Rachel's Reflections

Rest or Resistance? Knowing When to Give Yourself That Little Push

Last Sunday, I talked about the importance of rest and recovery. About how our bodies need time to repair, recharge, and adapt to the work we're asking them to do. And about how, especially as women, we need to stop feeling guilty for taking a day off when we genuinely need one.

But this week, I want to talk about the other side of that conversation. Because while I'm a big believer in listening to our bodies and giving ourselves grace, I'm also a big believer in knowing when we need to give ourselves a little kick in the butt.

Let's face it. Sometimes we just don't feel like exercising!! It's been a long day. It's cold outside. The couch looks cozy. We've got laundry to fold, supper to make, emails to answer, and about 47 other things competing for our attention. And that little voice in our head starts negotiating. "Maybe I'll just skip tonight. I'll go tomorrow instead."

And can we talk about this time of year for a minute?! We just turned the clocks back, it's getting colder, and by the time most of us finish work, it's practically dark outside. Suddenly, that 5:30 or 6:30pm class feels a whole lot less appealing than it did a couple of months ago. There's something about driving home in the dark, putting on comfy clothes, and settling in for the evening that makes leaving the house again feel like a monumental task. And honestly, it's not all in our heads. The shorter days and reduced daylight can affect our sleep-wake cycles, mood, and energy levels. Some people are particularly sensitive to these seasonal changes. So if you've been feeling a little more sluggish or less motivated lately, you're certainly not alone!

Sound familiar? Here's the thing…. Sometimes that voice is telling us something important. Maybe we're genuinely exhausted, haven't slept well, are fighting off an illness, or our bodies are asking for recovery. And in those situations, resting might be exactly what we need! BUT…… other times? We're just not in the mood. And there's a BIG difference between the two.

One of the things I've learned throughout my years in fitness is that motivation is incredibly unreliable. It comes and goes depending on our mood, our stress levels, the weather, how much sleep we've had, and what kind of day we've experienced. If we waited until we felt motivated every time we wanted to exercise, most of us wouldn't be nearly as consistent as we'd like to be.

That's where discipline and routine come in. I'm not talking about forcing yourself through brutal workouts or ignoring what your body is telling you. I'm talking about developing the ability to recognize when doing something good for yourself might require a little extra effort…. especially when you KNOW it will pay off.

Ladies, how many times have you dragged yourself to a class, not really wanting to go, only to walk out afterward feeling like a million bucks?! We've seen and heard it countless times at Mobility. Someone walks in looking exhausted, tells us they almost cancelled, and then less than an hour later they're laughing, chatting, and telling us how glad they are that they came!

There's actually some science behind this, too. Physical activity can help reduce feelings of anxiety, improve mood, support better sleep, and increase our sense of well-being. And while the long-term benefits of regular exercise are well established, even a single session of movement can provide immediate mental health benefits.

And this is exactly why I think movement becomes even MORE important as we head into the colder, darker months. When the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, we naturally tend to spend more time indoors, and for some of us, our mood and energy can take a bit of a hit. It's easy to fall into that cycle of feeling tired, moving less, and then feeling even more sluggish because we're moving less. But regular physical activity can help interrupt that cycle. It doesn't replace the need for rest, adequate sleep, or support for more significant seasonal mood changes, but it can be a powerful tool for helping us battle through the winter months. And sometimes, the hardest part really is just getting out the door!

Think about that for a second!

You might walk into a class feeling stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, or mentally drained. And while exercise isn't going to magically solve whatever is going on in your life, it can change how you feel while dealing with it.

Sometimes it's the physical movement itself. Sometimes it's the endorphins and other changes happening in our brains. Sometimes it's the music, the laughter, the familiar faces, or simply having an hour where nobody needs anything from us. And sometimes it's all of those things combined!

I think this is especially important for women because we're often so good at finding reasons to put ourselves last. We can justify skipping our own workout because the house needs cleaning, someone needs a drive somewhere, or there's something else on the to-do list that feels more urgent.

But here's a question we could all think about…..

If taking care of our physical and mental health is important to us, why is it so often the first thing we're willing to sacrifice when life gets busy?

We wouldn't necessarily cancel an important appointment because we didn't feel like going. We show up for work when we're not particularly motivated. We make sure our families get where they need to be. We honour commitments to other people all the time.

Yet somehow, the commitments we make to ourselves can feel optional.

And I'm not saying there won't be times when something genuinely needs to take priority. Of course there will be. Life happens, and flexibility is important. But if we're constantly waiting for everything else to be taken care of before we make time for ourselves, we're going to be waiting a very long time.

I also think we sometimes make exercise harder than it needs to be because we have this idea that it has to be a big sweat session to count for anything. Sometimes… if we don't have time for a full workout, we do nothing. If we're too tired for an upbeat fitness class, we skip movement altogether. If we can't follow our usual routine perfectly, we convince ourselves there's no point. But something I’ve finally taught myself is that movement doesn't have to be all or nothing!

Maybe today isn't the day for a high-intensity workout, but a gentle yoga class would feel wonderful. Maybe you don't have the energy for an hour at the gym, but you could take a 20-minute walk. Maybe you start your workout with the intention of taking it easy and discover that you actually have more energy than you thought. Maybe you start moving and realize that, no, your body really does need a break today. And that's okay too! The important thing is learning to recognize the difference.

I often encourage women to ask themselves a few questions when they're struggling with motivation. Am I physically exhausted, or am I mentally resisting getting moving? Am I sore or feeling unwell, or am I simply comfortable where I am? Would some gentle movement help me feel better, or would rest genuinely serve me more today?

There's no universal answer, and some days it can be difficult to tell. But the more we pay attention to how our bodies respond, the better we become at making those decisions. And here's something else worth remembering…. You don't have to give 100% every time you show up! Some days you'll feel strong and energized and ready to challenge yourself. Other days, getting through the door might be the biggest accomplishment of the day. You might need lighter weights, more breaks, or a slower pace. That's not failure. That's adapting your movement to meet you where you are.

I would much rather see someone build a sustainable relationship with exercise than spend a few weeks going all out, burning themselves out, and then disappearing from their routine because it became too much. Consistency is built through those ordinary, imperfect days. The days when we're motivated and the days when we're not. The days when we push ourselves and the days when we ease off. And it's worth remembering that we don't always need to feel good before we do something that's good for us. Sometimes the good feeling comes afterward!

I also think we need to be a little more intentional about our routines during this time of year. In the summer, it's easy to feel motivated. The sun is shining, the evenings are long, and we generally have a little more energy. But November? November is a different story! And with the holidays just around the corner, life isn't exactly about to get less busy. If we start putting our health and well-being on the back burner now, telling ourselves we'll get back into it when things settle down, we could easily find ourselves making the same promise in January. And we all know how that goes! Maybe instead of waiting for motivation to magically appear, we need to make a plan, book our classes, and treat that time as something important. Because it IS important.

So here's my challenge for us this week (notice I say us!)…. especially as we settle into these colder, darker days when staying home feels so much easier than getting out the door.

The next time we find ourselves debating whether to go to that class we've booked, or get that workout in…. let’s take a moment to check in with ourselves. Really check in.

If your body is genuinely asking for rest, honour that. Without guilt. But if you're simply feeling unmotivated, stressed, or tempted by the comfort of staying home, consider giving yourself that little push. Remind yourself why you booked the class in the first place. Remember how you always feel after a workout, or studio time with our girls. And give yourself permission to show up without expecting perfection. You might be surprised by how much better you feel afterward.

Because self-care isn't always a bubble bath, an early bedtime, or taking a day off. Sometimes self-care is putting on your sneakers when you'd rather stay on the couch. Sometimes it's rolling out your yoga mat when your mind is racing. Sometimes it's making a commitment to yourself and following through, even when the motivation isn't there.

Last week, I encouraged you to give yourself permission to rest. This week, I'm encouraging you to recognize when you need to give yourself permission to push.

Both are important. Both are acts of self-care. And learning when we need each one is part of building a healthy, sustainable relationship with movement.

So, as you head into another busy week, remember that you don't need to feel motivated to get started. You just need to be willing to take that first step.

And who knows? That class you almost talked yourself out of might turn out to be exactly what you needed!

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