How to motivate yourself to run

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Move towards your goal gradually and do not scold yourself for missing workouts.

If you open Instagram and go to the search results for the hashtag #running, you will see a bunch of people with smiles on their faces, correct posture and some clothes covering a beautiful body. It seems that all these athletes are very happy and endlessly happy to run.

The questions arise: “Why doesn't running bring such joy to me? Why is it so hard for me to just pick up and go for my morning run? What's wrong with me?"

Are you okay. Believe me, people from Instagram and even professional athletes have asked themselves these questions.

Think about who you admire, and realize that that person is also making an effort to do their job. Perhaps Elon Musk also overcomes himself before starting his 12-hour workday. And you cannot defeat yourself once and for all.

Running, like life, is fickle. The motivation to run also comes and goes.

Admitting that you don't feel like walking out the door is the first step towards getting out.

Even the most smiling photo runners aren't always so happy: the rest of the time, they struggle with low motivation just like you. They are helped by discipline and adequate requirements for themselves.

10 minutes also counts

Skeptics are sure that the ancient Egyptians could not build the pyramids and the aliens did it for them. Some doubt that astronauts have landed on the moon. And it is simply difficult for others to believe that a person is capable of grandiose accomplishments without the help of magical powers.

The truth is that even such unimaginable things can be achieved with many small actions. The Egyptians had hundreds of years and an unlimited workforce. And NASA has brilliant scientists and billions of dollars.

The 1,000-mile road starts with the first step.

At first, a marathon seems like an impossible task. But you don't have to cover that long distance. Start with 10 minutes of running or walking up the stairs. Such training will help your body adapt to stress and show that there is nothing wrong with physical education.

Best the enemy of the good

Make a running plan and try to stick to it. If the weather is bad or you are not in your best shape, run anyway. Run even if you think you can't give your best.

I come across this all the time when I write articles. While working on this text, I closed my laptop three times in disgust. At times like this, I recall the best advice I've ever received for writers: “Don't judge yourself harshly. Write. I understand that the result will not be Shakespearean and, most likely, will not become my best work, but that's okay.

We all doubt ourselves. But if I didn’t keep acting every time I don’t like something, I wouldn’t write the book. I'm not sure if I'm a good writer, but I know for sure that I'm persistent. And a lot can already be achieved with this.

Running is like writing a book. Sometimes you just have to keep going.

Fight with a buddy you usually run with? Wrap a couple of circles around the block alone. Feeling tired? Just don't run with acceleration. Fall off your feet completely? Coax yourself into a 10 minute light workout. This is enough not to get lost on the way to the goal.

Every day is the independent variable

If you do get out of your plan and miss a couple of runs, that's okay. The main thing is not to let one spoiled day spill over into the next. American writer and psychologist Gershen Kaufman explains this risk with the concept of a spiral of shame: one failure leads to others. When we miss a run, we feel a little ashamed. If these episodes accumulate, the feeling of shame builds up. As a result, we do not run, and we are angry with ourselves.

Try to see the good everywhere. Did you run 10 minutes? You are super. Didn't you budge in a day? You're still superb, but don't forget to run tomorrow.

Running is always a personal challenge. You definitely shouldn't wait for external motivation, even competing with friends won't work forever. You will have to look every day for the answer to the question why you even need to run somewhere. And it won't always be there right away. But one thing is for sure: on a run, you will find any answers faster than sitting on the couch.