I’m going to tell you right now that working out shouldn’t be a habit.
A habit is a behavior you acquire that becomes automatic due to repetition. Brushing your teeth, taking a shower, eating breakfast, driving to work are all habits that we have acquired due to repeating the action so many times it becomes automatic.
So, why wouldn’t we want working out to become a habit? Wouldn’t we want working out to become automatic; something we do without even thinking about it?
No. Working out is not something you are doing to make your life easier. The point of a workout is to make your body into something better: to become fitter, stronger, and healthier. That requires a determination from within yourself to move your body faster and harder than the day before. This also requires you to move out of your comfort zone and demand that your body be better. Working out should be tough because it takes commitment, motivation, and hard work to make yourself into something you weren’t before. To do that, you have to struggle and sweat and run and jump and lift and throw and sprint and swing and move.
So, if you truly want to get better, truly want to get fitter, truly want to make a change, you have to face the fact that working out will always be and SHOULD always be a challenge. The point of a workout is to achieve something you didn’t have before. So, no. Working out shouldn’t be a habit. You cannot just go through the motions. Because then it would be easy. Every day you should push and hurt and sweat and try harder than the day before.
And if you do that, that’s not a habit, that’s a workout. And that’s making yourself better.
Don’t let making yourself better become a habit; make it something you can’t live without.
Ali will push you harder than you’ve ever pushed yourself before in the 5:30 Fusion class, as well as DBS Run Group every Tuesday and Saturday. To register, click here.