Hey Swagger Girls, this post comes to you from Jodi, our fitness guru. Be sure to ask her any questions! She’d love to hear from you.
——
“I need to get in shape.”
“I want my old body back.”
“I’m sick of being tired.”
Sound familiar? We’ve all said those things at one point. So, why not finally just do it?! Let’s commit to getting back in shape and being healthy!
I have some tips to get you going, and if you follow them, I promise good things will happen.
1. Make. The. Time.
It may seem like you don’t have enough time in your day for exercise, but you probably do – you just have to make it a priority.
- Set an appointment. Pick out the times that you want to exercise and schedule ahead. Keep your appointment with yourself ironclad, and don’t let other engagements interfere.
- Replace an old habit. Most of us have some unnecessary and not particularly good-for-us habit, such as eating while watching TV that could be exchanged with exercising. Maybe you tell yourself that you can only watch TV as you exercise.
- Use exercise as social time. Have a standing appointment with a friend or family member to spend time together and incorporate exercise, such as playing tennis, walking, or dancing.
- Routine is key. Give it at least 2 weeks, and you’ll find it a lot less of a chore.
2. Find an activity you enjoy.
If you like exercising, you’re more likely stick to it. Not all workouts are at the gym: try biking, inline skating, rowing or even dancing in your bedroom with your iPod. Enjoyment is the key to sticking with it.
3. Stay accountable.
Keep track of when you exercise and for how long. Make notes in your calendar or keep an exercise journal. Writing down what you do and how you feel is important. Looking back and seeing how much you’ve done creates a sense of accomplishment.
4. Start with a reasonable goal.
Don’t set out to start a rigorous regimen right from the beginning. Instead start by exercising at a reasonable pace and increase as soon as you stop feeling challenged. Try 30 minutes, three times a week and see how you feel. Try to avoid burnout. Working yourself too hard at first can lead to muscle strain and fatigue, and relating exercise with pain can make you less apt to workout next time.
5. Track your measurements.
Instead of keeping track of how much weight you lose, keep a soft tape measure handy and measure your waist and hip size. You might build muscle and gain weight, but you’ll lose inches. Write down measurements from day one. Watching progress is very rewarding!
6. Become a student in the healthy eating school.
If you are shooting to lose weight, you must learn to eat healthy. Don’t “fall into” a diet because you will “fall out” eventually. I recommend developing a lifestyle you will want to keep. Use your good old common sense, supplemented with information from the internet to keep your diet healthy.
7. Drink Water.
This is the absolutely best thing you can do for your body. Always bring water to your workout session.
8. Stay Motivated.
As you keep working out and building strength, your workouts will probably become easier. Don’t allow yourself to get complacent. As soon as your current regimen feels easy, change it up and try something different.
TIPS:
- Take a walk during your lunch hour, do crunches and jumping jacks while watching TV or pace while talking on the phone.
- Normally it takes 8 weeks for results to really kick in VISUALLY. Regular effort with enthusiasm is key.
- Go to bed early and have plenty of rest on days you exercise. Muscles grow and repair themselves during the deep sleep phase.
- Play upbeat music and keep with the pace and motivate yourself.
- Make it a goal to eat fruits and veggies daily!
- Every day, make note of all the benefits you perceive: improved energy levels, increased happiness, better sleep, and overall feeling well!!
So let’s all set a goal and get started!! I wanna hear from you all……tell me your goals…..obstacles…whatever, and I will do my best to help you meet those challenges and overcome!!
I don’t find the time to exercise, I MAKE the time to exercise. Who’s with me?
Jodi
