A Little Motivation…

Here in France I work out at home, using my lifesaving Bodylastics tension bands for strength training and the Aubagne paths for cardio.  The past few days have been seriously cold, and finding the motivation to enter into the sub zero air and make a run for it has been difficult.  As you know, I feed off the energy that good cardio gives me, so these treks are a must, whether the sun is shining, or not.

Yesterday, as I was jogging through slush worn by tire tracks, my toes a little numb, and my hands tucked into gloves to keep my fingers from freezing, I began to transform.  Transform from the girl just trying to fight the frosty air into someone on fire, alive with heart-pumping endorphins.

Transitioning from the anticipatory pre-run inside my warm villa to the moment in my jog where I wonder why I procrastinated in the first place takes a lot of mental power, and can prevent us from even attempting the leap.  I know this winter I am not alone here.  Whether it is the fear of the cold or the drive to the gym that weighs you down, here are some mental tricks that I use to motivate my cardio hungry mind…

1. No Pain, No Gain.  I know it is the cliché workout mantra, but being in shape takes work, that is why not everyone has a great ass.  What separates you from the rest of the folks is that powerful strength you possess inside you to work hard. Feed on that strength.

2. Think Ahead.  Place yourself post work out, back in your home, making that protein shake, and imagine how amazing you feel.  Now, think about how you would feel if you didn’t workout; tired, lazy, and unaccomplished.

3. Demand Some ME Time: Think of your workout as the one moment in the day that you reserve for YOU.  This is your time, and are you going to let something or someone get in the way?  While you workout, use the time as a reflection period.  I love to write while I do cardio; I don’t always remember all of my ideas, but it keeps my mind occupied and focused on ME.

5. Reward Yourself: When you constantly workout your body becomes a calorie burning machine.  Continue to eat right, but know that because you braved the elements for that run, you can afford an extra glass of wine tonight!

If none of these mental exercises can pump you up for that workout, there is one other trick that I use from time to time, when I REALLY need some extra motivation.  Just fish out one of the thousands of Victoria Secret catalogues you have collecting dust on your coffee table and browse through the pages.  If the uber fit models showing off their bikini bodies doesn’t serve as a little motivation, I don’t know what will!

Love Rach

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 4:20 am and is filed under Thoughts and tagged with cardio motivation, exercise motivation, workout motivation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.