Know Why You Didn't Exercise Yesterday?

You didn’t have time.

You figured you’d do it today.

Something unexpected came up.

It was too cold outside.

None of that is true.

In reality, you decided that doing something else would feel better than exercise. That’s how our brains work. Relaxing, watching Netflix, lying on the couch, spending time on Facebook, or even going through some work emails seemed more alluring than exercise, which if you are doing it right, challenges you, makes you sweat and quite frankly is a lot of work.

You chose something else. And that’s fine.

But if you want to stick with your plan to exercise today, think about your last workout and recall how great it felt as you neared the end, how proud you were that you finished and take a moment to think about all the health benefits. Both accumulated stress and fat melt away. You detoxify.

Your body and your mind get stronger with each workout and with every step. Decision-making is easier. Your clothes fit better. You sleep better. You feel more alive and more confident.

And here’s one more thing: Absent an ice cream truck taking you out while running, you will likely live longer. In fact, the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that people who are physically active for about 150 minutes a week have a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who are physically inactive.

The science is clear, the benefits are there and they’re available to you in as little as 30 minutes.

Today.

Now.