2787: [Part 2] An Open Letter to People Struggling to Exercise by Roger Lawson of RogLaw Fitness on Sustainable Habits

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[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily, An Open Letter to People Struggling to Exercise, Part 2, by Roger Lawson of rogelawfitness.com. And I'm Dr. Neal, your very own personal narrator. Welcome to a Thursday edition of Optimal Health Daily. Remember, this is one of five podcasts where we read to you from blogs for free so that you don't have to read them yourself, except on Fridays. That's where I usually answer your questions. Now, remember, today's post is a

[00:01:00] continuation from yesterday. So, if you're new here or skipping around, definitely check out yesterday's episode first. But if you're all caught up, let's jump right into part two as we optimize your life.

[00:01:16] An Open Letter to People Struggling to Exercise, Part 2, by Roger Lawson of rogelawfitness.com.

[00:01:24] Do something. Anything. Do what you like. Yoga, running, weightlifting, breakdancing, or chasing ducks through the park like a crazy person. In the beginning, it really doesn't matter.

[00:01:37] If you're new to exercise, pick something and get moving, just to get the ball rolling. Remove as much friction as you possibly can between you and starting.

[00:01:47] Do you need to have a solid plan when starting out? Not at all. Don't let perfect become the enemy of good enough for the time being.

[00:01:55] You'll learn what you need to along the way, refining your aim as you progress. Plus, you'll likely change course plenty of times as you figure out what's important to you and what isn't.

[00:02:05] One of my first fitness fails was a run in the middle of winter wearing sweatpants, a hoodie, gym shoes, and construction gloves because I'd just finished watching a Rocky montage.

[00:02:18] I slipped and bruised my tailbone and I gingerly limped my way back across campus while holding my butt cheeks in shame.

[00:02:26] Sign up for the journey, not the destination.

[00:02:29] Some are motivated by the drive to succeed, while others get pumped up when they're trying their best not to lose.

[00:02:36] You may be someone who is motivated by outside rewards, or you forge ahead based on intrinsic factors.

[00:02:42] No matter which camp you more or less identify with, tap into your motivation style.

[00:02:48] There's no judgment on where you fall.

[00:02:50] This is a marathon, not a sprint.

[00:02:52] To avoid burnout, find something that you enjoy about the process outside of the end goal you're looking to achieve.

[00:03:00] Regardless of where you want to go, the distance between point A and point Z is going to take time,

[00:03:06] and you can run yourself ragged, grinding as fast as you can towards the finish line, without actually enjoying anything along the way.

[00:03:14] It's like someone on a quest to make a million dollars.

[00:03:16] They can either become so focused on the destination that they only experience any kind of joy once they hit their goal,

[00:03:23] or they can create mini checkpoints and rewards along the way, specific to how they roll,

[00:03:29] to keep them excited and make the road to Dala Dala's far more enjoyable.

[00:03:34] Abs are overrated.

[00:03:36] Last year I hired a coach and spent a few months dieting down for a photo shoot,

[00:03:41] something that I always wanted to do for the hell of it.

[00:03:44] I set the goal of becoming leaner than I had ever been,

[00:03:47] and 20 pounds later, I achieved just that.

[00:03:50] And I was happy.

[00:03:51] For like 5.6 seconds in total.

[00:03:54] Mainly, I was just hungry, and I wanted cake.

[00:03:57] That's the thing nobody really tells you.

[00:03:59] Once you reach your coveted destination, the victory is short-lived,

[00:04:03] and before you know it, your brain is already focusing on the next shiny object.

[00:04:07] I wasn't any happier when I reached complete ab domination,

[00:04:10] but when I started, I sure thought I would be.

[00:04:14] That's when I realized that it's not necessarily about the goal that you pick,

[00:04:17] but more about what your goal represents,

[00:04:20] who you become in the process, and the traits that you develop along the way.

[00:04:24] Even if you don't completely hit your target,

[00:04:26] you'll still learn a ton in the process.

[00:04:29] Sometimes a goal isn't meant to be hit,

[00:04:31] but it gives you something to aim at for the time being.

[00:04:34] As tempting as it is to try and fix inside issues with outside solutions,

[00:04:38] don't.

[00:04:40] You're enough, as is, right now.

[00:04:42] Instead of aiming to fix yourself,

[00:04:44] or thinking that you'll be happier once you have X,

[00:04:47] adopt the mindset that you're just making upgrades to an already awesome design.

[00:04:52] Work from the inside out,

[00:04:54] not the other way around.

[00:04:56] You're gonna mess up.

[00:04:58] A lot.

[00:04:59] Years later, you'll look back on the major fails made along the way and laugh at yourself,

[00:05:04] wondering if your brain was hijacked by aliens who controlled your body,

[00:05:07] making it do silly things for their enjoyment.

[00:05:10] It's part of the game,

[00:05:11] so chalk it up as nothing but feedback,

[00:05:14] designed to help you learn,

[00:05:15] grow,

[00:05:15] and spin your wheels less in the future.

[00:05:18] Don't add unnecessary pressure by locking yourself into some arbitrary deadline from the start.

[00:05:24] Chances are it'll be unrealistic to begin with anyway.

[00:05:27] This whole exercise thing is like a giant carousel.

[00:05:30] When you inevitably goof up,

[00:05:32] fall off your intended path,

[00:05:33] or things don't go as planned,

[00:05:35] don't flip out.

[00:05:36] The next chance to make things right is moments ago.

[00:05:40] Ready?

[00:05:41] Take a deep breath,

[00:05:42] and get ready for a wild ride.

[00:05:43] I have no idea where you'll end up,

[00:05:45] but I promise that it will change your life if you let it.

[00:05:49] Quote,

[00:05:50] You have exactly one life in which to do everything you'll ever do.

[00:05:53] Act accordingly.

[00:05:56] Colin Wright.

[00:06:00] You just listened to part two of the post titled,

[00:06:03] An Open Letter to People Struggling to Exercise,

[00:06:06] by Roger Lawson,

[00:06:08] of rogelawfitness.com,

[00:06:10] and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:06:12] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:06:15] A co-worker of mine once asked me,

[00:06:17] If you had to pick one lifestyle behavior

[00:06:20] that you would say is the best thing you could do,

[00:06:23] it's the one best, most optimal thing you could do

[00:06:27] that would affect everything else,

[00:06:30] what would that be?

[00:06:31] Can you guess what I said?

[00:06:33] Exercise.

[00:06:34] I didn't even hesitate.

[00:06:36] Why?

[00:06:36] Well, as Roger explained,

[00:06:38] it affects every other part of your life

[00:06:40] in the best way possible.

[00:06:41] What I explained to my co-worker was that

[00:06:43] not only does exercise improve every cell in the body

[00:06:46] from head to toe,

[00:06:48] it changes your outlook on things.

[00:06:50] It allows you to process your stress better,

[00:06:52] which will then potentially help you sleep better.

[00:06:54] It makes you want to eat better

[00:06:56] because you exercise that day.

[00:06:58] I know on days that I exercise,

[00:07:00] I make a conscious effort

[00:07:02] to really make sure that the nutrients

[00:07:04] I put in my body that day

[00:07:05] support that exercise I just did.

[00:07:08] On days I don't exercise,

[00:07:10] I'm a little bit looser with what I eat.

[00:07:13] And so when people ask me,

[00:07:14] where should I start on this journey

[00:07:16] towards optimal health and wellness?

[00:07:18] I say, take that first step,

[00:07:20] literally and figuratively,

[00:07:22] by going for a walk.

[00:07:23] And then, magically,

[00:07:25] you'll notice that other parts of your lifestyle

[00:07:27] start to fall into place.

[00:07:30] And that wraps up today's episode.

[00:07:32] Thank you as always for listening.

[00:07:34] Thank you for being a subscriber of the show.

[00:07:36] Thank you for sharing this episode with someone.

[00:07:38] I hope you have a great rest of your day.

[00:07:40] I'll be back here tomorrow for my favorite,

[00:07:42] the Friday Q&A,

[00:07:43] and where your optimal life awaits.