Do you ever have those days where you just can’t face exercise? You know it will result in a release of endorphins..you know you’ll feel like a million bucks afterwards…you know you’ll regret skipping it…yeah yeah you know it all yet you sit there thinking ‘screw it’.
That was me this morning whilst I was lying in bed. Don’t get me wrong- Generally I do love to exercise but sometimes even ironing can seem more appealing. Had you heard the negotiations going on in my head this morning, you would think I was Obama trying to handle the threats of the 9/11 Koran burning. Embarrassingly no…it was more along the lines of ‘if you go for a run, you can do nothing all day without feeling unproductive’ versus ‘if you rest today, you’ll have a better session tomorrow’. Needless to say, I took one for the team and went for a quick 30-minute run. That was all I physically and mentally had to give.
Of course exercise requires physical strength. But I think we tend to forget about the mental strength required to help us get through our sessions and keep us motivated. Mustering up enough mental strength is sometimes all it takes to power through and to keep your legs moving. Just keep reminding yourself why you’re doing it and if that fails, get creative (or plain ol’ random).
During workouts like this, I need to keep my mind occupied to avoid clock-watching. No joke,my mind has the ability to wander faster than that of a kid with A.D.D. Some of my sessions have included:
-daydreaming about a scenario(s) which I would love to turn into reality
-counting the number of vegetables my last meal included
-appreciating how blessed I am to even have the option & capability to run
-attempting to list the different states in the US
-pairing up various items of clothing in my closet
-absolutely zilch. Sometimes it’s nice to just zone out and at the risk of sounding like my mom, appreciate the beauty of nature
Nike says it best..JUST DO IT..the more you think about it, the more likely you’ll come up with an excuse ‘good enough’. Chances are that you’ll want to continue once you start. And if that’s not the case, at least no one can accuse you of not trying :).