Create your own compound exercise
Sometimes, motivation requires a combination
Hi, I’m Matt, and welcome to Steady Beats: a newsletter examining big ideas from books you’ll love.
Find something you like. Attach it to your workouts.
Simple.
The world is awash in fitness advice. But that’s one bit I haven’t seen that is helping me.
Finding the right motivation to exercise is a personal thing, and sometimes it’s lots of different personal things over time. Sometimes we’re not even sure what’s motivating us. I can’t say with certainty why I've been a consistent exerciser for so long. I certainly fail to be consistent in other areas.
Motivation can be a mystery.
But we can also avoid obvious traps that make it harder on ourselves. Someone said to me recently:
“I need to start running. I hate running, though. How do I make myself do it?”
My answer?
“Don’t run.”
She looked at me like I was nuts.
Why commit to an activity you hate? You could bike, hike, spin, power walk, take dance classes, swim, sprint, or ride an elliptical. You could flip tires. Jump rope.
There are dozens of ways to get your cardio in. Why pick one you dislike? So you can fail?
(Actually, that might be a reason—to say you tried, but can’t stick with it. But that’s a terrible reason.)
If you want to exercise regularly, choose an exercise you’ll enjoy, or at least tolerate. Or, even better: combine your exercise with something else you enjoy.
Create your own compound exercise
It’s too damn hot to run in Florida these days. And at age 50, I don’t recover like I used to, so outdoor running is out until around Halloween.
Running inside on a treadmill makes me quietly wish for a stroke.
Running in place feels exactly like, well, running in place — you're sweating and straining and not getting anywhere.
But the elliptical, combined with a Kindle book? Two-hour Saturday morning sessions are not a problem.
Combining the workout with reading — and then writing on Substack about the book I just read — accomplishes two goals:
The workout is more enjoyable in the moment.
Finishing a book, writing about it, and starting a new one creates a positive feedback loop. And my brain wants to keep that loop looping along.
So if you love dancing, take a dance aerobics class (or whatever they’re calling it these days). If you’re social, get a workout buddy.
Create your own compound exercise: combine the exercise with something (or someone!) else you enjoy. My positive feedback loop is: read, write, reps.
You can create your own positive feedback loop, also.
A million more ideas for fitness motivation
For much more on fitness motivation, check out The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation, by Michael Matthews. It’s loaded with theory — and practical application — to help you find and sustain the motivation to exerciset.
Matthews researched and analyzed a ton of theories and practices around the science, logic, and emotions involved with motivation, and then crammed them all in here.
There’s something helpful for you in there. I’m sure of it.
Matthews’ tone straddles the line somewhere between drill sergeant and grandmother—but closer to drill sergeant. His style is rather blunt and direct:
"People want to feel motivated before they act, but the truth is that action leads to motivation. If you wait for the perfect moment, it will never come. Start now, and the motivation will follow."
If you’re interested in learning more about the book, I shared a review and highlights here: “The Little Black Book of Fitness Motivation.”
Motivation seems to involve trying lots of little tricks and ideas until something clicks. When it stops clicking, we try something else.
Like creating our own compound exercises.
Have you created your own compound exercise?
If so, what is it, and how’s it working for you? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Thank you for reading Steady Beats #250. Do you know someone who is working on their workout motivation? If so, please share this with them.
Cool read. Love the idea of pushing the ball downhill on forms of exercise, especially when starting out and forming healthy habits.
Personally, I’m a big fan of editing while riding the exercise bike, via printed pages and pen. I tend to do both editing and workouts in the evenings. I’m also big on bilateral exercises for creatives (walking, running, hiking) - helps the brain think more clearly.*
* disclaimer: this is based on science that’s one tier up from half ass internet research so take with a solitary grain of salt.
This is great Matt. Life long exercise about consistency. And 99% of people, unless your name is Goggins, will not be consistent unless they enjoy the exercise they engage with.