THIS IS HOW ELLEN HOOG GETS YOU INTO SPORTS

Do I always feel like training? NO, I really don't always feel like training. Don't get me wrong, I love being on the field or diving into the gym. It even seems that when you exercise, your body produces the substance endorphin, which creates a blissful feeling. I think I can say that I have a slight endorphin addiction. That doesn't change the fact that sometimes I prefer to stay comfortably on the couch or go out for dinner on Friday night instead of training. What to do in this situation?

Find a workout buddy. Arrange to work out with a friend at least once a week. And not the ‘I prefer gin tonics over working out’ type, but find the Sporty Spice in your friend group. That type where you feel guilty if you cancel your workout date. So guilty that you let your own friend claim (chilling on the couch at home) that it's really not that bad that you canceled, right? RIGHT? That type. Check. I'm lucky that I always have at least 16 teammates on the field. And when I don't feel like it, am grumpy or tired, they make sure I get through it. Together is always better than alone. Logical, but act on it.

Is it a ‘it's raining outside, it's warm inside’ day? You want to work out but don't want to go out in the cold? I totally feel you! Three things to do: 1 Turn on your TV, 2 find your favorite series on Netflix, and 3 grab a mat (if you don't have a mat, a blanket or a few towels stacked together) and work it, baby! There are countless exercises you can easily do outside the gym. You use your own body weight, so you don't need any weights at all. Just do some push-ups with Harvey Specter (or Mike for the fans, but I'm definitely team Harvey) next to you on the screen.

Our reggae friend Bob Marley once said: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Look, that's what we need. Grab the earbuds from your closet, turn on your workout playlist, and you'll see that you get carried away. Don't have a workout playlist yet? Hereby I help you a bit with some tracks that we have in the locker room:

– Matt Simons – Catch & Release (Deepend Remix)

– Disclosure – Omen (Claptone Remix)

– Steve Aoki – Boneless

– PANG! – Walking in the sun

– Big Wild – Aftergold

– Florence + The Machine – Spectrum

– Disclosure – When a fire starts to burn

Buy a new super cool sports outfit. Strangely enough, that works like crazy. I catch myself always looking back when I walk through Vondelpark and see an enthusiastic runner pass by in a completely new running outfit, heart rate monitor on the arm, high socks on, and a cool cap on. I even think for a moment that it's a professional athlete.
Join this sad yet extremely effective method: buy an outfit and blow them away. A little impressing is good for everyone.

For when you have time but don't feel like hanging out with weights like crazy: Urban walking. Walk until the sun comes up. Take a small backpack with a bottle of water and a kaki (the forgotten autumn fruit) and step out the door. Look around you. Observe, learn from your surroundings. From facial expressions, facades, and leaves falling from the trees. We have entered a super fast sports mode where a marathon in New York is sometimes not even considered good enough. That is of course a good and healthy development, but convince yourself that a nice city or regional walk is also good enough and enjoy it. Because let's be honest: an hour of walking is healthy, a fat burner, and makes you happy.