Do you ever have one of those days when you planned to workout, but you just weren’t “feeling it”? Instead of turning your car in the direction of home or staying inside cozy on the couch, I say go to the gym or lace up your shoes and get out the door! All you have to do is 15 minutes. If at the end of 15 minutes you still want to stop, then give yourself permission to do so. However you will find that 9 times out of 10 you will continue your workout and finish the time you set aside that day for your fitness.

Why is this? Well, the hardest part of any workout is actually getting started. Even if your workout is not taking place at a fitness center, maybe it’s a walk or run in your neighborhood, the hardest part is putting on the shoes and getting out the door.

If getting started is the hardest part, the second hardest part is having the nagging feeling of “still not wanting” to it. That’s where the 15 Minute Permission Rule comes into play. Some days our mental state just isn’t there to allow us to proceed with the physical work. If you get into the workout, 15 minutes is the make or break point. It takes a good 15 minutes for you to get into the “flow’ of your workout. Your muscles are warm, your breathing is rhythmic and you begin to feel the sense of good self esteem around the 15 minute mark. In most cases your “mental state” begins to align itself with the physical work. But if you get to the 15 minute mark and you still want to stop – permission is granted! The great part about this is that you stop without guilt. Today just was not your day mentally. But at least you gave yourself the opportunity to get over that mental hurdle – and you got in15 minutes of exercise rather than 0 minutes of exercise!

Trust me this works. I don’t always have the luxury of not working out when I’m not mentally into it because teaching exercise is my profession. But I have not always been a fitness professional. When I was working in a corporate setting, I would either swim or run daily. I honestly can say that 3 days out of 5 I didn’t want to get started. I knew however that once I started, I almost always felt better. I would visualize before my workout how I would feel at the end. And then, I gave myself permission to stop. If I had trouble visualizing, I knew that the 15 minutes could be a struggle. But I made the deal with myself that I could stop at the 15 minute mark if I wanted. Wouldn’t it be great if this story ended with me telling you I never stopped? But I think it’s a better story that I can tell you that I did take advantage of my “personal permission slip”. I have stopped running or swimming. No guilt.

So the next time you are struggling with do I go/no go, I say go…visualize the end and how you will feel. Then take the 15 minute personal permission slip along. I think you will surprise yourself…that workout that you may have skipped might just be the best workout you ever had!