My mom was here today watching my 5 month old twins (thank God for mom's) and she was on the fence about going to workout. She had a couple legitimate excuses, 1) she had an allergy flare up and her nose was dripping, 2) it's nearly impossible to leave my two little angels...because they are so darn cute. In the end, she ended up going to workout with the words "well I guess we will just see how it goes". Not exactly the words of enthusiasm her workout crazed child would prefer, but the fact of the matter is that she DID go workout. She didn't let her excuses get in the way of her intention.
If you find yourself needing a little nudge to get your workout going and would be thrilled to love doing it- here's my 5 step how to guide:
1) Set your intentions. If you know why you are going to workout, and you do it for a higher purpose (my mom is planning on staying 49 forever so she can live it up as long as possible), then you will be more likely to stick to it.
2) Tell someone else what you plan to do. When you go public with your intentions you will be much more likely to follow through, because, lets face it, it's easier to let ourselves down than to let others down or to let them think with aren't keeping up.
3) Put on your workout clothes and commit to 10 minutes. Even if you are feeling like working out is the last thing you want to do, if you simply get started, your energy will likely change, and after 10 minutes you will find you can easily do another 10 or 20.
4) Get a clear feeling or picture of how you will feel when the workout is over. Or better yet, how awful it feels to skip the workout when your head hits the pillow at night. It's amazing how doing something for yourself that is hard to do will lift your spirits and empower you to do even more when the workout is over. I call this dropping your body baggage, or letting go of the negative feelings you have when you beat yourself up for not doing enough. You won't have to even go there if you just get started!
5) If all else fails to commit to what you had planned, do something else. Get creative. Do a few runs up and down your stairs, pop out a few push-ups, read a magazine article while you do your plank, play your favorite dance tune and get jiggy with it...whatever it takes to just do something that makes you feel alive through movement.
Ultimately moving your body will release endorphins that will help you feel the love of the moment. Don't believe me? Watch a runner after a race who has reached a runners high, or a dancer after she or he as expressed themselves with their movement. Don't worry about how long, how intense, or how precise your workout is...just move, and love yourself thought it.