WWW: 5 More Minutes Mom!

You have no idea how tired I am. I can’t wait to go home and go sleep. I can handle sleeping in and missing this morning’s workout. Let the excuses roll. We’re all tired. We never stop. So how do we combat our tiredness?

Let’s start with a little science lesson. I’m sure if you went to any sort of high school or middle school you have heard of Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion. Well, if you can’t jog your memory for it let me state it for you: 

"a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force. 

Awesome, sooooo what does that do with fitness and me being tired? Well, I’m so glad you asked! Have you ever thought that you were too tired to work out because you haven’t moved?

Let’s face it, if I’m tired after a long day of work, I don’t want to go home and sleep. I want to go sit down on the couch and cuddle with my fiancé and adorable puppy and watch TV. That’s not being tired. That’s being lazy. And if I stop and watch TV, honestly, I’m not getting back up to go work out. But, if I go straight from work and battle my tiredness, I get it done and then go home and actually sleep. So, if I go home to my comfy couch, my body is the body that will remain at rest until some outside force acts upon it. And let’s be honest, it has to take a gigantic outside force!

So instead of unwinding on the couch, go workout. Many studies even show that working out actually fills up the physical and mental fuel tanks. It’s a fantastic way to release stress and endorphins. It also helps you to go to sleep faster, easier, and stay asleep longer. Plus, if you’re grumpy from the long day at work, those endorphins will help make you a lot happier.

So if you work out after work, don’t give yourself any excuses, go straight from work. I take my workout clothes with me, because if I go home and change, I see that couch. Boy does it look good. Or I’ll see the dishes full in the sink that need to be done or the laundry in my floor that needs to be folded and put away. Plus, if I come home, I’ll eat, get full, and not want to go move and workout. But if I go straight from work, then I can cross it off my list and finish my day with whatever needs to be done.

If you work out in the morning before your various activities, allow yourself enough time to get done what you need to do in the gym (or at home) so that you’re not rushing around and are stressed out trying to squish it all in. For me, rushing puts me in an anxious stressful mood. So, I set my alarm early, prepare myself mentally and physically for the gym, gather my shower stuff and clothes, and head out to start my day. Usually if I am working out in the morning, it’s because I can’t at night. Therefore, I have to get up and get it done.

Whatever works for you, keep that body in motion until you are done and can remain at rest for the night. Apply a little science to your day and go Endu!