A woman who works out six times a week has admitted she never used to exercise until she made one change.
It’s a tale as old as time – you commit to a new fitness regime and stick to it for a few days or weeks, but after a while it gets boring or difficult to maintain. Many of us know how frustrating it can be to want to stick to a healthier routine, only to find motivation is lacking.
TikToker Sammy Jo knows this feeling all too well, having once lived a sedentary life. Now, however, working out is a crucial part of her daily life thanks to one change she made – and it all comes down to the way she thinks.
“You have to change your mindset,” she said. “One time I went out with some friends to a concert, we were all partying kind of late. When they were dropping me off, they were like, ‘Are you going to go work out tomorrow? ‘ and I said, ‘Yeah.’
“And they go, ‘I can’t believe you’re gonna go work out, like how are you going to want to do that? ‘ and I said it’s not that I want to, it’s that I have to. It’s not a choice.”
She insisted it was crucial to “change in your brain” and that she no longer saw exercising daily as a decision she needed to make. “It’s your job,” she continued. “Do I wake up in the morning and think, ‘I don’t wanna go to work’ sometimes? Sure. Do I still go? Absolutely, because it’s my job. I can’t not go.”
Sammy Jo also claimed the “only difference” between a job and working out is the “form of payment,” “When you go to a job, you get paid in currency,” she said. “When you work out, you get paid in a life full of mobility, freedom to go where you want, when you want… I could go on and on the list of health benefits for working out.”
Despite having two children, working two jobs, and maintaining numerous hobbies, she ensures that she works out six times a week. To accommodate her workout routine, she wakes up at 4.30am every day.
Many people thanked Sammy for sharing her advice in the comments section. One person wrote: “Treat it like your medication you wouldn’t skip your medication […] start with at least just being outside.”
Another added: “I needed that today!” while a third agreed: “I’m right there with you! So great to hear someone else with the same mindset.”
If you’re starting a new exercise routine, it’s important to start slowly and build up strength and endurance to avoid injury. The NHS recommends adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity.
Exercise should be spread evenly over four to five days a week, or can be done daily if preferred. Strengthening exercises should be done on at least two days a week, and time spent sitting or lying down should be reduced, breaking up long periods of inactivity.