....Or it would be, without these 5 tips I'm about to give you! Now you'll have no excuse to not exercise. You're welcome...or I'm sorry...whatever.
1- GRAB YOUR BUDDY!
When I began working out on a regular basis, I kind of turned my nose up at the idea of a workout buddy. I don't know why, really. But when I was first starting, I for sure didn't want anyone to see me sweating like a pig! I'm not one of those girls who glisten when they work out and just look generally glowing and healthy. I've had people stop me and ask if I'm alright. No lie. So you can imagine how I may not want a fitness partner.
I also had this idea in my head that it wouldn't make a difference. I had decided to get fit, and I didn't need anyone to hold me accountable. I figured workout buddies were for super social people who like to be surrounded by their friends at all times, which is basically the opposite of me. I was definitely in more of a "leave me alone while I go hurt myself in the name of beauty" state of mind. But then I took up running.
I have this really intense fear of being outside by myself for any length of time. Long story, won't bore you with the details, but a few years ago I went through a traumatizing experience involving a dog, and my neighborhood apparently has something against leashes. You see my dilemma.
Anywho, so I really wanted to take up running, but I knew I wouldn't do it by myself, so after a month of begging and truly heart-wrenching pouty faces, I got my mom to agree to do it with me. After several weeks of running together, I realized I was actually enjoying myself, and I looked forward to our next run.
A workout buddy isn't just for runners, it applies to everything. Take a group to your Zumba class, or my personal favorite, have a dance-off with your friends on your JustDance game!
The point of a workout buddy is that they will hold you accountable. It's so much harder to skip a day when you have other people relying on you to show up. they also make for great support! You can talk about all your triumphs and failures without being judged, because they're going through the same things. Or you could just discuss at length that super cute guy on the treadmill next to you! ;)
2-DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
Another tip I scoffed at was buying cute workout clothes. I figured, I'm just going to sweat in them anyway, so why should I waste money on workout clothes? Ratty old PJs were doing the job just fine!Sure they were doing the job, but I felt sloppy, which didn't really make me want to work out. You'd think that feeling like Jabba the Hutt would REALLY motivate you to work out like a mad woman, but it just made me depressed.
Having cute workout clothes is great motivation. Think about it. When you have someplace to go, don't you just want to get there so much faster when you look fabulous? And, maybe more importantly, you won't get lost in your clothes, which frankly makes it harder to exercise. You try lifting weights while wearing a tent!
You can find good workout clothes pretty much everywhere. Mine are a mix of Target and goodwill. there's no need to spend big bucks on this stuff!
3-MAKE IT FUN
This seems rather obvious, but I wanted to add it to this list because it's true. When you have to go to work, you may often drag your feet and just, I don't know, not dance for joy! Especially in the snowy wintertime. But what about when you have a date, or you're going to something really fun! You can't wait! You've had your hair and makeup planned for weeks and your outfit, lovingly picked out days in advance, has been laying out on your dresser, so you can look at it whenever you want. It's sort of the same with workouts. If you hate what you're doing, you're not exactly going to arrive skipping at the gym, and eventually, you'll stop going at all. and why not? Getting fit isn't supposed to be torture or some form of cruel and unusual punishment!
A "fun" workout is going to be different for everyone. My dad really enjoys weight lifting, and all that "body building" stuff. I'm more of a dancer at heart, so I like Jumba, etc. Try a bunch of different things, and do what you like best! When you make it fun, exercising will truly become a stress reliever. 4-SHAKE IT UP
When you first start working out, you're body is gonna freak out and lose weight like crazy, especially if you didn't work out at all before. But eventually, you're going to level out, and start maintaining your weight. The best way to kick start your weight-loss again is to shake things up, surprise your muscles and make them do things they're not used to. This will also make your workouts less boring. A two-fer!
Another way to shake things up is to try something you wouldn't normally do. Instead of watching a workout video or spending an hour at the gym, try going for a hike, or surfing, or roller skating. Not for every workout, obviously, but just remember that these are actually workouts too!
5-CREATE A KILLER PLAYLIST
Nothing gets me moving like a good song, whether it's a Shakira song to make me move my hips, or "Eye of the Tiger" to get me to jump rope like a boss! There are websites in abundance full of song suggestions perfect fro running, cardio, or just motivation in general.
a suggestion for runners, I like to put songs like "Bad to the Bone" and Eye of the tiger" near the end of my run, just when I'm about to give up. I'm starting to slow down and wonder how bad it would be really if I only ran 2 miles instead of 2 1/2 miles, when I hear the first notes of "Bad to the Bone" (You know what I'm talking about!) and suddenly I feel like I could run forever! That song just makes me feel like such a beast lol! and if I play "Eye of the Tiger" last, I get to throw my fists in the air when I make it home, full on Rocky style! Bonus.
Pick songs that make you feel like you can do anything. Keep adding songs for as long as you want to work out(I suggest 45 minutes), press play, and don't stop till the music stops. Plus, listening to your favorite music will get your mind off how much you're arms are shaking when you're half way through your two minute plank, ya know what I'm sayin'?
Now, none of these things will actually drag your butt out of bed and actually give you abs like Bruce Lee. You'll still have to do that yourself. But I know that doing these things has made dragging myself out of bed every morning much more bearable, and you can't argue with results!
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