Emotional Exercise

Sam Stephens

November 2019

How emotionally attached are you to your current routine?

This is a conversation that I have pretty often with new personal training clients and one that I thought could spark some fun discussion here.

Exercise has a weird way of becoming an emotionally driven hobby where new programming ideas and changes to workout/diet structure are immediately shut down simply because they’re different and foreign. Working out can make us feel so good that many of us don’t want to even consider the thought of changing what’s not broken. However, while your routine might not be completely broken, is it as effective as it could be?

Consistency is key for long term success, but so is experimentation. The routine and the habits that you adopted at the beginning of this hobby probably aren’t what you need to be following 1 or 2+ years into it. Do you know exactly why you include certain things and exclude others, or is your current program based on a ‘this is just what I’ve always done and it makes me feel great’ mentality? The endorphin high that comes from a super intense workout feels great, but did that massive energy expenditure really do anything to move you closer towards your goals? Are you chasing long term progress or just short term satisfaction?

The point of this post is just to say that I think it’s important to try to stay objective when assessing your own programming, to be open minded about how you approach your goals, and to avoid letting your emotions dictate how you exercise and eat. Don’t get stuck in a relationship with a bad routine simply because you have a history with it.

Have you made any recent, seemingly small changes to your program/routine/strategy that have resulted in massive differences?