By Laura Hickey
In today's world of rushing to our next appointment, doing more and often
times super sizing our meals, it can feel like there's no time or energy left to
work out. We may at the beginning of the New Year put in our resolutions what
we're like to work on such as gaining a 6 pack or losing extra weight in other
places. But by 2 or 3 weeks into the New Year, we may have lost the excitement
and energy we once had when we were writing these goals down. But there are some
easy ways to help yourself get back into keeping track of your work out.
Drink Water- Do you ever feel like you'd rather just sit on the couch or lay
in bed for hours after a hard day at work? Drinking more water, preferably when
you're not at work to avoid every 20 or so minute bathroom trips can help you
look and feel better. Not to mention it flushes out the toxins and leaves you
having more energy.
A log- Keeping a log of how many squats, crunches and or pounds will help
encourage yourself to move forward with your workout. You don't need a fancy log
book. A simple inexpensive notebook and pen or pencil will do the trick.
Friends- If you tell your friends or work out with one, you're more likely to
keep sticking to your goal. Not to mention your friend could be your cheerleader
when times are tough.
Reminders- Putting in one area such as your night stand isn't enough. The
saying of "Out of sight, out of mind" is very true. But if you leave little
reminders around the house, working out will constantly be in your mind thus
preventing forgetting what your workout plan for that day is.
Shake it out- Often times doing the same workout can become really boring. So
shake things up. Change what you do each day and also change your music. Perhaps
switch between your favorite radio stations and CDs. Besides being a good change
for you, it can also help your workout because your body isn't getting use to
the same routine.
The Look- Do you admire someone's body that is or isn't famous? Instead of
sucking it in or covering it up, post pictures of the one who admire around
where you work out for motivation.
Your workout doesn't have to stop there. Having self control when eating out
is a way of working out. Skip the chocolate cake that you know you'll regret
later and have some fresh fruit with yogurt. To ensure that your workout isn't
interrupting your workout, exercise 3-5 hours before you rest. Doing a last
minute workout can tighten the muscles as you sleep causing you to wake up to
a sore body. Having a positive attitude will make your workout go by faster
since you won't be in a mindset of hating the activity that you're doing.
What you need, when you need it