Why We Keep Putting Off Our Fitness Goals

Does this story sound familiar?

Monday rolls around again, the alarm buzzes for 6am, you’ve got every intention of heading to the gym before work knowing it’s the only opportunity you’re likely to get during an already busy day. You reach to snooze the alarm - just 5 more minutes - but you know deep down where this is heading. An hour later and you’re sipping coffee on your sofa, once again convincing yourself that tomorrow would be a better day to start.

At some point, we’ve all been there. We’ve set ambitious, potentially transformational goals, we buy the new gym outfit, the shiny new trainers, maybe even sign up for a gym membership. But when it comes time to act, to finally execute, we find a million reasons to postpone.

It’s too cold outside. It’s raining. We don’t want to end up caught in traffic. We didn’t sleep great the night before. And of course the inevitable “we’ll start fresh next week”. But why do we do this to ourselves, time and time again?

At its core, procrastination in health and fitness isn’t about laziness or a lack of willpower. It’s about how we’re fundamentally wired as humans. Our brains are designed to seek immediate comfort and avoid things that cause us discomfort. Sweating and straining through a workout or choosing to have a chicken salad over a double cheeseburger doesn’t necessarily provide instant joy. In fact, it can often feel the opposite.

Think about it. The allure of the sofa after a long stressful day is powerful. Netflix releases a new series of your favourite show, and suddenly, the simple idea of lacing up those new running shoes and heading out the door starts to feel like climbing Everest. Our minds are exceptional at rationalising. “I’ve had a tough day; I deserve a break” we tell ourselves. And in that moment, skipping the run for a night in front of the TV feels justified.

This deep pull towards instant gratification, things that provide immediate comfort, is deeply rooted in our psychology as humans. Consider back in our hunter-gatherer days, our ancestors would have prioritised immediate needs first - finding food, seeking shelter, avoiding known and unknown predators. The future was uncertain for so much of this time, so taking care of the things that were essential for immediate survival was crucial. Fast forward to today, and the threats we face have changed greatly, whilst it’s infinitely easier to access food and shelter, our brains still prioritise the present over the future to large extent.

When we set fitness goals, we’re essentially making a promise to our future selves. We’re saying “I’m going to invest my time and effort now so that the future version of me will hopefully be happier and healthier as a result of my actions today.” But future rewards are abstract, while present discomfort is tangible. The soreness we feel in the aftermath of a tough gym session is pretty much immediate; the health and fitness benefits are much further down the road. Our brains often struggle with this mismatch.

There’s also a comfort zone factor to consider. Walking into a gym for the first time, or jogging around the local neighbourhood, can feel intimidating in the early stages. What if people judge me? What if I see someone I know? What if I can’t keep up with those in the class? These fears, however irrational they may seem on the surface, do add another layer of resistance we have to overcome.

So, how do we go about overriding this natural inclination we all face at times in putting off our fitness goals?

We can begin first with reframing how we view discomfort. Instead of seeing a workout session or gym visit as a chore, we can view it as an act of self-care, both to our future and current selves. It’s a gift, a way to invest in our well-being. Remember the first time you tried another hobby or skill you may have learned, it was probably awkward at first, you might have struggled, became frustrated. But with time and repetition, it becomes enjoyable, you now relish the enjoyment of the struggle.

Fitness is much the same. The initial hurdles and barriers are the toughest, no doubt. But once we develop the skillset and strategies to overcome them, we start to find pleasure in the routine. The notorious runners high, the sense of accomplishment in hitting a new lifting personal best, the clarity of mind that comes after a yoga session - these are all immediate rewards that our brains can latch onto.

Another strategy we have is in breaking down bigger goals into smaller, more manageable steps that are far easier to execute and manage.

Saying “I’m going to lose 10kg”, can feel overwhelming if you don’t see immediate results. But committing to hitting 10,000 steps per day feels much more achievable. And those small steps add up. It’s like opening a Lifetime ISA. Putting away a little each week might not seem significant, but over time, not only does it grow, it compounds into a substantial amount above your initial investment.

Accountability can make all the difference. Maybe it’s with a partner or friend who regularly checks in with you, or a journal you could use to track progress. Sharing a goal with others can create a gentle social pressure to stay on track. You’ve now committed to something publicly.

But perhaps the most crucial aspect is simply just being kinder to ourselves along the way. Setbacks are an inevitable part of the journey. There will be days when we skip a workout or overeat our calorie target, should we have one. And that’s OK…

Punishing yourself only adds to the negative association with health and fitness that we’re trying to overcome in so many ways. Instead, we can just acknowledge the slip-up, accept it happened, and focus on getting back on track at the next possible opportunity.

Here’s the thing: learning to manage discomfort and delay gratification in health and fitness has a ripple effect through our lives. These behaviours are like training a muscle - the more we practice, the greater the challenge, the stronger it gets. The discipline we build through developing these skills can help us in numerous other areas, like keeping to a financial budget, advancing in career progression, or nurturing relationships with a partner or loved-ones.

Consider financial planning. Saving for retirement requires you to set aside money now for benefits that you’re unlikely to see any return on for decades into the future. It’s not always easy in your 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s when there are so many temptations to spend in the present. But just like our fitness example, small, consistent actions can lead to significant results over time. And the sooner we start, the greater the length of time we have for these results to compound.

In relationships, we might need to have conversations we don’t want to have, or make sacrifices in areas for the long-term health of the overall partnership. It can be uncomfortable in the moment, there may be tears, things said you wish you hadn’t, but the payoff is a stronger, more fulfilling connection in the end.

At the end of the day, procrastination on health and fitness goals isn’t just about avoiding exercise of eating to some perception of “healthy”. It’s a microcosm of how we each individually handle discomfort and prioritise our future selves. By recognising this, we can start to make choices that align with the lives we genuinely want to lead and the people we truly want to become.

So the next time the alarm goes off, we have a decision to make in that brief moment of pause. You can of course acknowledge the allure of staying in bed, hitting snooze, remaining the same as yesterday and the immediate comfort that brings, but you can also remind yourself that there’s a bigger picture and you have bigger goals for yourself. You’re not choosing to exercise; you’re making an investment in yourself in the here and now that will compound exponentially over time.

Any maybe, just maybe, that moment of pause enables you to lace those new trainers a little easier.