Working it out

With Mike's mom in town as well as other excuses, I've been away from the gym for about a month or so which makes me feel like such a slug.  I aim to go three days a week & feel so much better when I do, but I've been so bad about going lately.  Part of the problem is the ungodly early morning workout time I chose.  I'd call myself a morning person, but not the 5am kind, more like the 7am kind!  

The past two weeks I was having Grammy drop me off at work at 7am & pick me up at 3:30 so she could have the car to do as she pleased while I worked.  I really liked getting out at 3:30 & having so much more of the day left so I decided to keep it up & hit the gym after work now that Grammy has left.  Luckily Mike was supportive of the decision since he's now the one that will be dropping the kids off at daycare.  

Do you ever find yourself in a workout rut?  My problem is that I'm always coming up with excuses; I'm too tired, I have too much to do, I have cramps, it's too early, it's too late, I want to spend more time with the kids.  That last part is a big one for me since I already feel like I have so little time with them.  The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that I'll be a happier, more energetic mom if I do get to the gym.

So, I've come up with a list of ways to help me (or you) workout more consistently:

1) Pick a time that truly works for you.  This might take some tweaking, but this is the biggest deterrent for me.

2) Be prepared.  For me, this means packing my gym clothes/towel the night before so I can go straight from work.

3) Be realistic.  If you don't think you can feasibly go four times a week, don't vow to do that because chances are you'll get frustrated & just give it up all together.

4) Don't make excuses.  Tell yourself that come hell or high water, you will go to the gym.  After about five hours of sleep last night, I was so tired today that I seriously felt physically sick.  I had a mental battle throughout the day, but in the end I forced myself to go & now I feel so much better.

5) Do workouts that you truly enjoy.  If you loathe jogging, don't bother!  I'll drag myself onto the treadmill & do interval training for about ten to fifteen minutes & the constant changing of speeds & elevations help to mix things up.  Or I'll take a walk with Mike or the kids after work which is a good workout & de-stressor.

6) Listen to music or watch TV while you workout.  I find myself catching an episode of The Real Housewives or another show I like & workout even longer than I anticipated just so I can see more of the show.

7) Have a support system.  For me this is Mike.  I'm so, so thankful that he's been encouraging,  adaptable & willing to drop the kids & pick them up on the Tuesdays & Thursdays I plan to go.

 

Busyness is another big reason I convince myself not to hit the gym.  This week was particularly busy & I can barely believe that tomorrow is already Friday.  Monday Papa & Auntie Erika headed back to Chicago, next was Grammy on Tuesday night & finally our friend Evans went back this morning.  I've had two 5am drives to the airport this week!  While our handyman friend Evans was unexpectedly in town, he offered to install a new sink for us.  Our kitchen sink was in desperate need of replacing, so we've gradually been saving money & gift cards.  The installation alone was nearly $300 dollars which shocked me!

 

I'm in love & actually look forward to doing dishes (for the time being)!  Our old sink was a disaster functionally & cosmetically so I'm so thankful our friend was awesome enough to offer to install it!