To work out or not to work out?

Working out is something I've had a hard time fitting in these days, and I think anyone with a busy schedule can relate to this. During the day I either would have class or my internship, dinner, from 5-9:30 pm on most nights I would work, and homework somewhere in there. And THEN I have to try to go work out? For about 7 months I let these excuses keep me away from the gym. After all, I was tired. I didn't have time so you can't blame me right?

The semester before my wedding I was working out most days and eating fairly healthy and I felt great. Once I stopped working out and not paying attention to what I was eating, I started to feel awful. I felt 10 feet wide! I knew I wasn't, but that's how my body felt. I was feeling terrible. I decided that I needed to get back into shape and make time in my schedule to do so.

I don't know about you, but I am not particularly fond of working out. I don't particularly like the feeling when I'm sweating it out during a run with my muscles screaming to stop. So why work out? Besides the obvious health benefits like reducing the risk of heart disease, weight management, and reducing the risks of certain cancers, I found that the reason I work out is the feeling AFTER I work out. 

I started working out again last week, and I almost died those first few work outs, but now that I'm back in the routine I've found that I really missed it. I feel great, and I don't feel 10 feet wide anymore. I am determined to keep working out at least four days a week.

Working out can get repetitive and boring, and sometimes thirty minutes on the elliptical can feel like an eternity. My solution to this is to ing a book or study materials to read while I'm working out. It makes the time go by so much faster! It also eliminates the excuse of not working out because you need to study, you can just bring your studying with you!

What does making time to work out look like for you? I promise it's worth it!