6 Ways To Shake Your Workout Blues

If you love to workout, an hour a day, each day of the week- you are a rare breed- or you are lying to yourself. Not to say you don't like to workout, but there are days where even the toughest workout warriors struggle. How to get past this feeling? Here are my Top 5 Ways to Shake Your Workout Blues:

1. Do Your Routine Backwards: If you have a set routine in the gym that you have been doing now for a few weeks, and you are almost about to jump to a new one- before you do, you can flip your routine up and do it backwards as long as you are still focusing on some big muscle groups first. It will give you the same benefits as your original program, but mentally, it will challenge you a bit more.

2. State Your Goal: If you don't have something to work toward (goal-wise), your means of getting there will be unfocused and unclear. You need to have a REASON for working out- whether it be to stay healthy, to do 5 pull ups, or to get into your size 6 jeans. If you don't have a goal, you will not have a plan- and, you are setting yourself up for failure.

3. Set An Appointment with a Friend: If you have a workout buddy, you are less likely to cancel.

4. On Your "Days Off", do something that is active, yet fun: Since it is summertime, you can take advantage of going out in the sunshine to do some activities that are still beneficial health-wise, and will work you out without going to the gym EVERYDAY. Some examples of this would be: rollerblading, swimming with your kids in the ocean, hiking in the local mountains, take a walk at sunrise before it gets too hot, or set up a "race" at the park and get your kids (or the local kids on your block) to take part in neighborhood relays- that way, your kids can brag that their mom/dad is still in-shape and just the "coolest."

5. Buy a New Outfit: What better way to look forward to a workout than to buy some new sexy workout clothes? If you are not feeling sexy on the outside, good chance you are not going to portray this through your workout- and, end result: your body will not be that sexy thing you desire it to be. Go out and dress yourself up in some new digs. You will soon become the envy of all of your workout buddies!

Last but not least...

6. Update your IPOD with some new Tunes: This is one of the best ways to get motivated for a workout- some new music. Every two months, I will buy some new tunes, and trust me- I not only look forward to my workouts, but I am energized and have lots of fun.

Get out there now and train- NO EXCUSES!