Work. It. Out!

Here's my problem: I have a reeeeeeally hard time getting myself to work out. While I have gotten into a nice groove at YogaWorks in Westwood, and have found a killer 3.8 mile running route around the Brentwood Country Club, sometimes the adrenaline rush/meditation of it just isn't enough to get me to actually do it. As I sit here now to write this, I am blowing off the run I intended to do this mornig. Of course, we all know how great it feels when you've completed the challenge and can reward yourself with a cold shower and morning coffee beverage of your choice, but that still doesn't seem to be enough. When all else fails, there is one last thing we can turn to to get our bodies off the computer and out to raise our heart rates - fashion!If you're anything like me, your usual running/hiking/yoga attire consists of whatever sports bra you bought when you just turned the age where you would need a sports bra, an old t-shirt, and some shorts that barely even fit right. I mean, you're just going to sweat in it, so who cares - right? Wrong! I have found that caring about what you wear when you exercise, or at least having something to be excited about when you put it on, provides a surprisingly strong incentive. I started to figure this out when J. Crew came out with their line of yoga clothes - all with the perfect fit, consistency, style, and color choices (unfortunately that line seems to have disappeared, but luckily I sort of stocked up with some staples - see slate leggings in picture).

I also recently discovered the Lululemon store here in Brentwood, and have found their selection to be most pleasing! With an array of styles to fit your varying exercise needs, and sizes in the 2-4-6-8 variety (including LONG lengths in their pants - hallelujah!) instead of S-M-L, they make you question whether you will ever explore another brand for your athletic gear. The best part is the durable, 4-way stretch fabrics that come in styles so fashionable, I wonder if I should be working them into my regular wardrobe (see neon tank in picture). I'm not quite there, but all you Woods out there - implement. This collection might take you a little while since each basic piece runs between about $40-70, but just do one at a time, and it will last you forever. My favorites are all the tank tops, and the Wunder Under Crop leggings, which come in reversibles!

Lululemon Move Tank in Party Dots, $52; Wunder Under Reversible Crop Leggings in Royale/Black $58

Next up on the roster of obsessions comes a line that I've been drooling over since it debuted in 2005. When Stella McCartney teamed up with Adidas, it brought a whole new meaning to athletic attire. Unfortunately, it's not for those of us with light wallets, BUT every season a wide selection of pieces from the line make their way to places like Marshalls, Century 21, Loehman's, etc. The other selling point is the fact that many of these pieces could definitely be mistaken for out-of-the-gym wear. Either way - with these things in your closet, there's no way you're going to keep blowing off your workouts. Think of it as an investment in your health.

Stella McCartney for Adidas Run Jacket in Clouds, $220; Women's Run Performance Tights $120; Adidas Women's AdiZero XT Trail Running Shoes, $85 (How could you not dominate the trails with these shoes?)

Stella McCartney for Adidas Tennis Performance Dress, $130; American Apparel Nylon Pack Cloth Gym Bag, $17

One of my favorite things to do with athletics is to layer the tops so what's underneath shows in a statementy way. Take for example the tennis dress above - while it doesn't need anything to amp it up, wear a gray strappy sports bra underneath (try the nylon Champion ones at Target), and you have more of a styled look. BTW - how can they even call this a tennis dress? More like tennis followed by cocktails with friends, throwing a black leather motorcycle jacket over it. I love the retro nylon gym bag - at least I have one affordable thing in the bunch.

Let's face it - we all need to do something to help keep the heart rate up. I figure if you're going to rock that trail, why not think of it as a runway? Oh - and your runway wouldn't be complete without some tunes to strut to. Try adding these to your playlist:

"Walkin' on the Moon" - The Dream feat. Kanye West"Rock That Body" - Black Eyed Peas"Good Girls Go Bad" - Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester"Kidda - Under the Sun" - Fatboy Slim"In For the Kill" - La Roux