MAINTAINING MOTIVATION
Kaelin wears Under Armour Women - photo by Becky Yee
I recently recommended a personal trainer for a friend and then she blurted out, "I want to drop 17 pounds in 1 month." The previous week I witnessed the same person drink so much the bartender cut her off and then after midnight binge eat 2 vegetarian crepes slathered with butter and cheese. Anything is possible but when you go from sedentary to gung ho you can get burned ou pretty fast and may lose your dedication to living a healthy and stylish life. Below I share some really easy things to help keep your motivation for working out.
Set realistic goals
Goals are good but baby steps. You have to learn how to walk before you can run so know yourself. Just start going to the gym once a week for 30min-hour. If you want to just go slowly on the treadmill and do a few free wights fine. I like to do a 3 day workout not an overall body workout. I do chesk and back, arms and shoulders and leg day. I used to hate cardio but slowly added in 1 run a week. Yo can also set a health and diet goals too. I like to drink cocktails. It my vice so I try and set small little milestones that are fairly easy to maintain. For example, I will drink only 2 nights a week as opposed to almost every night, or I will drink a glass of water after every cocktail. These are all attainable goals. The more you set the realistic goal the easier it is to maintain.
Choose a fun workout
There are so many different ways to stay fit and exercise these days. Its easier to continue to do something that you enjoy doing and brings you joy. I found myself waking up in the middle of winter before dawn and meeting my friend at 6:00am so we can run over the Brooklyn Bridge. I loved to watch the sunrise lighting up the nyc skyline in a crisp golden glow. It was dark, freezing cold, but i had so much fun and enjoyed it so much I would bounce up out of bed ready to go.
Sunrise on Brooklyn Bridge in Winter - iphone photo by Becky Yee
Add Variety
Try different things to keep it fresh and exciting. Do you like dancing take a zumba class. Do you prefer solitary alone time, put on your favorite podcast or playlist and hit the weight machines. Need someone to bark orders at you and kick your butt go to a boot camp class. Wanna be a beast go to cross fit and get motivated looking at all the hard bodies in class. Besides running and weight lifting one of my other favorite workouts is Kendo. Its full contact Japanese style fencing. I have done Kendo for over 20 years and I find it surprisingly relaxing. You look like Darth Vader, in fact a lot of the Jedi stuff is based on Kendo, Its loud, you get to scream, hit people over the head and its a lot of fun in a sort of hardcore way. I find that my head is super clear and focused. I feel grounded and as I mentioned before peaceful and calm after practice. So feel free to try different workouts, a martial arts class, kick boxing, yoga, spinning, try and mix it up.
Workout with a friend
For some reason when a friend is waiting for me at the gym, you better believe I grab my gym bag and get my butt on time to the gym. Even if you don't have friends that are in to working out there are meetup groups online communities. Many running stores do organized runs like Jack Rabbits in NYC. Working out can be social and fun and when you have the support its easier to plan your workouts and get nutrition info and advice on gear and classes. So grab your bestie and hit the gym!
Track your progress
It may seem a little strange at first to keep a fitness journal but its encouraging to see how you have grown and developed in your fitness routine. I encourage everyone to keep a fitness journal. 2 and 1/2 years ago I hated cardio and could barely run 2 miles. Now I am training for my first marathon and can run 13-14 miles without that much stress. I am a slow runner so my goals are just to get the miles in not worry about my time. I use the app Map My Run by Under Armour to track my distance and pace and then write it all down in my journal along with what I ate. You would be surprised how just a little more effort and exercise can create a noticeable change in your body over time. Taking photos never hurt either. I have a before working out regularly shot of my butt. It wasn't pretty and I do not show it to anyone but when I look now, my butt got more toned and I like it that way so that is a huge motivation to continue working out.
So be consistent and keep up your motivation. If you have any comments on this post or questions pease post below. I would love to hear from you. Being fit and healthy never goes out of style!