How to use visualization to exercise consistently

Starting to train is easy: early motivation does the work. The hard part comes later, when the novelty wears off and the days you don't feel like it show up. That's where a visualization practice can help.

Visualize the moment you start, not the final body

Picturing yourself with the body you want motivates for a while, but it doesn't get you off the couch. It's more useful to rehearse the exact moment that's hard: lacing up, walking out the door, the first five minutes.

• The alarm goes off and you get up without negotiating.
• Your clothes laid out the night before.
• The first few minutes slow, until your body warms up.
• The feeling afterwards: shower, energy, the day already won.

Affirmations about showing up, not about the result

• "I show up even when I don't feel like it."
• "One weak day breaks nothing."
• "Ten minutes count."
• "I rest because I take care of myself, not because I'm quitting."
• "This is part of me now."

The plan for the days you don't feel like it

1. Visualize only the first five minutes, not the whole workout.
2. Commit to those five minutes. If you want to stop after that, you stop.
3. Most of the time you'll keep going. And if not, you kept the habit, which is what matters.

When to do it

Right before your training time, or when you wake up if you train in the morning. Two minutes is enough. What matters is that the visualization is attached to the action, not separate from it.

A note: with any injury, pain or medical condition, check with a professional before changing your exercise routine.

The "Ninety days of showing up" template in the market is built for this: scenes of you training, eating well and resting, and lines for the days it's hardest.