5 ways to get yourself to work out when you don’t want to
We’ve all been there. You swear this is going to be the day you are really going to go to the gym after work or wake up extra early and go on that run. But then something stops you. You remember there is an email you really need to send or some coworkers are doing a happy hour or you still need to watch the second season of Scandal. It is very easy to make excuses to get out of working out because when you think about it working out is really annoying. You have to change and then do annoying things to your body just so you can feel slightly better about eating a gallon of ice cream. But if you simply start thinking about the workout differently you will find yourself making less excuses to get out of it. Here are a few tips:
1. Make a friend go with you
If you and a friend make a promise to eachother to show up for the workout you are going to feel like an even big loser for skipping the workout and bailing on your friend. It is a win-win! Plus, it is fun to workout with a friend. Who would you rather sweat with?
2. Pay for it
We have found that paying for a class where you can’t get your money back is a great incentive. A gym membership is different because you can say you will go the next day or the next day. It doesn’t feel like you are actively losing money. But with a class, like say SoulCycle (which everyone should just try anyway because it is inspiring) you will literally waste money if you don’t go.
3. Do a short one
New studies show that even running for just 10 minutes of a day can increase life longevity. So tell yourself it is going to be short and not a big deal. You may soon find that you want to stay out longer and longer. Plus walking for 30 minutes a day can also reduce breast cancer risk.
4. Forget something you need
Leave important things at places so you have to go back. Leave your hairbrush at the gym or your phone in your office so you have to take the stairs back up. It would be stupid to go to the gym and not work out!
5. Make working out part of everything
A great way to just workout more without even realize is to just incorporate it into your everyday thing. Busy career gal Maria Menounos has tons of tips on this in her new book The Everygirl’s Guide to Diet and Fitness (which we can say is the perfect book for people who don’t usually buy diet and fitness books). She suggests getting a pedometer and hitting those step goals. Or always take the stairs and carry things to simulate weight lifting. She told Shape Magazine, “there will be times when you can’t fit in exercise, so you have to figure out a way to make it work. One way I do it is something I’ve coined “convenience conditioning.” I make sure I’m getting in my workout throughout the day. When I’m in the office, I’m not sauntering from spot to spot, I’m speed walking. I’m always moving, which is why I’m able to maintain my figure without being a gym rat.”
