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Do What Most People Won't (with what you learn here.)

Do What Most People Won't (with what you learn here.)

We’re animals built to move.

Katie Rutten
January 30, 2024

For a moment, let’s pretend you are absolutely obsessed with this brand of coffee called Dr. Frothy.

Dr. Frothy tastes so damn good.

You’ve been drinking it for as long as you can remember.

Your mom drinks it.

Her mom drinks it.

But then one day while watching TV, your program gets interrupted by breaking news.

Researchers have discovered Dr. Frothy diminishes brain health and cognitive function.

Those that drink it are at a higher risk of depression.

It reduces brain capacity and IQ.

If you were to trip and fall, your bone(s) might break because Dr. Frothy has also been proven to reduce bone mass and weaken muscles.

Just to continue drinking Dr. Frothy, you would be required to take expensive medication.

But the medications wouldn’t get to the root of the issues Dr. Frothy causes.

All the while your risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer would increase with every cup you drank, medications or not.

No matter how good Dr. Frothy tastes, you’d stop drinking it in an instant wouldn’t you?

Dr. Frothy after the news of its impact on health broke worldwide.

Now, Imagine This Instead

Shelf the whole Dr. Frothy thing (we’ll come back to it) and imagine a miracle pill that:

Improves memory, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
Doubles your output performing tasks you don’t like doing
Reduces the risk of heart disease by up to 35%
Causes people to be inspired by you
Prevents you from getting sick during flu season
Fuels creativity and productivity
Improves sleep quality by 65%
Produces a youthful glow
Removes low self-esteem
Removes the unpleasant feelings about how you look
Increases life expectancy
Makes you happier, less anxious or depressed
Enhances your job performance and interpersonal relationships
Has no side effects or negative impacts

If eligible for a prescription, you’d be first in line for that drug wouldn’t you?

We all would.

The line to get a prescription for the miracle pill.

In short order, that pill would become the most widely used drug on the planet.

GUYS, THAT PILL EXISTS.

And you don’t need a prescription.

That pill is exercise.

And Dr. Frothy? It’s not a toxic coffee. It’s what life is like without exercise.

What Does an Exercised Life Look Like to You?

Exercise is a “pill” that’s available to the entire planet; yet, so many refuse to take it.

They’re too:

Tired
Busy
Hungover
Anxious
Depressed
Old
Broke

But what if instead of being a person who identifies as any one of those bullets, you were a person that transcended their excuses and pulled off what most people won’t even attempt?

Sure, exercise isn’t exactly like a pill.

Exercise requires a lot more effort.

But what amount of effort are you willing to pay for the quality of life you deserve?

We’re Built to Move

Why am I insistent that exercise shimmys its way to the top of your priority list?

Because the world needs you.

As it relates to physical fitness; guys, the world is sicker than ever.

Only 28% of people in the United States spend at least 150 minutes a week exercising.

That’s 20 minutes a day... A little over 1 in 4 people. 😳

Even more of a shock?

42.4% of US adults are clinically obese and nearly 1 in 3 are clinically overweight.

I REPEAT

Almost half the US population…is clinically overweight or obese.

I don’t like hearing these statistics any more than I like sharing them.

So if you’d like to shock yourself further, take a look at this wild collection of stats.

A sedentary lifestyle is just a softer road to hell.

We’re capable of so much more.

We’re animals built to move.

We have energy that needs to be spent.

We have power that needs to be felt.

We have great but complex minds that need to be trained.

So let’s do what we’re built to do.

Let’s change the way we feel about ourselves.

Let's make exercise that one friend we always make time for, no matter what.

No More Houdini-Ing Out of Exercise

We've all been there.

One minute, you're pumped to start your fitness journey or workout, and the next, your brain's conjuring up a hundred reasons to stay on the couch.

But fear not, because I’m going to help you outsmart those sneaky psychological barriers with some mind-bending tips.

By the end of this article, you’ll leave the escape artist antics to Mr. Houdini.

The part of you that tries to get out of exercise is “Houdini.” Don’t give in to your Houdini.

Reframe Your View of Exercise

Start seeing exercise, not as a chore, but as a celebration of what your body can do.

Swap the “I have to” with “I get to.”

Trust me, it's a game-changer.

Once I starting looking at exercise as a privilege and not an obligation, I became less obsessed with carrying dread into my workouts.

Create the Routine

Overwhelmed by the thought of an hour at the gym?

Start with 10 minutes.

Focus on creating a workout routine before you focus on the output.

When I first started exercising, the program was the exact same 5 days a week:

5 minutes of meditation
10 minutes of yoga
a short walk outside (no more than 20 minutes)

I followed this program for several months.

When my birthday rolled around a few years back, my husband gifted me a stationary bike.

So I swapped the 20 minute walk for a 20 minute cycle.

I also peppered in 5 minutes of core work between yoga and the bike.

I then followed that program for more than a year.

Make a program you are willing and able to stick to.

Also, don’t feel like you have to do it all.

If you enjoy walking, just start walking.

If you enjoy yoga, just practice yoga.

Find what you love and let it move you.

Boom baby, the trick to working out 5 times a week.

Embrace the Bad Days

Not every workout will feel like a banger.

In fact, of the 20 days I workout in a month, I expect about 5 of them to feel pretty meh.

That's okay. Ask anyone that exercises consistently; the meh days are simply a part of it.

A less-than-perfect workout is better than no workout at all.

Have enough of these meh days and they stop weighing on you as much as they used to.

Self-Compassion is Key

Missed a workout?

Criticizing your output? What the scale says? Didn’t reach your daily step goal? Didn’t close all your Apple Watch rings?

Be kind to yourself.

No one is exempt from being their own worst critic.

But what will make your relationship to fitness rock solid?

A consistent practice in self-compassion.

Take a deep breath and remind yourself that your best is your best.

When you miss a workout, commit to working out the next day.

Sometimes when we think we need more discipline, we might actually need more self-love.

Start Small & Consistent

Setting mammoth-sized goals at the start is like trying to bend space time – not gonna happen, my friend.

So here’s realistic, disappointment and burnout-free steps:

Week 1 & 2
- Go for a 20-minute walk 3 days a week.
- Plan the days you’re going to workout ahead of time.
Week 3
- Increase the walk to 30 minutes
- Post-walk, add 10 minutes of yoga or 5 minutes of core work.
- Remember, it’s not about output, weight lost or calories burned yet; it’s about creating the exercise habit.
Week 4
- Increase the days you work out in a week from 3 to 4.
- Now you work out more days than not in a week AND you still have 3 days for recovery! This is the sweet spot.
Week 5-12
- After more than a month of showing up consistently, lengthen your exercise sessions; 45 minute workouts is the ideal.
- Dabble with all different kinds of free workouts on YouTube to figure out what you like. You’d never know you were a shadowboxing fanatic if you never try it!
- I had no idea how obsessed with cycling I’d become without my Peloton. You definitely don’t have to make that big of an investment just to try out cycling, but you could try a class (most fitness clubs offer the first class free to try them out).
- Find the form of exercise you can’t shut up about— obsession will make it that much easier to show up!

Week 13 + Beyond
- After a few months, consider joining a gym, pilates studio, kickboxing class, or investing in some at-home equipment.
- I’ve tried boxing, group strength training, yoga, jui jitsu, training in a gym, training from home, running on a track, running outside— find something that speaks to YOU. Maybe it’ll be several different modalities, maybe it’ll be one. Be open to them all!

Remember, fitness isn't a sprint.

It's more like a scenic hike…that literally never ends.

Get obsessed with the journey.

I promise you, it will never get old.

Consistency: The Key Ingredient In the Secret Sauce

I hope you’re thinking about forming a new relationship with exercise.

That delights me to my core.

Here’s some tips to set you up for success:

Plan Your Workouts and Add to Calendar

Decide what workout you’re going to start with. Maybe it’s the plan I provided above, maybe it’s something else. No matter what, decide exactly what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it.
Pre-planning reduces friction. The less friction there is between you and the workout, the more likely you’ll get after it. When all the thinking and planning has been done, all that you need to do is just…do!

Set the Stage the Night Before

Lay out your workout clothes before bed or pack your gym gear in advance.
My gym water bottles are always filled and in the fridge, ready for me to grab when it’s workout time.
The more prepared you are (literally and mentally), the harder it will be to decide against working out.

Exercise Snacks

Exercise snacks are 1, 2, or 5 minute exercises you can do at any point in your day.
- Think 20 bodyweight squats after breakfast, 50 jumping jacks at the top of every hour, holding a 1 minute plank while the coffee brews, etc.

Reflect and Adapt

Regularly assess what’s working and what’s not.
What are your goals? Does your exercise program target those goals effectively? If not, what changes can you make?
- I was a cardio addict for a long time, but wasn’t seeing the physical aesthetics I’d hoped. This required me to reduce the amount of cycling I was doing to make room for an increase in strength training.
- These pivots can be challenging, but not impossible. Allow your training to evolve as you do.