ROSIE - Hello again cold dark mornings

Unless you live the life of luxury and can get up after the sun gets up, the inevitable has happened... it's cold, dark and probably miserable first thing now. Boo, this is when I get full of doom and winter has set in for me. It doesn't matter that actually it's been beautiful weather in the day, getting outside when it's dark in the morning is D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-N-G.

I tend to work out at 6 am in the morning as it's the only time Richard can be in to take care of Jack (I can't get motivated when he gets back from work). Either I go running or go to the gym at school (free). Running is fine as I take Jessie and a head torch and by the time I get going I haven't even thought about the weather, I quite like running in the rain actually. And Jessie is there to protect me from the dark. It's the gym that's the problem... as it's a school gym there aren't many other nutters who go at ridiculous-o'clock so I have to walk down a series of paths behind buildings to unlock a pitch black gym attached to the sports hall. SPOOKY. I'm a bit of a wimp about the dark and my heart rate is usually in the high 140s before I even start.

So, whatever is stopping you from working out at the moment: try and stay motivated. KNOW your excuses before you can make them. For me - a bright headtorch, lots of cheery thoughts and some loud singing to scare away the boogeyman who's lurking around dark corners.

For more normal people, lack of time, tiredness, hunger, forgot my trainers - all those things that stop you going for your work out - plan around those excuses.

* Book some time in the diary which is YOUR workout time. Treat it like a doctors appointment and don't miss it!
* Prepare yourself a snack for an hour or two before your work out, then you can't say you're too hungry.
* Too tired - remember how good you'll feel AFTER your work out, it's guaranteed to put a spring back in to my step, no matter how tired I was before.
* Take your gym stuff in the car to work and go STRAIGHT AFTER WORK. Getting home is a killer as there's always things you'd rather do.

We're all grown up enough to know that we can excuse ourselves out of anything we don't really want to do... let's all grow up together and lose that attitude!!!