I love Seth Godin's work. His combined empathy and pragmatism stand out in a uniquee, almost alchemic fashion.
I liberally borrow his use of the phrase "merely show up" - an alternative to the phrase "just show up" (which in itself is a variation on what is in my view the loathsome platitude "just do it").
Just showing up or doing it in exercise means going through motions. This is pointless and can be dangerous depending on the exercise format upon which your aimless dart might have landed. It represents disingenuous participation and an exercise participant far more interested in baseless outcomes ("I want to lose weight") rather than process ("How might I use exercise to increase my health and have my body feel, function and look the way I desire?").
I get it. Exercise might be new and hard.
Merely showing up represents a first step in a more elaborate process. It is the smallest possible first step in what might become an meaningful exercise process. By merely showing up for exercise and continuing to do so, you can be engaged at appropriate, graduating levels over time.
This is where progress in exercise - feeling, functioning and looking better, and living longer, stronger and as active as possible - is made.