Make Working Out Your New Favorite!

So, I love the movie Elf. Who doesn’t right? It is the best. One of my favorite quotes from the movie comes from this part…

This morning I had this line running through my head…for who knows what reason…except I just kept hearing the words, “Make working-out your new favorite.” So…that is my advice to you. Now, I know that many people will throw the following rebuttals at me…I want to be in shape/lose weight/look better/feel better…BUT…I hate getting sweaty…Working out is hard…I get bored so easily…I don’t know what to do…I am just not a runner…I don’t have time…and on, and on, and on. Believe you me, I can quite honestly say I’ve heard just about every excuse in the book. Guess what? The truth is, in the end all of those excuses aren’t going to do much for you. You get what you put in people. That is the bottom line. So, my advice once again is to Make working out your new favorite!

What does that mean? People ask me all the time if I get sick of working out. I guess I would have to say that yes, sometimes I get burnt out. I work out every day but Sunday with the exception of being sick, and an occasional day on vacation or with family. I consider working out part of my job. Not working out is a non-option. Believe me, if I wanted to find an excuse as to why I didn’t want to or “couldn’t” work out every day I could do it. If we look for a reason not to work out, we’ll find it. Every day I work out may not be the most killer, bust my butt, sweating buckets workout, but it is SOMETHING. The fact that I workout every day because I consider it a part of my job is only one of the reasons I do it. The list of reasons why I do so is actually quite lengthy…I feel better, I look better, it is my sanity/stress relief, it gives me an excuse to watch my favorite TV shows ;), it keeps me healthy & happy, it helps me accomplish goals, it can be a fun social outlet, it makes me feel capable, I actually do think it’s fun…etc. etc. etc.

Part of the reason I feel like I don’t get quite as burnt out as others is because I switch up what I am doing all the time. I love finding new fun and creative ways to burn calories. Just because I like to do things  a certain way, or your neighbor loves to run, or your sister could jump rope for hours doesn’t mean you will love to or have to do the same. In order to make working out your new favorite, you need to find what works for you. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it. KEEP IN MIND…pushing yourself to do new things or reach new goals is not always going to be fun, comfortable, and sweat-free. However, the benefits you’ll get from pushing yourself are well worth it! I dare you to try make working out a habit of yours. If you do something enough to make it a part of your routine, you just may start to feel ok about it. You may even begin to like it. Remember that being active doesn’t have to mean you are stuck on a treadmill, take your workout to the mountains, ride bikes with your kids, challenge your husband to a game of tennis, go skiing…you get it.

One more thing. For some reason, people seem to have a strange mindset that eventually they will get to a point where they don’t have to work out anymore. As if they will reach a point where they like the way they look and feel, and then they will never have to work out again. Hahahahahaa…HA. That isn’t quite how it works. The truth is, if you want to look and feel good…you are going to have to care about it forever, so why not start now? Just a thought.

Make working out your new favorite.