teimann’s advice: don’t push today’s job onto tomorrow.
Practical tips when lazy habits get in the way
Meal times and portions need to be in order too. Lately people have started talking about eating more often than three meals a day. There’s no need to invent complicated science here. What matters most is watching what you eat and when.
Kaisa begs us to give up ice cream in the evening and to make fewer sandwiches. Have an apple, a pear, plums or just a carrot instead. This isn’t a punishment. It’s changing your environment. If the only things on the table in the evening are ice cream and a bread roll, convenience often wins. If something simple and lighter is within reach, the choice is already half made.
So put on your tracksuit and head to the nearest fitness trail. For this writer, it’s the one below Kivimäe. When the Sõbra sports hall goes in for renovation, you have to walk into the forest from Sõbra Street. There is some chance of wandering into the territory of drug addicts and cologne drinkers, but at the moment there are more people active on the basketball court and more joggers and walkers on the fitness trail.
It was once opened with great pomp by Harju KEK, but today it has been bequeathed, half-decayed, to the Nõmme District Administration. The latter takes training opportunities for young and old seriously, and you can already read in Nõmme Sõnumid where and when.
So what actually helps? A little repetition. The same trail. The same time of day. The same clothes. The less you have to decide each time, the greater the chance that you’ll actually go. Laziness doesn’t always disappear with great willpower. Often it disappears when starting has been made easy.
Tell yourself that you’re not quite as lazy as you were yesterday.
FAQ: lazy people and starting to move
Does walking count as a workout?
Yes, if the pace is brisk enough for your body to warm up and your breathing to become livelier. It’s especially good for getting started or coming back from a break.
Are two workouts on the weekend enough?
Better than nothing, but it doesn’t create a good rhythm. It makes more sense to spread your movement across the week so that breaks don’t stretch too long.
What should I do if my motivation disappears?
Make a smaller plan. Go outside for ten minutes, lay out your workout clothes or pick one simple exercise. Often the momentum only comes once you’ve already started.
Ferd Teller,
former creature of comfort
Come and cure your laziness! ArtGym
Source: WHO – physical activity.
