Going to the gym. Losing weight. Following an eating plan. Doing an at home workout. Sounds easy right? Well sometimes it can be easier said than done!
ETB Fitness got in contact with me at the end of July asking some great questions which inspired this blog post! They wanted to know what foods you you eat pre workout? How do you switch up certain routines daily/weekly to stay motivated? What do you eat or do after your workout to make sure you got the most out of your workout? Basically what fuels me for an AWESOME workout and a GREAT day! So here are some tricks, tips and personal advice on how I stay motivated to continue my fit & active lifestyle.
I've always been a fitness enthusiast....ALAWAYS! I guess I can thank my parents for that. When I was in grade 4 I got my first taste of running by joining the cross country team at school, I begged my parents to let me quit piano and start running. Since then I've NEVER stopped.
It's not easy living an active & fit lifestyle, it takes work, it takes dedication and it will also takes sacrifice. Staying motivated to live this sort of lifestyle can be the biggest challenge some people can face. In my opinion "being fit" isn't something that happens overnight, it isn't something you can do for 10 weeks and then go back to your old habits....this is a lifestyle change! This is something that you need to commit to and work towards every day. I know, I know, it can be a struggle and some days are easier than others.
Let's start at the beginning...getting in gear to do a workout! Most of the time YOU are the only one holding yourself back. I know that on those tough days when I don't want to workout it takes some time to talk myself into getting my butt moving. So what motives me to GET MOVING? I think about my past accomplishments and what I hope to achieve in the future.
Let me explain.....I have competed in 67 running events. Don't believe me? I have kept every completion number to prove it, they are all pinned and displayed on my "race wall". I look at those numbers and it fuels me! I think about every race that I've ever competed in and what it took to get there.
Once you're put yourself in the right mind set you're ready to move onto fueling your body. This is SO important, you don't want to be stopping halfway through your workout because you've run out of gas. You have to find something that works for you, you want to eat enough so your energy lasts for the whole workout but don't eat too much to the point where you feel like there's a rock in your stomach. Your best bet is to look at and try some
preworkout energy drinks, bars or other supplements. You'll have to try and test what works best for your body.
Also remember to eat afterwards....it's best to eat within 30 min of completing your workout for recovery. If you've traveled to your workout location grab a bar and eat it in the car on the way home. If you've worked out close to home have something ready in the fridge to grab when you're done.
How do you stick with a fitness lifestyle long term? Mix it up! Do something that interests you. For me...I'm a runner. I love running so that's my main fitness goal, however, running is a high impact sport so I'm big on cross training. How do I do that? I use Beachbody works which can be done at home. I switched from the gym to Beachbody in 2011 because I found they gave WAY better results. My training plans for running usually stay pretty consistent...a marathon training program is a marathon training program BUT I can do my marathon training program+Beachbody Insanity or marathon training program+21 Day Fix. I like to keep it interesting and switch up what I'm doing for my cross training.
I truly feel like if you can find an active that you enjoy participating in you will stick with! But also remember to mix it up and always try new things....who knows you might enjoy it.
So how do you get started towards your new active & fit lifestyle, just go for it! Start small, maybe going out every night for a walk, finding a drop in class near your house, or start following an at home workouts. Only you can take that first step towards your new lifestyle. Are you ready? Get set. Go!
