When you don’t feel like working out you will think of anything to justify not getting that sweat on. Trust me on this one! If that does happen from time to time so be it. Rest days (both physical and mental) are necessary. Not just necessary but vital to your overall health and well-being. On the flip side when you know your mind is searching for excuses to go straight for the wine without first busting out some reps then keep reading. Below are my top 5 fitness tips to help you get up and get your booty moving. Believe me wine (margaritas, tacos…) tastes better when you’ve earned it!

1. Imagine how you will feel if you don’t work out

The mind is both our best friend and worst enemy. In the case of trying to convince ourselves not to work out the best antidote to the negative thoughts is envisioning how you will feel if you don’t. Here I’ll give you a second-ok done? Now imagine the toxins sweating out of your body, fat being burned, muscle being built, and the euphoric feeling you get after a serious workout session. Heck imagine Ryan Gosling washing your car in a speedo if that will get you moving.

2. Get dressed

What you wear informs how you feel. Don’t feel like working out? Put your work out clothes on immediately! Once you have made the effort to change it makes it harder for your mind to convince you to skip your workout. If you hit the gym, run, spin, etc. first thing in the morning then after you throw the alarm clock across the room (maybe that’s just me) slap the sneakers on before your brain tries to convince you otherwise and you attempt to get a few more minutes of shut-eye. If you save the sweat session for after work, bring your clothes to work with you in a gym bag so you won’t feel the pull to drive straight home at the end of the work day.

3. Musica!

Music affects our minds and bodies in various ways:

It’s no secret music evokes an array of emotions. In the same vein music can elevate us,

Music distracts you from pain and fatigue, elevates mood, increases endurance, reduces perceived effort and may even promote metabolic efficiency. When listening to music, people run farther, bike longer and swim faster than usual-often without realizing it.





*In a 2012 review of the research, Costas Karageorghis of Brunel University in London, one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of exercise music, wrote that one could think of music as “a type of legal performance-enhancing drug.”

4. Remember who you are doing this for

Ultimately you are doing this for yourself, right? Wrong! Ok well not wrong, yes, it is important to get fit for the sake of your health and an all around better more well-rounded life, but take a step outside of yourself. Around you there are friends, family, and fur babies relying on you. Not just relying but ultimately needing you in their life. You owe it to them. Period. Ok so not period but it’s important to think of the big picture..I’ll explain where this comes from:

I was walking my dogs in my neighborhood a few years back and ran into a woman walking a golden retriever whom I didn’t recognize. Our dogs wanted to meet so we ended up chatting for a bit. Fast forward to why she wasn’t familiar-in her words “she just didn’t have it in her to walk her dog on a regular basis”. She was young, no physical ailments, just wasn’t motivated to take a walk when she got home from work. My heart broke a little for her and her dog. It’ imperative for dogs to walk every day regardless of whether or not they live in a home with a yard. Walking your dog exercises their minds, bodies, and strengthens your bond. And for her, I just thought of how much more enjoyable and fulfilling her life could be. I never forgot this encounter it part of what motivated me to start this blog. If I can motivate just one person to change their life for the better then it’s all worth it.

5. Reward yourself with shopping (or whatever soothes your soul)!

I am one of those that spends the majority of my day in my workout clothes, it’s actually a problem as my regular wardrobe is lacking which is why my mind went to shopping-more workout clothes (See. Problem)! Ultimately what I enjoy rewarding myself with the most these days is Cryotherapy. It’s not the cheapest habit but I can’t say enough about how well I feel after a session. Because it is on the more expensive side I use it as a bit of a more long-term motivational tool. The same can be applied to shopping or whatever inspires you to sweat. Let’s face it you’ll go broke if you hit the stores after every workout that happened begrudgingly. Long term rewards are a good way to help keep you accountable over an extended period of time.

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