5 Ways to Excuse-Proof Your Workout

By Tina Haupert

It happens every year: Once the summer ends, I struggle to follow a consistent workout plan. The weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and the last thing I want to do is leave my warm, cozy bed to bundle up for an early-morning 3-mile run or a group exercise class at the gym. Most of the time I realize that I just need a little extra motivation, so I try to “excuse-proof” my workout with these ideas.

Excuse: I can’t get motivated in the morning
Morning workouts are not always fun, especially in the dead of winter. Still, they are a necessary evil when it comes to keeping myself on track. Exercising first thing in the morning guarantees that I get my workout in before my day gets carried away and excuses pop up. When I’m lying in bed debating whether to exercise or not, I count to three in my head and just get up. At first, I commit to doing just 15 minutes of exercise. Once I’m out the door, however, I get into my groove and almost always end up finishing my whole workout.

Excuse: I’m too tired to exercise after work
There’s a difference between being mentally tired and physically tired. Doing something physical actually helps me combat mental fatigue. After a late-day workout, I find that I can focus better! If reminding myself of this post-exercise bonus still doesn’t work, I boost my energy with a snack that’s rich in complex carbs and protein. Sometimes, having a cup of coffee about an hour before my workout helps too. Fueling my body gives me the energy to complete my workout when my motivation wanes in the afternoon.

Excuse: Exercising at home is my only option
Boring! Exercising at home can get repetitive. Still, when I just can’t make it out of the house, a plan of attack always helps get me off of the couch and in the right frame of mind to break a sweat. I create a workout schedule that details each of my workouts. One day I’ll utilize a dance DVD for cardio and on another day a magazine workout for strength training. If I plan it out ahead of time, I’m more likely to stick to it.

Excuse: The thought of 30 minutes on the cardio machine is slow torture
Sometimes, just thinking of going to the gym puts me in a bad mood. However, I’m lucky enough to be able to schedule my cardio sessions at the gym around my favorite TV shows, which gives me something to look forward to. Typically, I make sure to start my session about 10 to 15 minutes before the show starts, so I’m inspired to push my workout through the final minutes. I’m so engrossed in my show by that time that I don’t even notice the extra minutes and the time whizzes by.

Excuse: I don’t have time to exercise
Even scheduling a workout into my day doesn’t help on days when my to-do list gets overwhelming. Instead, I think “outside of the box” and figure out other ways to incorporate exercise into my day. My favorite strategy is to park my car near a shopping plaza or in a neighborhood where I can walk to do all of my errands. I kill two birds with one stone: I complete my errands and get a walking workout in for the day, leaving me feeling stress-free when I get home! (www.weightloss.health.com/photo: collegecandy.com)

Breastfeeding 'prevents baby infections,' research suggests

Exclusive breastfeeding for six months wards off baby infections, further evidence suggests.

Regardless of other factors, such as good healthcare and vaccination programmes, breastfeeding still gives babies a boost, say Greek researchers.

They say it is the composition of breast milk that helps babies fight infections.

The findings, from a study of 1,000 vaccinated infants, are published in Archives of Diseases in Childhood.

Researchers say the benefit only comes with exclusive breastfeeding - mixing breast and bottle will not achieve the same.

World experts already recommend that infants are exclusively breastfed for at least the first six months of life.

Natural boost

For the study, the researchers tracked the health of 926 infants for a period of 12 months, recording any common infections these babies had during their first year of life.

All the newborns were routinely vaccinated and had access to a high standard of healthcare.

Almost two-thirds of mothers were breastfeeding at one month, but this figure dropped to just under a fifth at six months.

Overall, 91 of the infants were exclusively breastfed for a full six months.

Subsequently, these infants had significantly fewer common infections during their first year of life than their peers who were either partially breastfed or not breastfed at all.

These included respiratory and ear infections, as well as thrush.

And the infections they did pick up were less severe, even after adjusting for other factors that might influence infection risk, such as number of siblings and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Professor Emmanouil Galanakis and his team say it is the composition of breast milk that explains their findings.

Breast milk contains antibodies passed from the mother, as well as other immunological and nutritional factors that help the baby fight off infections.

"Mothers should be advised by health professionals that, in addition to all the other benefits, exclusive breastfeeding helps prevent infections in babies and lessens the frequency and severity of infectious episodes," the researchers say.

Janet Fyle of the Royal College of Midwives said: "This research is very welcome and adds to the growing weight of evidence about the many benefits of breastfeeding.

"We know that breastfeeding is the default method of infant feeding for babies; good for mothers and good for the health of the nation. That is why we need to continue our efforts to ensure that we maintain a high rate of breastfeeding in the UK.

"The UK needs to see breastfeeding as a normal process, and to move away from some of the outdated and negative stigma that is depressingly still attached to it, specifically breastfeeding in public."

Photo: www.mumschool.com
Source: www.bbc.co.uk