I have always wondered that when it comes to working out and training why people are always filled with excuses. “I don’t have time”, “it hurts”, “I am just too lazy”. We constantly face other challenges in life, some that are much harder, more painful and more time consuming that working out, and we seem to embrace them. What makes working out so different? We are constantly looking for a reason not to do it, but why?
It is proven that people who exercise are actually happier, more confident, and able to tackle each day with renewed strength. The health benefits are endless when one person makes a commitment to themselves and starts to exercise on a regular basis.

So would it not make sense that we would want to spend an extra hour a day working out versus lying on the couch? Maybe we need to change our mindset from “ugh I just don’t feel like it” to more of a “I will feel great after this workout.” Our minds are a powerful tool and can turn positive thoughts into negative ones in an instant. If you focus on the negative, you can only expect one result – a negative one. When you wake up and start motivating yourself right away for your workout later that day, the process becomes more exciting and you look forward to that opportunity to exercise.

Here’s something that I was told once, and I have never forgotten it. We shouldn’t exercise because we feel that we need to, because this then becomes a chore, another household item that gets pushed down the list. We should, however, exercise because we CAN! We are physically able to exercise. We can walk, run, raise our arms above our heads, and do just about anything we want to do. One day, we might not be able to perform these simple tasks. It will be at that point that you will say to yourself, “I wish I could walk…run…lift weights…exercise…and MOVE”. It is time to take advantage of this amazing thing that we tend to take for granted – movement!

If that isn’t enough to help motivate you, then find a workout partner or a personal trainer that can help push you forward so that you will look forward to your workout and be THANKFUL that you can MOVE! Set yourself goals and challenges instead of mindlessly working out. Give yourself a purpose with an end goal and you would be surprised about how much more you will enjoy your workouts because each time you reach a milestone you feel on top of the world.

Give it a try…What do you have to lose?