I Want to Work-out, But...

How do you stay motivated? How do you keep “the want to” in your work-out? Is what you are doing at the gym or at home making you want to go back to it every day? Do you smile while you workout? If you didn't say yes to the last two questions then I would question if you are doing the right thing for your workout. If you don't love what you are doing, you will start to make excuses. Making excuses equals not sticking to your goals.

One of the big things in fitness right now is ZUMBA. Raise your hand if you love Zumba. My hand is not raised. I hate Zumba. My husband has tried to get me to certify to teach it, but why would I do that. I hate Zumba. Please don't see this as me trying to discourage you from classes; I am just trying to get you to see that you need to do what you love. Because I dislike this class, I don't do it. However, it is packed with people that love it. If this is what you love - please do yourself a favor and take the class. You will be more likely to stick to it. If you hate running-don't do it. You most likely won't stick to it. Get the idea.

Here’s a little tip - give everything a go for a few weeks before you completely cut it off. I always hated running. After doing it for a few weeks I realized - hey, it's not so bad. Now, when the weather is right, and I can do a few miles outside, I love running. So give things a try before you write them off.

So please, truly find something you love. If you see me at the gym I am usually the girl who is dancing and smiling as I rock out doing my strength sessions or on my elliptical. Yes, I really dance or tap my foot to the beat. It is another thing that makes working out more fun-MUSIC. Can't go wrong with a good up-beat mix of music that gets your blood pumping and your body going.

Ding, ding, ding- A Fitness Tip. Wednesday - my beloved back and biceps day. Find a low bar somewhere - maybe you have a treadmill in your house or a nearby park. Grab a hold of that bar, palms down, with your back toward the ground, lean back. Now you pull up with your arms-it will be like a reverse push up. Now you can just change the position of your hands to your palms facing up hands closer together and wa-la, you have a bicep exercise. FYI-you can change the intensity by having knees straight for harder-the more bend in your knee the easier the workout. Also, the smaller the body angle to the ground the harder; the larger the angle the easier. Watch the video then go out and get some back and biceps knocked out.

One Last Post for the Day

Biggest Loser

Yes, one of my all time favorite shows. I have watched every season and not missed a show. I actually got to meet, two seasons ago, Deni Hill this last week. I wanted to ask: #1-do you watch the show, #2-if you do, what do you do when watching it? I use to pull my step out and do steps while watching. I may do my treadmill tonight while watching. I could say-go and do something each commercial, but I know we all fast forward through those. As long as your not sitting eating junk-watch on my friend. Let it inspire change.

And As a Side Note

Don't do this to yourself:

Do this:

Meditation and Motivation

Meditation is an important key in life. It is good to have some alone time to pray, think, meditate. I have been doing some videos and at the end of the video you go to child's pose and release all that tension in your body. Also, he has you stay there and think about your final goal. What do you want it to be; what does it look like? This has helped me so much I have started doing it after my workouts at the gym. My mom said, "At the gym, with everyone around?" Yes, at the gym, too. It is just child's pose-haha. It releases all the tension and it helps you see what you want in turn making it easier to go every day and get back out there. That is what we want right-to keep those New Years resolutions. I want to be here to support you and make sure you keep up with them.

When doing this mediation you can think about what you want to look like at the end, but that doesn't necessarily have to be what you are picturing in your head. You can also picture yourself running around with your kids or grand kids-that can be your final goal. Something realistic. One thing I have learned from fitness is that it is best not to put up pictures you find out of a magazine to motivate you. Most likely that person doesn't have the same body type as you so it is an unrealistic goal. If it is a picture, you want pick a picture of you when you feel good at where you were. Not a high school picture-again that is unrealistic. I have learned with me-I can't use the picture when I was 250 lbs, that sends me into a negative fitness pattern. So pick something to motivate you in a positive way.

Okay now for A Fitness Tip. Today was cardio day for me. I like to use the elliptical. It is boring to just get on a machine and go. There is a choice on the elliptical-it is a button that says personal trainer. If you press it until it says x-train aerobic it takes you into a workout that switches things up in 10 minute segments. You are doing something different every 1-2 minutes. So when I get on, if I do an hour I say-I only have 6 segments to do. Then it isn't overwhelming, and it isn't boring because it is being changed up, not just getting on and going. Great cardio workout. So there is another little gem of info to put in your back pocket-go out there and get some cardio on today. Even if it is just taking a walk!!

Tomorrow we will talk about how to keep that want to workout.

New Years Resolutions Out In Full Force

So ventured out to the gym today at the 9 o'clock hour. This is usually the busiest time. Today even worse than ever. Driving to the gym and going to the gym you could see that people had made their goals that they were going to do it this year. They are going to be more fit and this is the year they will do it. I came home and told my husband that the gym was so packed today. He said give it a few weeks. I told him-I hope this isn't the case. I hope every year that this goal stays with people and they continue their journey into fitness. Yay for them who have made this decision. It is one of the greatest decisions you can make.

Two things were funny to me on my trip to the gym. #1 is the cardio equiptment is packed full. They weights-the majority of the gym-completely empty. People you have not heard my speech about strength training. #2 is that #1 causes "regular" attendees of the gym to become frustrated. They come to get on "their" treadmill. See the post about spinning and you will know what I am talking about. Beware of gym regulars and again if you are getting and evil stare-ignore it, you were there first.

Okay now my preaching about strength training. Monday is my chest and triceps day. So I want to give you an exercise to do. If you don't have a gym membership or equipment at home you can do this!! No excuses. You want to know what this magical exercise is that works both chest and triceps. Ta Da-push ups. Yes that is right a simple push up. Now there are also variations to the push up. You can do a modified push up-on your knees-don't ever call this a girl push up or I will track you down. There is the incline push up to make things a little easier. Decline push up to make things harder. Diamond push up-uses more of your triceps. You can look up push up in Google and there are so many variations. My goal for you is to try some push ups today.

Get started with a few jumping jacks, run in place, high knees running in place, get your body warmed up and knock some of these babies out. A good investment for push ups is push up bars. This exercise can tweak your wrist. A push up bar gets your wrist in a better position for this exercise. Have dumbbells that will stay in place? Those also work as push up bars.

Now that you have this little gem of knowledge under your belt-GO GET WORKING!! Keep in touch and I will try and keep posting daily things on here to keep you active and happy. I can't ever help it-I smile through my whole workout. Enjoy what you do and be happy with who you are!

Cardio Lovers

The benefits of a cardio routine are amazing. Keep up the good work. However, despite the title I am here to get you to consider weight training. Just as there are benefits to a good cardio routine there are some great benefits to strength training.

I am going to talk about one big one today. Raise your hand if you thought getting more calcium was the best way to increase your bone density. You know this because as women it is talked about all the time. Did you know strength training can decrease your risk of osteoporosis too?

There is something called Wolff's Law that basically states bone will be laid down where needed, bone adapts according to the applied stress. As your tendons pull on that bone when strength training it stimulates bone cells to stimulate bone formation. After all, the more bone mass you accumulate before menopause the less severe the consequences of loss of bone mass will be. This stated from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

So if you are afraid of getting bigger and you are a woman, don't worry it won't happen. Strength training does so many good things for your body. Don't steer away from it. If you have any questions feel free to leave a message. I am passionate about a good strength train program and I believe all should have one.

I didn't come to win a beauty contest

So lately I have been selling classes at a gym. So I get to do a lot of people watching. It is so interesting to stand there and see what comes through that door. You can tell the people that are there to really workout and the ones who are there just for the-I don't know-single scene!?! Is this one of the pick up joints that I just never picked up on? It is funny to see girls come in all made up. Hair in some kind of up-do. Even if the hair isn't in a fancy up-do it is strategically messy. Then their make-up is on. Really did you come to workout, or did you come for the beauty competition.

I love to work out. The gym becomes a second home to me. I love to see how hard I can sweat. How much I can push myself. If you see me at the gym, you know I am not involved in the beauty contest. I am not there to talk on my cell phone while I leisurely walk on the treadmill. I can do that anywhere. So why do you go to the gym. Are you there for the beauty contest, the social hour, or are you there to rock it!?! Love the gym-always good times to be had.