Sometimes getting yourself to the gym is the hardest part

We all have those moments when we wake up in the morning and prepare ourselves to go work out, but pretty soon we are rolling over to sleep another hour or we head right home from work instead of stopping at the gym, with several excuses running through our heads.

Sound familiar? All of us go through bouts of laziness, but there are many things that can be done to change our mind set and get us into the gym.

"You need to feel confident in what you are doing," said Joshua Steckler, personal trainer and co-owner of Push Fitness in Schaumburg. "Knowing what you are doing will help you make good use of your time, because it will be a waste of time if you don't know what you are doing."

And that could mean you lose your motivation, too.

"When you start working out, you need to trick yourself, be mentally prepared and stay focused," said Push Fitness co-owner and personal trainer Mark Trapp. "You need to picture yourself in the gym throughout the day."

It's easy to lose that picture as the day wears on and the stresses of life get us down. Exercise is not only a physical workout but also mental. Just as we have to stretch before doing any hard-core exercises, we also need to prepare ourselves mentally, too.

Steckler holds a bachelor's in kinesiology and is certified as a health fitness instructor and a performance enhancement specialist. Trapp holds a bachelor's in physical education and is certified as a performance enhancement specialist. They teamed up and opened Push Fitness eight months ago.

To keep you motivated to work out, Steckler and Trapp offer these suggestions:

• You need to prepare your body through nourishment and hydration at all times.

• Have someone call you at the end of each week to see if you kept up your end of the bargain. No one wants to admit they're giving up, so the check adds extra motivation.

• Find rewarding ways to motivate yourself with short-term goals, including improving your energy levels, not just shrinking your waistline.

• Knowledge is power. The more you know and research, the more comfortable and confident you will feel.

• Make it a priority and work out every day at the same time. A consistent schedule is important because your body starts to adapt.

If you're thinking you might need a little more push, try a personal trainer or a mental fitness coach.

"Hiring a trainer helps people get over the hump because we are able to show them how to do everything correctly. Then they are more apt to follow through," Trapp said. "Finding what motivates you helps you want to change and get healthy for yourself."

So, instead of letting your mind race with all that stress, wouldn't it be great to feel your legs and heart racing in the next 5K instead? Picture it in your mind and find the right motivation and soon you'll be crossing the finish line.