How to Motivate Yourself to Get to the Gym

 So proud I had to snap a photo of my workout summary

I know I don't normally talk about fitness on my blog, a snippet here and there but not frequently, however, I had one of the best workouts of my life the other day and I wanted to share why.

As I was finishing up my work day, I was really unmotivated and did not want to go to the gym (again/as per usual). I told myself that I was going whether I liked it or not because I needed the workout.  I didn't have a gym partner, I wasn't really motivated by the idea of going running or going on the eliptical, or doing a body rock TV workout.  I simply just did not want to go.

So as I am leaving and walking in my car from work, a thought was sparked in my mind as I stepped out into the cool, winter air; it feels good to move. I've been sitting all day long. Then I started thinking about how fortunate I am that I can move.  I can walk, I'm not in a wheelchair, I'm so lucky and yet I'm so unmotivated to go to the gym and move my body when I've been sitting all day.  'Like, how much lazier can you get?' I said to myself.  Just then, I decided to take advantage of this fact, the fact that I can move; I'm so blessed!  I told myself I would just do a light workout and at least I'll feel better and I will have moved my body and gotten some sort of activity after sitting for eight hours straight.

And do you know what happened next? I got to the gym and I had the best workout of my life.  I have never run for so long or so fast; my previous record was right was running for 18 minutes straight (which honestly, is huge for me, I don't consider myself a runner and I was literally doing the dance of joy afterwards as I was so proud) and that took place in the late summer.  Before that, I had run 11 minutes straight a month or two prior, and before that I never ran longer than three or four minutes because I do interval training (one minute walk, one minute jog, one minute run, one minute sprint & repeat).  All that to say, running 27 minutes is absolutely amazing for me.

About six months ago, when I was doing my monthly resolutions, I had resolved to run for 1km without stopping.  In the same month I manage to run for 2km without stopping, which is a great great feat in my head.  But the other day, I squashed that record and more than doubled it as I ran at least 5km.  

A simple thought the other day turned into a brain explosion as I walked to my car.  We often forget how grateful we should be, something as 'simple' as going to the gym and having the ability to move could be something someone wishes they could do.  For me, it's easy.  That alone gave me the motivation to push myself, to get my butt to the gym, and to kill it.  

What do you do to motivate yourself to get to the gym?

 

My training that day:

Warm up:  3 minutes at 4mph

Run:  27 minutes alternating between 5.5mph, 6.5mph, 7.0mph, 7.5mph & 8.0mph

Average running speed:  6.8mph (shocking!)

Cool down: 5 minutes at 3.0mph and lowering by the minute

Total time:  35 minutes

Distance:  3.57miles (5.7km)

Calories burned: 400 (I walked for another minute to hit the 400 mark, what a goal!)

Sidenote:  I know, I know, many of you are runners and perhaps you have run a 5km, a half marathon or even a marathon.  That is in-credible!  I tip my hat to you to the third degree!