Reasons To Do It

As is typical with a Monday workout, all my grandiose intentions in the earlier part of the day seemed unattainable once I actually plugged my earbuds in and started my workout on the elliptical today.  Sundays I rarely workout so on Monday I like to get in some good, sweaty cardio.  However, the coffee energy burst of earlier in the day had left me, ironically right before my workout, and I now just felt sluggish and lethargic. My music wasn't helping, the latest Kardashian antics in US Weekly weren't helping, looking out the window at the scenic Cape Fear River didn't do anything for me.  I flounced along slowly, hating every slow ticking minute, and willed myself to get with it.  In order to inspire/distract myself, I decided to make a list of why I should be doing the exercise that I was currently doing and started to tell myself:

• Do it to get ready for summer.
• Do it for your health.
• Do it because of those cheese nips you ate yesterday afternoon.
• Do it because of the good warm feeling you have after a workout.
• Do it for that pair of jeans in the back of the closet you're just about fitting into.
• Do it for that pile of too big clothes you don't fit into anymore.
• Do it because you're not happy unless you can wring out your shirt.
• Do it for that giddy feeling you always get from working out.
• Do it because it makes you feel like a rock star.
• Do it because listening to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" always makes you feel like you can accomplish anything.
• Do it for the good feeling in your lungs.
• Do it because a healthier you benefits everyone you love.
• Do it because you're committed.
• Do it because you like it.
• Do it because at one time you couldn't.

It worked.  I did the elliptical (which at one time I hated and literally couldn't last one minute on) for longer and faster than I've ever done and when I got off of it, I was sweaty and kinda walking in circles. Basically just the way I like it!