When Just Do It Just Doesn't Do It

Do you know how to find resources available to you for exercise? Do you know how to handle the self-talk that derails your fitness? This week’s newsletter is devoted to tips you can use. Photo courtesy National Senior Games Association.

By Ray Glier

I write about inspiration in this newsletter and sometimes “Just Do It”, the ubiquitous slogan of the Nike shoe and sports apparel company, just doesn’t do it for inspiration.

Just Do It can be a reliable self-kick in the pants, but it first materialized as a “let’s get it over with” adage. Convicted killer Gary Gilmore was asked if he had any last words as he sat downrange from a Utah firing squad in 1977. A resigned Gilmore simply said, “Let’s do it”. A marketer working for Nike re-purposed the words 11 years later….without the help of AI.

Needless to say, it is not a good thing for Geezer Jocks to approach exercise with a mindset of “let’s get this over with.”

So what is your approach to “doing it” when the command Just Do It fails?

There are two things that should stand out.

1) uncovering all the free resources available to you whether it is like-minded people, gym space, or coaching.

2) managing your judgmental self talk.

Andrew Walker, the Director of Health & Well-Being for The National Senior Games Association, and a Master of Public Health, figures that humdrum mindset of just get-it-out-of-the-way is “self-inflicted ageism”. It leads us to short-cutting our workouts because we see ourselves as unable to do more.

Walker said the lets-get-it-over-with and other negative mindsets about fitness for older people have “penetrated our society.” They are abetted by not knowing what local, regional, or national RESOURCES are available, like coaching or group activities, or events.

“I just reposted an article from The National Council on Aging about how people need to take advantage of all their benefits, especially in rural communities,” Walker said. “They (NCOA) have a benefits calculator to help you go through what benefits you’re currently getting. Then you compare it to what’s available out there that you’re not taking advantage of.”

Like what?

This one, for example. I had no idea the group “unstill life” was a thing.

Community exercise resources are sweat hubs, too. Do you know all the running clubs, cycling groups, dance classes in your area? Skip the hyper-active and look for modest. Look at parks and rec, community centers, online groups, and your next door neighbor.

These seem fundamental and obvious, but Walker said many people do not take advantage of them.

The resources available can also include mental health to deal with contrarian self-talk that deters a robust exercise program.

“One of the things that’s important in fitness and well-being is self-talk,” Walker said. “How are you talking to yourself about your performance, or about what you’re doing and what you’re not doing?

“We can go into automatic mode, and then we’re not mindful, and mindfulness is another tactic we can work on. It comes down to ‘How are you talking to yourself’?”

Walker walks the talk. He is too busy with operations to enter competitions at The National Senior Games, but on the state level, Andrew has won gold medals in Tai Chi. When you talk about a sport steeped in mental training, it is Tai Chi.

Then there is counsel in books and articles from former athletes about navigating the self-talk that disrupts your fitness journey. Don’t breeze over these tips if you find them. Athletes who have lived the fitness tug-of-war—"Can I really do this anymore?”—understand the weightiness of self-talk.

Dr. Megan Neyer, a sports psychologist in Atlanta, is an Olympian and world champion diver. She had to manage self-talk as her career drew to a close.

“I think part of it is accepting ‘what is’ and working with that, instead of reflecting back on how their fitness used to be, which is no longer,” Neyer said. “Actually, it’s ok to ‘go through the motions’ as long as the motions get you into motion.”

In that regard, Neyer said, “Just do it is sage advice.”

So what does Just Do Itget for you when you succeed in tamping down negative self-talk?

Walker said a study of 2025 Senior Games participants showed they had lower rates of diabetes and depression – “evidence that exercise is medicine and movement is well-being”.

The key ingredient for many study participants was taking advantage of resources.

“My background is in public health and one of the things we look at is how your community contributes to your overall well-being,” Andrew said. “The wellness movement used to not take into account social aspects, but your zip code can affect your health.

“We now know a lot of about how community involvement and resources in a community make a difference, and so now we’re doing something about that on a public policy level.”

So when you see one of those public parks with fitness stations understand they were put there for you, not just the Olympian.

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