no excuses

i woke up this morning at 5:30am to "sexual healing" playing into my ear from beside my pillow...that's right, my cell phone alarm wakes me up with Marvin Gaye.  love it.

i rolled over to see my pup sleeping soundly beside me, aside from a momentary whining as if to say "turn that darn music off, can't you see i'm trying to sleep?"  yeah, buddy.  i was exhausted, too. wanting nothing more than to curl back up beside him and hit the snooze button another 5...or, let's be real, 10...times, i began my ritual morning debate in the dark of my bedroom.

to gym it, or not to gym it?

an extra hour of sleep has got to be good for me, right?  my puppy Needs me to keep him company for a little while longer.  can't let the little guy get lonely.  if only not to create in him a sense of abandonment, is it not my duty to stay in this warm bed?

my rational self begins to take over at this point.  i recall all the benefits of morning workouts that cannot be denied.  my metabolism will get a nice boost for the rest of the day.  i'm more likely to go to the gym if i get it over-with at the onset.  wouldn't my pup really prefer a nice long afternoon walk rather than a sleepy bedside companion?  i'll be more productive at work.  and, most of all...

an hour of exercise leaves me more awake and alert during the day than an extra hour of sleep.

and so i have no excuse.  my gym bag, having been packed the evening before, is hefted onto my sleepy shoulders and i begrudgingly slip on my gym shoes.  the day has begun.

in my (ever so humble) opinion, none of us has an excuse not to get our bums to the gym every day.  in my case, i know i am much more apt to get there if i do it earlier rather than later.  work ends and all i really want is to relax on the couch.

i am fortunate to have a gym membership at a fine establishment located just down the street from my office.  for those that do not share this same convenience, i still see no excuse in your case.  take a nice long morning walk.  it's not too hot at that point.  raining?  it costs $5 to buy an at-home workout video.  get one, and get movin'.

being too tired, although tempting, is just not an excuse.  workouts wake you up.  workouts tap energy within you that would stay dormant otherwise.  endorphins released in workouts boost your mood.  don't the innocent victims of your pre-coffee mornings deserve for you to at least make an attempt at taking the edge off?  exercise makes you more productive at work, and promotes better sleep at night.  think about it this way: would you prefer to have 9 hours of mediocre sleep, or 8 hours of high quality Zzz time?

for some of you, your attempt at an excuse may be legit - you work early hours, you have morning responsibilities which take priority over your personal fitness.  no dice.  go to bed and wake up earlier.  if you are waking up at 5am, 4am isn't going to kill you.  or, the alternative - the dreaded afternoon workout.

in all sincerity, afternoon workouts are not the hell they may at first seem to be.  if you can workout in view of a television, you're sure to find more appealing multimedia distraction to help pull you through your cardio.  there are more people to watch at the gym, and you don't have to worry about cleaning up after you sweat your pants off.

my personal favorite of all advantages afternoon workouts provide: it enhances the quality of my after-work hours.  i don't feel as if i'm totally spent from a day at the office.  i am distracted from mindless snacking before dinner.  i have time to plan what i actually want to do for dinner, and i am less likely to negate the benefits of my calorie-burn by choosing an unhealthy option.  i worked hard for that sweat!

there's nothing like a cold beer or a perfect glass of wine paired with the satisfaction that i've already done my body good.  cheers.