I bet you can guess the number one reason why people don't exercise. You got it - not enough TIME! I could use a few extra hours in the day too but I hope that the few tips that follow will help you find the time to work towards your fitness goals.
Number 1 - Schedule the time! Put your workout on your calendar just as you would any other appointment or meeting. List EXACTLY what your workout will be so that you keep yourself accountable and will be less likely to skip the workout or go too easy on yourself.
I start my workouts before 5:30 a.m. on work days. This isn't because I am a natural morning person and I jump out of bed with a smile on my face. Odds are there is more grumbling going on than anything else but I scheduled it and I need to stick to it. Plus I know that I really do feel better all day long after I work out. Another way to look at it is to remember that it isn't likely that your kids want to hang out with you at 5:30 a.m. so you will have the time all to yourself, completely uninterrupted. How often does that happen??
Number 2 - Prepare! This means simply to get as much done in advance as you possibly can. This will clear you of all the other things that need to get done to prevent your exercise. Some of the ways I prepare is to iron my clothes for the week on the weekend. This works pretty well most of the time...as long as the meteorologist is on his game on Sunday! Pack lunches and set up the coffee pot the night before, put your purse and your car keys in the same spot every night. Not having to search for those has cut a good 5 minutes off my morning!!
Number 3 - Look at exercise as a gift. Really. I am pretty fortunate to be 37 years old and be able to wear a smaller size, run faster and exercise harder and more efficiently than I could at 17!
Make a few of these changes now. Small measures will soon add up and you will find the time. Everyone is busy. We make time for things we make a priority. Make your health a priority.
Need more help? Message me - dbeach0815@gmail.com.
I know so many people that talk about a lack of motivation when it comes to their fitness. They make a plan and then find that they don't stick with it only to vow to do better next time. These aren't lazy people, these aren't people lacking intelligence, they are simply people who haven't found their motivation to get and stay fit.
Where does motivation come from? Anywhere. Everywhere. What is important to you? Where do you see yourself and your family in the years to come? I don't know anyone that pictures themselves sitting on the couch eating chips with their kids in five years. They see ball games and vacations and happy memories. You can find motivation in that. You can find motivation in yourself - a goal to be a certain size or a goal for a big event. Visualize what you would like to look and feel like if you reached those goals or were at that event after attaining your goals. Make the outcome your motivation.
If that isn't enough, leave yourself reminders everywhere. Leave a note or a picture stuck to your refrigerator, add a healthy saying to your screen saver or on your phone. A big way to keep your motivation is to find an accountability partner that will challenge you. If you have a competitive spirit, a challenge is a great way to stay motivated.
I get asked a lot where my motivation comes from. It comes from my family, from myself and from the Beachbody community. I want to continue to be the mom that can keep up with her athletic kids. I want to be the one that is in much better shape than when she was a teenager and I really want to help others reach their fitness goals. I get a lot of motivation when someone tells me that I have motivated them to workout or try to eat healthier.
Don't think of exercise and fitness as something you need to do, find your own motivation so that it is something you WANT and CAN do. It will be so much easier to stick to if you think of it positively. Find what Chalene Johnson calls your "soul-mate" workout and go for it. If you want one of those accountability partners and don't know where to go to find one, contact me, I'd love to help you stay on track.
No matter our circumstances, we all deal with some form of stress from time to time. It is how we deal with this stress that is most important. First, what is stress really? Dictionary.com defines stress as physical, mental or emotional strain or tension. Stress is particularly high this time of year. Not only are we dealing with what seems to be more bills during the winter months but throw the holidays in and you are dealing with all sorts of issues. Family gatherings, holiday shopping, traveling, and again those bills, all can increase our stress levels.
Signs of stress are headaches, irritability, anxiety, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, and muscle tension to name a few. You know these can occur without warning depending on the situation! Then there are the long-term stressors with longer term effects including heart attacks, hypertension, depression, weight gain or weight loss, and stomach issues. Long-term stress can also increase the symptoms of preexisting conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and COPD, as well as lead to infertility or problems during pregnancy.
The good news is that there are some pretty simple ways to help you cope with the stress in your life. The first (and if you know me well, you saw this coming) is to exercise regularly. The physical activity can be slower and meditative like yoga or it can be intensive like running or kickboxing, where you can let your frustrations out. Physical activity also reduces the cortisol, or stress hormones, in your body while increasing the endorphins. Regular exercise is also believed to lower your negative reaction to stress from the start.
The second and third ways are pretty obvious. Make sure you get enough sleep. Regardless of the situation your day always seems a little easier if you are well rested. Don't forget to eat healthy! You will have more energy and feel good on the inside making you better equipped to deal with any stress coming from the outside.
The last tip is to get organized. This is especially important during the holiday season. Make a plan and list everything you need to do. Then break that list down. Do a small part of your plan every single day. This reduces the pressure to get it all done at once and at the last minute. Most people give up on the 'big picture' because it seems overwhelming and unachievable but if you break it down and try to accomplish smaller tasks you will see you can get just about anything done in time with a plan.
Oh, one more thing! Don't forget to breathe and take time to enjoy the small things - it may just make some of the stress in your life seem like not such a big deal after all!!
How many times have you said you were going on the 'D' word - a diet? Did the thought of the word make you cringe? Did telling people you were going on a diet help you reach your goals? Would you be able to maintain that diet for a long period of time? It is likely the diets were hard to stay committed to, didn't make you feel very good and the benefits were short-lived. My goal is to never use the word diet again unless it is preceded by the word healthy. Better yet, we could use the term healthy lifestyle.
There are many reasons that I don't want to use the word diet. The two most important reasons are under the age of 12, live in my house and still actually listen, at least partially, to the things I say. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking that food is their enemy and they should treat it that way. Instead I want them to learn to use food as a fuel to keep their bodies healthy and to maintain an active lifestyle. I want them to learn what is good for them and what is not. I don't want to keep them from their not-so-healthy favorites, but want instead to teach them about moderation. I hope that is a lesson that will benefit them through all aspects of their lives forever.
Society does not help parents teach their kids about a healthy body image (think 'skinny' jeans). Society does promote the "quick fix" which in this case would be many of the diets you hear about. Think realistically, does the quick fix usually last very long? No. Instead, encourage the whole family to make a slow and steady transition to a healthier lifestyle. This should include the food you eat and your activity level. A sudden change is going to make the whole family resent what you are trying to do. Make yourself the example, enjoy your favorite foods but reasonably. Show them that an apple can be even more satisfying as a snack than cookies.
Some tips for parents... Teach your kids self-confidence and individuality and that everyone is different, including in body type. Teach them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Pack healthy snacks for everyone and let your kids see you enjoying them too. My final tip for this post has to do with "cleaning your plate" at the dinner table. Remember your parents saying that? Please don't force your children to finish everything on their plate, this teaches them to eat until it is gone, and not to stop when they are full. This is an unhealthy practice that continues through their lives.
It may be hard to get that cookie out of that little hand, but think of how much healthier that hand will be as it grows if it learns about a healthy lifestyle now.
I just became a new Independent Team Beachbody Coach. Why? Accountability for one. I have found that one of my biggest motivators is knowing that if I put my goals out there, people know about it and will know if I don't meet them. You are really only accountable to yourself but writing out your goals or talking them over with a somone like a coach will help keep you motivated to follow through. I am still working on this with my own coach!
So, in my very first blog post EVER I will write for all to see, my first goal. It is to complete the full TurboFire program. This is my cheater goal - I LOVE TurboFire http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/turbofire.do?code=TURBOFIREDOTCOM. Yes, working out can actually be fun and I really do see results! I have never worked out this hard in my life and yet I still look forward to it every morning. I am on the second full week of the program so I am part way through my first goal!!!!
That brings my first post to an end. Thanks for checking in!!
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