WAY TOO COLD - there's just no way...

TOO TIRED
TOO EARLY
NO TIME
TOO LATE
TOO EXPENSIVE
WAY TOO BUSY
DON'T LIKE GYMS - IT'S NASTY
EMBARRASSING, IM TOO FAT
TOO HARD
TOO EASY
WASTE OF TIME
I HAVE NO ONE TO GO WITH
TOO FAR
I'LL JUST QUIT ANYWAY
IT'S BORING
MY BACK HURTS
MY FEET HURTS
MY KNEES HURT
I HAVE ARTHRITIS
I DON'T WANT TO GET BULKY
THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH WORK
I HAVE MY PERIOD
I'LL JUST GAIN ALL THE WEIGHT BACK ANYWAY
IM TOO OLD
I DON'T NEED TO WORKOUT

Did I cover it all? Bottom line is... You know you need to exercise and it is good for you. So why not do it? There is always something for everybody. You don't have to go to the gym or spend lots of cash on equipment or clothes or anything. Just walk around the block with your dog... After a few days, make that a jog around the block... Then make it two blocks... Three blocks... Don't want to go outside? Stay indoors and dance around... Don't like to dance? Do some stretching, yoga, pilates in your room. Have Comcast cable? Go to the on demand option and find something you want to do... Just move!

Look, you know these are excuses. Even my dad who has a metal plate on his spine makes these excuses but knows, he has to exercise... so he goes to the mall - it's warm, it's indoors, he's not racing with anyone, but does about 2-3 laps around the entire mall for exercise. Doesn't help that when I go with him we share an Auntie Anne pretzel after the walk... But that's a different story. ;)

This week alone, I found myself - TWICE...trying to make excuses not to come to class. But just as I was making those excuses, I've trained my brain and myself to make exercise part of my schedule. It's a routine. I bring my workout clothes to work, and after work, before I even get in my car, I put my workout clothes on. Depending on traffic, I usually find myself a little early to class... And very tired from work and from the commute. But I have my clothes on, I park the car in front of the dance studio and I take a quick power nap while waiting for class to start. I was careful to turn my alarm clock on just in case I doze to a deep sleep. Yes, I'm that tired... But I give myself NO EXCUSE to not exercise. I'm there, I'm dressed, ready or not... I drag myself in there 10 minutes before class starts. I'm groggy, half asleep... But as soon as that music starts, I'm left with no choice but to dance. 3 minutes in, I'm up, awake, smiling, heart pumping, laughing, and 100% of the time, I leave happy. That is why I give myself no room for excuses. I know that at the end of this whole dramatic ordeal of a day and no matter how crappy and tough it may have been to get my ass over to this place... I end up always feeling 100% better than when I first started. The key: I don't go home for any reason before working out. Because i know that if i go home, I'm not going back out.

Look, you do what you want with your body but also know that you must do what can for your it. And you know how much more you can do if you just push yourself harder. Don't be afraid to try. Don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid of a little pain. It will go away and you will find out how strong, and how much stronger you can really get. For me, that is the exciting part. I'm in competition with only myself... And nothing can bring me down but myself. And if I want ME to win, I have to be the much better me and not listen to the old ME that had all the excuses. :)

Getting up now, it's Saturday morning and no excuse... It's freezing outside, but I know it will only take 1 minute to warm my body up and 3 minutes to get me sweating in Eduardo's class. Woot woot!!!