It's Called a Workout for a Reason

It pains me to admit this because I don't like to admit to imperfections but I have been struggling a little bit this week with motivation.  It happens to the best of us.  There are a few things that I am trying to keep in mind that help boost my energy or at least get me to the gym.

1.  It's called a workout for a reason.  It's not a lounge-out.  It's not a rest-out.  It's a WORK-out.  It should be hard.  If an exercise is not really a challenge, then you are probably not exercising correctly.  I'm not saying that you should start lifting 300 pounds, but you should be sweaty.  You should be out of breath.  It's good to reach muscle failure.  It's good to think you can't run one second longer.  You are working it out and that's the whole point.  It's not bad for you to struggle with any one particular exercise.  It means you need to work on it.  Eventually you will get better and you'll forget that you ever struggled with it in the first place.

• Confession Time:  I might have gotten near tears today at my inability to do a real push-up.  That is totally embarrassing to admit.  But you know what?  That's not gonna stop me.  It just means that on Friday, I'm going to work on it.  And again next week and the week after that.  And eventually, I'm gonna be a push-up queen.  But that won't happen if I don't take the challenge head-on.  I love me a good challenge.

2.  If you can do 10 reps, you can do 12.  It's only two more reps.  If you can run for 20 minutes, you can run for 25.  You. Can. Do. It.

3.  If you think that you can't do something, you are probably right.  Conversely, if you think you CAN do something, again, you are probably right.  Mind over matter.

4.  It's not about being excited to workout every single day.  I would be lying if I said that I wanted to go to the gym every day.  Granted, I typically do enjoy my workouts but like I said, everyone struggles with motivation every now and then.  It's about knowing that you need to exercise regardless of whether it's fun or not.  It's part of living and breathing.  It's part of being healthy.  Some days you'll enjoy it and some days you won't, but you still do it regardless.  Some days you want to go to work.  Some days you don't.  But you still go to work.  You might not enjoy taking the trash out, but you still do it anyway.  You may not want to exercise, but you do it anyway.

Hopefully this helps anyone else out there who is currently struggling with motivation.  I know it helps me to think about these things and to throw it out there.

Peas and Love Fitness Lovers (and Haters)

Erica