7 Ways to Trick Yourself into Jogging

Jogging is always a drag. I’m not going to lie to you. Every single time! There’ll be a million reasons running through my mind on why jogging is not a good idea for the day. This post will share some of the common jogging excuses and tips to overcome them.

 

JOGGING EXCUSES

“I’ve had a heavy lunch, and am feeling so full. Maybe it’s better that I jog tomorrow instead.”

“I’m too hungry. No energy to jog leh!”

Just two days ago, when the time came for me to prepare for a jog, I opened the wardrobe and couldn’t find any sports attire. They were all in the dirty laundry basket.

You would think that I was vexing by then. But actually, I was somewhat relieved as this is a valid reason not to go for a jog. Alas, I later found some fresh pieces hidden underneath some clothes. Ugh! There goes my guilt-free pass. 

 

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Benefits of Jogging & Regular Exercise

We all know how important regular exercise is in maintaining our health, mood and emotions. Whenever I feel a need for a mood-lift, I would remind myself to go for a jog. A short 30-minute session can instantly boost the spirit, relax the mind and even offer a “quiet time” to brainstorm on ideas. It works all the time, like a charm!

Here are some of the benefits jogging offers: 

• Better health 
• Enhanced mood 
• Better body appearance and shape 
• Slowing down the aging process
• Improved confidence

 

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How I Trick Myself into Jogging Twice Weekly

Since jogging is such a dreadful task, how did I overcome and invalidate the excuses and push myself onto the jogging track?

 

Here’s how I do it! In the section below, you’ll see me talking to myself, aka “evil twin”.

1. Can we talk later, buddy!

This is a point where I have to shut off all my thoughts.

Evil Twin: “Are you sure you want to head out? Looks like it’s going to rain!”

Me: “Oh yes. Seems like it. But let me change into my sports attire first. I’ll monitor the weather in a bit.”

2. Just going for a slow walk. Nothing difficult, yah?

By now, I would be in my sports attire, and ready to set off.

My evil twin said earnestly, “Hey, jogging is such a tiring and difficult task. It’ll make you pant like a dog and sweat like a pig. How about we stay at home, and catch up on some nice movies?”

Me: “Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll just go for a REALLY slow and leisure walk. That should be easy.”

3. Since we are on the track, might as well do a slow jog?

Great. I’ve successfully dragged myself to the jogging track. Let’s start with a slow walk. But hey, I’ve already taken the trouble to be here in the right attire.

Hmm, I might as well do a slow jog instead of a walk. It’ll be so slow it would feel as relaxing as a stroll in the park. 

4. I’m gonna win this race!

By the time I start jogging, albeit starting off really slowly, the adrenaline that kicked in should allow me to pick up my pace quite easily. The longer I jog, the more energetic I would be.

At 400m mark from the finishing point (out of my usual 4km jogging trail), I’ll start sprinting by “competing” with everyone who are standing between me and the end point. I would attempt to overtake all of them to emerge as the winner in this imaginary race. 

Ok. By now, I would have had a great and effective cardio workout. Task completed!  

 

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Overcoming Common Jogging Excuses

Here are some of the jogging excuses I often face. See how I invalidate them one by one:

Excuse 1: No clean sports attire

Action: Monitor your laundry and make sure you have enough sports attire to last you for the week. Invest and buy more sports attire if you have to. Anything that benefits the health is worth the money and effort!

Excuse 2: I’m too hungry to jog

Action: If you tend to jog in the evening, try to take a small bite in late afternoon.

Excuse 3: I’m too full to jog

Action: Too full? Go for a brisk-walk then. That’s better than not moving at all.

Excuse 4: It’s daytime. So hot. I don’t want my skin to age prematurely 

Action: Apply sunblock. You can also check out the neighborhood gym.

Excuse 5: It’s dark. It may be dangerous.

Action: Be flexible. Try a different route. Instead of the park, how about jogging along the main road? 

TIP: Many times, we would think that we are too tired for a jog. However, the truth is that jogging can cure tiredness and offer us an energy boost.

 

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Give these Jogging Tips a Try for Better Health

I don’t succeed in overcoming the excuses all the time. But if it works 3 out of 7 times a week, it’s good enough for me. 

Today, I almost succumbed to my evil twin. I was supposed to go for a jog before nightfall, but didn’t succeed in pulling myself away from my work. When I was done, the night had fallen and part of my usual jogging route wouldn’t be considered safe by then. 

Hence, I switched my route and shortened the run by half – from 4km to 2km. That’s better than sitting on the couch and not moving the butt at all (and worse eating snacks and popcorns). 

That’s all I have for you today. Hope this post is able to motivate you to exercise more and I wish you better health, fitness, shape and well-being. 

 

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(This post was first published in Oct 2014)