When Motivation Disappears, Movement Can Still Matter 

As the days get shorter and the weather turns colder, finding the motivation to exercise isn’t always easy.

Getting out of a warm bed or heading out on a cold evening can suddenly feel like much more effort. 

And when life gets busy, movement is often one of the first things to slip down the list.

But exercise doesn’t have to be all or nothing. 

You don’t need to complete a full workout every time, and you don’t have to wait until you feel motivated to get started.

Sometimes, a little movement is enough.

You don’t always need to do more

It’s easy to think that exercise only counts if we’ve worked hard, pushed ourselves or completed a certain amount of time.

But movement can look different from one day to the next. 

Sometimes we want to challenge ourselves and build strength. 

Other days, a gentle stretch, a walk or some simple mobility work might be more appropriate.

And occasionally, rest is exactly what we need.

The important thing is learning to recognise what works for you, rather than expecting the same from yourself every day.

Let go of the all-or-nothing mindset

Have you ever missed a few exercise sessions and felt that your whole routine had gone out of the window?

It’s easy to think that if we can’t do something properly, there’s little point in doing it at all. 

But this can make getting started again much harder than it needs to be.

A ten-minute walk still gets you moving. 

A shorter Pilates session is still time spent looking after your body. 

And returning to exercise after a break is far more useful than worrying about the time you’ve missed.

You don’t need to make up for missed sessions. 

Simply pick up where you are.

Find what works for you

One of the things I love about Pilates is that there are options.

Exercises can be adapted, and sessions can be adjusted to suit how we’re feeling.

If you’re short on time, you might choose a shorter session (my app has loads of these).

If you have more energy, perhaps it’s a good day to challenge yourself a little. 

You could also build movement into your day with a walk or a few minutes away from your desk.

The aim isn’t to create another list of things you should be doing. 

It’s to find ways to move that fit into your life and that you can enjoy and maintain.

A little thought for November

As we head towards winter, don’t worry if your usual routine needs a little adjustment. 

Our energy, circumstances and priorities change, and it’s perfectly reasonable for our approach to exercise to change with them.

Some days, we need a little encouragement to get moving. On others, we need to ease off.

There’s no need to make it complicated or aim for perfection.

There’s always an option. Find what works for you, today.

And a question to leave you with:

What’s one simple way you could bring a little more movement into your week, without adding more pressure to your day?

Sam ‘one week at a time’ Hobbs

https://my.playbookapp.io/sam-hobbs