What to Do When You Just Don't Feel Like Exercising

To say that this post was inspired is an understatement.  I woke up this morning and just couldn't find my exercising mojo.  It happens sometimes--lots in the beginning when the routine is new and you're questioning your committment, but less as time rolls on and you've got your workout shoes where you have to trip over them to get out of bed (a big problem if you drank too much water before going to bed.)  You have to expect to have a few days here and there where you're just unable to channel your inner LMFAO and party rock at six in the morning.

So what do you do?  Well, you don't turn off the alarm clock and vow to do better tomorrow.  Believe me, when you start doing that you'll find that sleep-in days begin to outnumber workout days until you're back at square one.  If you've been exercising with any frequency for more than a week, then you really don't want to have to start over.  Here's what you can do.

1.  Exercise, but only halfway.  Cut your workout time in half, but still attack it like you would any other day.  Push to get the same reps, at the same speed as normal then enjoy a longer shower without guilt.

2.  Exercise slowly.  Maybe you just need to take it slower.  Do half the reps, or run at half the speed of normal.  Concentrate on doing the moves more perfectly without the pressure of keeping a normal pace.  This is a great trick for making a routine feel new again.

3.  Adjust your playlist.  Sometimes you just need different tunes.  Try exercising to something unexpected like Adelle or Classical music. 

4.  Take a walk.  Yeah, I know that I told you walking on the treadmill while watching "The View" wasn't going to do a thing to your butt.  It still won't, but every once in a while you're allowed to take the slow lane.  Maybe watching the interview with that cute bad-boy from "The Vampire Diaries" is just what you need to re-commit to your goals.  I know, I never watch that show either.

5.  Don't beat yourself up.  It's hard for women to admit weaknesses.  We take care of sick kids while we're sick.  We stay up late working on projects that are "due tomorrow."  Because we keep going all the time, we're frustrated when we can't exercise at a constant pace.  You're going to have "off" days when you're extra-tired, are dealing with unusual stresses, or your hormones are doing somersaults.  But if you have more days when you're feeling sluggish than when you're feeling good, it's time to take a look at your diet and possibly check with your doctor to make sure that the tiredness isn't a symptom of a medical condition.

Next time the alarm goes off and you're tempted to go back to sleep, remember that you're worth spending some time on. My workout is generally the only time of the day that's just for me.  That fact alone pushes me out of bed, even when I don't feel like it.

Do you have other tips?  Please share them!