For years I so desperately wanted to be one of those perky exercise people. You know, the ones who wake up at 6AM and go for a run before their day starts and they barely even break a sweat (*rolls eyes dramatically). They say things like “it’s the best way to start the day” and “I love to run, it’s so therapeutic”.

I can barely make it out of bed in the morning, let alone work up the enthusiasm for any kind of exercise! What’s the difference between me and the perky, 6AM running lady? Probably a lot (not least that I hate running!) But first off, energy! According to Traditional Chinese Medicine some people are born with a natural excess of energy - these are the people who can work 60 hour weeks and still go out partying all night on Friday. We all know one of those people (*another dramatic eye-roll). Others of us have a deeply engrained sense of chill; we prefer slow and sleepy. We are the sloths. All hail the sloths!

When I accepted that I just didn’t have the natural energy, the “pre-natal jing” as they call it in TCM, that Ms. 6AM running lady has, I could have just rolled my eyes (because, clearly, I do that a lot) and said, “oh well, life’s just not fair.” But I didn’t.

When you learn something about yourself that you don’t like it you can throw your hands up in despair and accept it, or you can use it as an opportunity for learning.

So I asked myself, “knowing what I know about myself, how can I use this to create more energy?”

Three steps to finding motivation to workout

Don’t me wrong, I didn’t go from sloth to gym bunny overnight. But with attention and practice I learned how to work in harmony with my energy, rather than fight against it. I went from exercising (usually moderate level yoga-based exercise) once or maybe twice a week to a place I never imagined I’d be - I now teach yoga or practice yoga 4 or 5 days a week and I work out twice a week (strength training and cardio) too. It may not sound like much but sometimes I really do look at myself and think, “who even ARE you!”

STEP 1: MONITOR YOUR ENERGY LEVELS

And do this without judgement (this is very important) - journal it too, if that helps. Take note of when you feel most energised during the day (even if the difference is only slight) and also make a note of your energy through the week; you’ll find there are days when you you naturally want to be more active, even if it’s just by taking a walk that makes you feel good. AND monitor your energy through the month. I found (and every one will be different) that I had the most amount of energy late morning - around 11AM and late afternoon, around 5PM. During the week I felt depleted on Sundays and Mondays, and I also discovered that my energy levels are 100% linked to my cycle. Just before my period I was a slob, just after it I was ready to summit all the mountains! This made a LOT of sense to me after reading Claire Baker’s book: 50 things you need to know about your period. If you haven’t read it, do it now - it’s a game changer!

STEP 2: USE YOUR ENERGY TO CREATE MORE ENERGY

Now that you know when your energy peaks, even if it’s only a slight peak, start to use that to your advantage. The more energy you create, the more you will have. Duh. But really; energy creates energy. So get started. I started by walking my dog at my peak energy times. Then I began to pop to the gym for 30 minutes before lunch occasionally, or I’d do a HIIT work out or yoga after work at 5 when I could. I never pushed myself to do something that I really did not want to do, or to an intensity I wasn’t ready for. I found that the more I did, the more I wanted to do and these days I am happy to exercise on Mondays or in the early morning sometimes.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners are very in tune with their pre-natal jing, and how to harness the ebb and flow of chi to their benefit. Here’s how you can take a page out of their book:

Get earthing! The earth is buzzing with energy so go for a walk, swim in the ocean, lie out in the sun - spending time in nature is on of the simplest ways to create more energy.
Practice Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga involves balancing the body’s energy levels by using tensile and compressive forces along Meridian lines of the body. You can learn more about Yin Yoga and meridian theory in study and practice here.
Watch what you eat - food has a direct and immediate impact on your energy. The connection between the gut and the brain is irrefutable, so what you eat can change the way you feel almost instantly. You may notice that after some meals you feel sleepy and groggy, whilst after other meals you feel more alert and energised. Pay attention and eat better. Julia Enders book, Gut is a New York Times best seller and will change the way you look at food forever!

STEP 3: NO GUILT

Do the exercise that agrees with you and your body with NO guilt. I realised that I don’t ACTUALLY like running - so why on earth would I subject myself to that? A study published in “The Blue Zones” identified that the people who live the longest and are the happiest don’t undertake any kind of forced exercise. So do what feels right and that way you won’t end up resenting it and pushing it aside because you hate it so much. And on the days/weeks where your energy is low, let it be. Use this time for meditation, reading, see your friends!

Energy is personal and it ebbs and flows. You just have to learn to ride the wave.