Get Motivated to Move!

IT HAPPENS! Filled with New Year's resolutions, you start the year strong, diligently ticking off workout after workout. But gradually the excitement wears off, you skip a workout here and there, and before you know it, lacing up your sneakers begins to feel like a chore. Don't despair, though: You can find plenty of ways to push through the doldrums, overcome the excuses, and restart your running engines.

YOU FEEL: OUT OF BREATH
BEAT IT: If you can't talk in full sentences, you're going too fast. Run or walk fast one minute, walk one minute for 10 minutes. Shift to a 2:1 run/ walk ratio for the next 10 minutes. Do whatever you feel like for the final 10 minutes.

YOU FEEL: LIKE STOPPING
BEAT IT: Starting out too fast can lead to a sudden increase in muscle waste products that can make you feel sluggish. Head out slowly—and remember, no pace is too slow.

YOU FEEL: TIME-PRESSED
BEAT IT: Multitask: Run or walk on a treadmill while you're waiting for a meal to cook or the clothes to dry, or run/walk around the playground while the kids play.

YOU FEEL: BORED
BEAT IT: Establish a mission for every workout. Walk to get a cup of coffee. Do a few accelerations in the middle of your loop. On measured paths or trails, try to pick up the pace every five minutes. Run or walk your regular loop backward, loop through different neighborhoods, or call up a buddy to join you.

YOU FEEL: FRUSTRATED
BEAT IT: Once a week, warm up, then run or walk four laps around a track. Time yourself. Set a goal to beat the time you ran the previous week. Every other week, slow down your longest run/walk and increase the distance by a quarter to a half mile. Watching your mileage add up and your times go down is a great way to gauge your progress.