When it comes to exercise, or movement as I like to say (because it sounds a little less intense), it’s easy to feel stuck.

1️⃣ Maybe you don't have time …
2️⃣ Or feel like if you can’t find an hour to do some intense workout, it’s just not worth it …
3️⃣ Maybe you don't know where to begin, or what to do, or how to do it…
4️⃣ Or it's just not fun (and sometimes boring)…
5️⃣  And a lot of the time, you're just too exhausted to do anything.

Many of you shared with me at the beginning of the year (the traditional “it's a new year and I'm going to start up a new routine time of year”) that these are some of the major roadblocks when it comes to exercise.  

So often when we're trying to start a new habit … whatever it is … it's important to ask ourselves why accomplishing this new habit is important. Think about your “why," and write it down.  It is compelling and motivational to understand exactly why doing something is important.  

What exactly is "the thing under the thing??

Well, I’ve honestly been thinking about it all week.

It started with a conversation with two coaching colleagues about the impact and art of transformational coaching, where the concept of "the thing under the thing" emerged.

And while fine-tuning my course content for my Create your Owner’s Manual for Health class this week, I continued to think about “the thing under the thing” as a discussion on chronic stress took center stage, emphasizing how imperative it is to tackle what's in our head effectively.

Too often, we allow issues to simmer, leaving them to fester, which can leave us feeling paralyzed, trapped in a mental traffic jam.

Have you ever found yourself wrestling with a problem, feeling as though you're trying to untangle headphones in the dark? Or waking up with a persistent cloud hovering over you, unsure of its origin?

I like thinking about lifestyle habits …

Because, you know, it's our habits that make us who we are.

And it’s our habits that can make a huge difference in not only how we feel today, but our health trajectory.

I’d like to share a quick story.

The other day I was at a small gym that focuses on strength training. One thing I like about it is that it merges the idea of personal training with a community who is working together on their own personal goals.

I recognize that having a community of support, vs. me trying to figure it out on my own, is crucial to my success.

So up to six of us are working through the same routines at the same time, but obviously the weights are individually customized.

The ongoing casual banter, an energetic and fun trainer, and loud music certainly kick up the energy and motivation to get through a few routines. I leave feeling accomplished and happy that I’m making progress on a goal that I set for myself.

I also remind myself that building strength, stability and balance is one of the most important things I can be doing for my long term health.

But let me get to my main point here.

As we’re in the middle of a set, a guy across from me casually mentions the fact that about a year ago he was a hundred pounds heavier and confronting a diabetes diagnosis.

Fast forward to the present - he had recently left his doctor’s office, with no diabetes markers identified, and off all of his diabetes meds.