It's the weekend after Thanksgiving and I think I am probably not the only person who currently feels a little too full, a little too lazy, and a little too fat to work out.
To be honest, I'm one of those people that always has a gym membership and never enough time, motivation or energy to actually make it to the gym. I know, I know: I'm spending tons of money each month and barely dragging myself to work out once a week.
Lately, though, I've started to be better about it–so much so that I have a few golden nuggets of advice on what to do if YOU are feeling too tired to get to the gym today but still want to do what you know is best for your health.
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1. Have a healthy snack just before: If I'm planning to work out after work, I know what's going to happen around 4 p.m.: I'm going to start feeling REALLY tired and not wanting to go anymore. Instead, though, I have a healthy snack full of protein (typically a Greek yogurt or a handful of nuts) and that perks me right up! By the time 6pm rolls around, I'm back on the energy wagon and ready to go.
2. Make your friend come along: Yes, this is something you've probably heard before but it's a tried-and-true standard because it REALLY works! I usually make it a point to drag a friend with me once a week. It's great because it allows me to catch up with my friend AND get a workout in that's good for both of us. Plus, the time flies by since I'm busy having fun, so I typically end up working out 15 minutes longer!
3. Plan to go during your lunch break: I know a lot of people who work out first thing in the morning. Here's my answer to them: but what about sleep? As we learned recently, missing out on sleep is one of the worst things you can do to your body, which is exactly why working out mid-day (when I still have energy and motivation!) is my favorite thing. You won't BELIEVE your work productivity afterward, too!
4. Schedule in a fun exercise class: Whenever I'm feeling really groggy and just don't want to go to the gym in any way, shape or form, I always make it a point to see what exercise classes they have that day. More often than not, I end up finding out that they have something REALLY fun, like Zumba or a ballet-style dance workout. Since those tend to be my favorite, my motivation is back tenfold. Try it!
5. Tell yourself to JUST GO ALREADY! This one is harder than the rest, but sometimes you just have to give yourself some tough love. This isn't necessarily going to work every single time, but sometimes you just have to kick yourself in the bum and force yourself to go. I know, I hate myself SO much when I do this–but I always try to remind myself how good I feel after the work out. Just DO IT already!
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