A Running Doc’s Life: How to Stay Motivated!

by Dan | Feb 17, 2019 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health

Well I don’t know if right now anybody else is struggling with trying to stay motivated to keep exercising, but I sure am. My foot problems flared up again this week, making it tough for me to be able to run since Tuesday. I am still doing other exercise, but not running. I started physical therapy Friday, so helpfully this will help too. Then with all the snow, the continued cold, and the clinic has just been crazy this past 3 weeks with influenza, and call, it has been hard to concentrate on staying active. Somedays you wonder why you even make the effort. I keep my consecutive exercise streak in mind, and this helps push me to keep going too. I try to help keep everybody else motivated to keep moving, and I have to keep trying to motivate myself too! One thing for sure that helps me to keep going is that eventually it has to get nice out, right? I mean, really? It is going to get nice out again…someday. I keep those thoughts of the nice weather, and being out on the trail, and just taking in some nice weather, sunshine, and not having any injuries!

Sarah and I keep each going, and always have. So when one is hurt, or limited, it affects the other person too. It is just not the same when we can’t work out together. It gets hard to get fired up to go workout…by yourself! Nobody to discuss things with. Nobody to hash over the day with. Somedays it feels like you have nobody to push you, and then you start feeling sorry for yourself. Keep those good days in mind.

With this stretch of weather, sometimes it feels like things are impossible. Just rework that word, and turn it into “I M Possible”! I can do this. Put my head down, and keep going. This tough stretch is not going to last forever. The reason I keep going at this is because of the benefit of all those good days when they come. If you throw the towel in every time it starts getting tough, you will never get anything done.

Sarah and I have done a lot of races and events together. We have a lot more planned. FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

This hits it right on! Commitment! Not only to exercise, but to relationships, time…life in general. There are going to be some tough times…like with running, bad weather, hills, ice, snow, heat, injuries…you name it. Everything with this, just like with life, is not always easy. There are challenges in everything. But, how you react to those challenges is what makes you, or breaks you.

We are in the drivers seat. For me, I could easily have pitched this exercise streak and said, “you know, this is probably a good time for this to end”. As tough as it has been to keep going, it is still the same when I get done exercising. I am glad I did it. I feel better, and have burned off some frustrations. The same problems are still there, but I can start to figure out how I am going to deal with them now. That is the secret.

I will be out there with Sarah again. I will be doing more races and events again. Be patient! Take a deep breath! RELAX! Give it some time (even though I don’t want to!). There are days when yes, we have to motivate ourselves. But, at the same time, we need to keep motivating others. We are not in their shoes. We know what our own individual struggles are, but we have no idea what somebody else may be going through. We may think we have it tough at times, only to realize somebody else has it much tougher. So while you keep motivating yourself, remember somebody else may be watching you, and you can set an example for them. Push yourself, and it may help push others. That in and of itself can also help motivate you to keep going too!

Keep moving! Keep trying! Somedays it feels like you are in a marathon, and the finish line is nowhere in sight. Life is a marathon. Ups, downs, struggles, joys, relief, pain, joy…many emotions to go through. But the bottom line is you have to keep repeating to yourself 3 little words:

Yes you can! REPEAT! There are many motivational mantras that can be created to help keep us motivated. Some of them are more generic and can apply to all of us, and some of them may just apply to us alone. The more direct it is to us as an individual, the more powerful it can be for us. That will be the next blog topic–creating a motivation mantra that has significance to each of us. Then focus on it and never lose sight of it. It will help get you through all of those struggles in life, and help keep you moving as well. YES YOU CAN! Keep moving everybody! YES YOU CAN!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #: 4162