You’re thinking about Exercise all wrong....

It hit my last week. I was feeling stressed out & frustrated. Nothing major going on, there are certainly worst things going on in the world. It was just one of those days. 

I knew this, but no matter how much I told myself everything was actually fine, I couldn’t shake it. My solution when anything like this happens? Go Workout. 

There’s a phrase you’ve probably seen around 

“You’re only one workout from a good mood”. That for me, is spot on. 

So I put on the new Dr Dre album (Yes he has a new album, it’s very good!), and smashed a workout. I only had to workout for 20 minutes, and after a nice stretch, I was back to myself. All my worries before were now in their place, and I was thinking rationally. It worked. 

As I was laying on the grass in my cool down, I hit me. 

Most people think about exercise in the wrong way.

I’ve definitely done this in the past, and I am sure you have too. Dreading working out, thinking of a million reasons why you shouldn’t do it, sitting down, when you should be lacing up your trainers. 

It happens, and I guarantee you have done that in the past. 

“How should I be thinking about exercise Sam?” 

Well, good question. For me, it’s about thinking, “where can this workout take me”. 

Stay with me, it will make sense. 

In the situation I described before, the workout took me back to ‘myself’, I went from angry and frustrated, to calm & happy in 20 minutes. There’s aren’t many things that can have that affect which are actually good for you! 

Do you dread working out? 

Thinking how painful it will be, and how tired they will be after, that they can’t be bothered, that they will be better off resting. It’s no wonder it’s so easy to talk yourself out of training. 

This is exactly why I created the Swift Boot Camps. I wanted an atmosphere, and a group full of people having fun, with other like minded people. Something to look forward to (you can book your trial here BTW). 

Switch it up. 

Switch up your thinking about exercise. 

Here’s a few of the short term benefits: 

• Putting you in a good mood, 
• Pumping you up for a night out, 
• Getting your day off to a good start, 
• Stress busting, 
• Increase in energy
• Increase in metabolism for burning body fat
• Increase in self esteem
• Positive attitude towards healthy eating  
  

They’re mostly mood changing benefits, but seriously, still very good. 

Let’s look a few of the Long term benefits: 

• Change in Body shape 
• Maintenance of body shape 
• Being fit enough to live life! 
• Being fit enough to achieve a marathon or obstacle race 
• Pride, and confidence in yourself 
  

I have no doubt in my mind that exercise has the ability to shape your life, not just your body. 

New you

Think about how differently you act when you are confident, wearing something you look amazing in. You’re buzzing with energy, you’re on top form. All of this comes from eating healthily and working out. 

This could lead to your meeting your boyfriend of girlfriend, or even securing a new job. 

Think it’s far fetched? Not a bit. 

Your thoughts become your actions, 

your actions become habits, 

your habits then define your character. 

My 3 Step Plan 

1. Create positive thoughts about what exercise can do for you. 
   List all the reasons why you should exercise, and what it can do for you. Then list all the things that will happen if you don’t workout and eat well. 
   
   
2. Create an action plan of what you would love to do. 
   Working out can mean different things to different people. Dancing, rugby, netball, boot camp, think creatively about the things you actually want to do. 
   
   
3. Build these habits into your daily life. 
   Plan your week, pack your bags, get mentally prepared, and keep the positive reasons of why your doing it in your mind. Write them in your notes in your phone, and read them daily. 
   
   

Summary: 
There we have it. I hope I have convinced you about how much of an impact exercise and being healthy in general can have on your life. Try it for 14 days, force new thinking patterns and watch every area of your life flourish.

If you want to experience a session with Swift, you can join one of our boot camps for free. They were designed to make exercise fun, and enjoyable. The idea was to get a group of people together all on the same journey, motivated by a friendly trainer. Book your trial here. 

By Sam Warrington 
Co Founder of Swift Fitness