#19 - Because you want to stand taller

Photo By theNovice

One of the first people to comment on my recent weight loss and healthier choices was my chiropractor.  He sees that I'm holding my body straighter and taller.  The adjustments are becoming less necessary.  My body is starting to feel better overall. 

If you have back pain, you'd think that it might be best to avoid activity, but recently I've learned that movement increases healing processes within the body.  Our body knows that it must heal if we're moving around.  Always contact your health professional to choose the healthiest route to recovery if you're in pain. They may suggest physical therapy or individual exercises that you can do at home.

Find your first step to getting your strength, health, and fitness on track.

Stand tall.

Crys

Fitness... What about Beer?

Photo By walknboston

Calories IN < Calories Out (burned) = Weight Loss

That's it.

As with so many things, moderation is key.  Generally, moderation is defined as 1-2 beers a day for men and 1 a day for women.  The average beer is about 100 calories (about the same as 20 roasted peanuts).  You can't save up your weekly six pack and drink them all on one day of the weekend if you want six pack abs.  That's not moderation.  Also, you have to fit in fitness.  If you add in a minimum of 20-30 minutes of physical activity, your 1-2 beers shouldn't increase your belly size.  However, if you want to shrink what's already there, it's a good idea to curb the beer habit for a month or two (or more) while you get your metabolism in check. 

Crys

#18 - Because it lifts your mood

 

Photo By Jerry Bunkers

When we exercise, our brain releases endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals all work together to make us feel good. Also, after exercising we may feel a sense of success and our muscles will relax deeper because of the workout – easing tension and strain. We come back to our everyday life with a sense of calm. 

Yoga has been shown in studies to reduce tension and stress while improving mood. Yoga focuses on a range of stretching, breathing and motion that create a release of negative emotions in the body. Yoga, interestingly, has been shown to be particularly effective for men (compared to other exercises like swimming).  Men know that stretching is good, but they don't often consider adding yoga to their workout regimen.  Consider adding a day of yoga stretching to your weekly workout schedule.  Your mood will be elevated, and your body will thank you. 

To increase the chemical mood high, add in some intense cardiovascular exercise and aerobics.  Bike riding, running, dance classes, anything that gets your heart pumping will help increase these good mood chemicals coursing through your body.  This is especially important when your daily life includes a high stress, children, and multiple extracurricular activities. You want to be your best emotionally, and you want decrease the damage that stress can do to your body.  Even if your life is generally calm, it’s a good idea to keep from getting down and blah from inactivity. 

Keep fit, keep moving…

Crys

 

#17 - Because you want to look better

Photo By lululemon athletica

A friend of mine recently posted an image and a quote "Lose Weight to look better in clothes, Workout to look better NAKED."  Absolutely true!  You can do all the dieting you want, you can slim down, but to really make a difference in your appearance, you have to add in some sort of workout.  Whether it's low impact Hatha yoga for long slender limbs or INSANITY with Shaun T for high intensity.  You are deciding what you want to look like naked.  It’s true that there’s a lot more to life (and self-esteem) than appearance. However, I enjoy looking as vibrant as I feel.  When we're not feeling healthy it shows. 

If you want to look better do what we already know to be true: eat well, get a good nights sleep, and then go play.

crys

#16 - Because you want to be an athlete

Have you been tempted to join one of the many mud obstacle 5k races that are happening all over the country?  There's Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, Rugged Maniac, Mighty Mud Dash, The Dirty Dash, Dirty Girl (for women only)... I'm sure you've heard of others that I've not heard of.  Sometimes they tempt me.  I want to be an athlete.  I want to push myself to my absolute limits and see how far I can go. I was never an athlete in school.  I was always one of the last girls picked for the volleyball team.  I'm uncoordinated, slouchy, and slow, but these muddy crazy sounding courses intrigue me. Last year I saw several people around me  talk about, prepare for, and then do the Warrior Dash. It finally pushed me to start thinking about fitness.

Photo By VoxLive Davis Staedtler

Still not an athlete, but I'm starting to get there.  With fitness and nutrition, but mostly with determination and drive, I'm starting to see an athlete underneath this regular girl's body.  Finally, it feels like the work is paying off.  It took a bit of a system reset, strict diet, and some pretty heavy workouts to get things going in the right direction.  I hear some people can just cut sugar out of their coffee in the morning and lose weight, but I can't do that anymore.  Really, I want more than to be thin.  I want to look great under the clothes that fit great.  I want to be strong and healthy.

The Rocky Mountain Triathlon is happening in Silverthorne this summer.  They have a "sprint" run for those of us who are thinking of doing their first triathlon.  It's already sold out for this year, but I'm thinking I'll be ready for next summer.  Who's with me?
Crys

#15 - Because your body was made to move

Photo By ElvertBarnes Elvert Barnes

If your job is sedentary, you're not alone.  As we increase our use of technology and conveniences, we sit more.  We sit all day and feel exhausted afterward.  Our back and shoulders hurt even though we’ve done nothing physical to warrant the pain.  We get cold and run space heaters when the room temperature is set at what should be comfortable.  We get headaches from staring at the computer and go home weary and sit in front of the TV.  We go through the drive-thru on our way home instead of walking inside.  When we finally crawl into bed and turn off the light our minds keep going.  We don’t sleep, or the sleep we do get is restless.  It’s a vicious cycle that we need to end. 

If you used to like to ride your bike, go swimming, hike, or snowboard, how did you feel afterward?  Your muscles and body are warm.  You don’t feel stiff.  Energized, you’re confident and proud of yourself.  This is how you feel after a workout, with your blood pumping providing oxygen and energy.

We are made to move.  Our bodies are made to move.  So let's get moving. What are you waiting for? It won’t get better until you do something about it.

Crys

 

 

More, more, more:

In order to accomplish the basic requirements for daily physical activity one should do 30 minutes of activity that will raise the heart to 50-90% of its maximum capacity (MHR) using large muscles. In other words it should make the individual warm & slightly out of breath. This can be broken down into 3 x 10 minute sessions.

Which type are you?

You can vary your vibe depending on what time you decide to exercise. We are unique and who we are will determine when we have our peak energy levels.

• The early bird — makes you feel like you've embraced the day.
• The in-betweener — gives you a quick time out and breather to help re-align during the day.
• The wind down — chills you out and set you up for a super-relaxed evening.
• The achiever — makes you feel like you have accomplished the impossible.

Choose exercise to suit your mood

• Aggressive — kickboxing, martial arts, aerobics.
• Interactive — hockey, touch rugby, squash, tennis.
• Tactical — rock climbing, golf, skate boarding.
• Endurance — walking, running, spinning.
• Solo — canoeing, swimming, biking.
• Aesthetic — trampolining, dancing, surfing.
• Relaxing — yoga, tai chi, gardening.

 

#14 - Because it reduces your risk of cancer

We're young and generally healthy.  We don't spend a lot of time thinking about cancer.  However, after researching today's topic, I think maybe we should spend time thinking about it while we are young and healthy.  We should think about how much sleep we're getting and how much physical activity we're involved in each day.  If we make the habits now, we'll avoid the pitfalls in the future. 

As spring comes on in our little valley, the outdoors is more and more inviting.  We've been hungry for the suns warm rays and the buds on the trees to turn into beautiful green leaves.  Let's go outside and enjoy a brisk early morning walk, play a game, or go for a run.  When the wind picks up, let's meet at the gym and get a good workout in.  We don't have to wait and see what life holds for us.  We can do some prevention and maintenance early on in life. 

Here's some interesting facts I found online:

According to the Mayo Clinic's article  "Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk" you should maintain a healthy weight and include physical activity in your daily routine. 

Maintaining a healthy weight may lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney. Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own may lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.

As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even better. Try a fitness class, rediscover a favorite sport or meet a friend for daily brisk walks.

For women: A recent study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research suggests that regular physical activity can lower a woman's overall risk of cancer – but only if she gets a good night's sleep.

The American Cancer Society recommends that you exercise for 30 to 45 minutes at least five days each week.

For men: Finnish researchers recently concluded that, if you wish to ward off lung or gastrointestinal cancer, you might want to spend your leisure time jogging instead of picking berries, mushroom gathering or fishing.

 

So, get a good nights sleep and make sure you sweat every day to help prevent cancer.  We're not sitting around waiting for life to happen TO us.  We're living.

Crys

#13 - Because you want to feel good in your clothes

Photo By Dance Photographer - Brendan Lally Brendan

I believe people can be any size that they feel happy and healthy being.  I've known larger people that live in their skin more fully than dozens of skinny ones who hate their bodies.  Thick, thin, muscular, lean, fat, beautiful beautiful beautiful.  All that matters is how you feel in your skin and what makes you feel alive. 

That said, this reason was one of the first motivating factors for my getting off the couch and trying P90X last year.  I like buying clothes, but I really do not like replacing items that no longer fit with larger clothes.  It's one of those things that tells me that I'm not taking good care of my body. 

For me personally, I was getting more and more unhappy in my body.  Things were starting to hurt, and my clothing was getting tighter.  Now, I'm fascinated by my body changes.  I've never lost weight through working out.  In the past I found a diet and lost mass, but never have I watched my body shrink while my muscles became leaner and slightly more pronounced.  

We're on phase 2 of P90X2 right now.  I hear that Phase 3 will bring the most obvious changes.  I'm so looking forward to seeing additional changes.  I want to see abs on this body.  I want to know what it's like to be "in shape," and I'm willing to work for it. 

Crys

#12 - Because you want to be a good example to your kids

Photo By mikebaird "Mike" Michael L. Baird

While I don't have children of my own, I do have a niece and godson that spend a fair amount of time at our house.  I've often thought about what kind of example I want to be for them.  I am struggling to learn about fitness, healthy food, and wellness in my late 30's.  During my youth, my parents had multiple jobs, they were misinformed, and they had to watch their budgets closely.  They did the best they could. 

My mom would cover canned green beans with a big dollop of margarine before she put it on the stove to heat.  She made delicious mashed potatoes with rich cream gravy made from the drippings of her fried chicken.  Salad was the only form of fresh vegetable that we ever ate and that was a rare occurrence.  Every other vegetable was canned (or occasionally frozen.)  Meats were often ground with a high fat percentage because they cost less than leaner/choice cuts.  She bought chicken whole and left the skin on because that was the part that tasted best when fried.  All other foods were processed, boxed, and enriched.  We had white bread, white rice, and enriched blond pasta.  The best and healthiest foods were raw milk and farm fresh eggs that mom picked up from a friend. 

I still prefer raw milk when I can find it, and I absolutely love the richness of local farm eggs.  However, I've had to relearn or throw away so much of what I learned about food growing up.  Every once in a while I fall back on boxed mac & cheese, but now I try to plan meals around whole foods.  When I open I can, I prefer to buy the "no salt" varieties.  I'm learning to love hearty whole grain breads, pastas, and brown rice.  I want to be a good example to the children in my life.  I want them to learn healthy habits from a time that they're very young.  Perhaps then, they won't have to struggle when they're older, like we do. 

When it comes to fitness, my niece and godson get bored watching us workout every day.  They will join us for a few minutes and then go back to playing.  What is important is that I want them to see us being dedicated to our health.  As they get older, they'll have a concept of what it takes to keep their bodies healthy and working well.  

There are a lot of excuses to not workout.  P90X2 helps me make good choices, for myself, my partner, and helps me be a good example for the kids in my life.  This workout is what motivates me and works for me.  What works for you?

Crys

#11 - Because it prevents diabetes

I had this nice long post started yesterday, but somehow I deleted it.  I think I need to get more sleep! Anyway, here's a short version of today's post.  I'll get back on track in the morning...

Reason #11 to workout today from Spark Peoples 100 reasons to workout today is because it prevents diabetes.

Photo By .:[ Melissa ]:. Melissa P

Excellent post "10 Ways Exercise Prevents or Manages Diabetes"

Here's the first couple:

1. Physical activity helps you manage weight. You need to include a sensible eating program, but weight loss improves your ability to process glucose and ward off diabetes.
2. Exercise uses glucose stored in muscle and, over time and with increased fitness, enhances the amount of glucose you can store, lowering blood glucose in the process.

Definitely check out this article.  There's lots of good info out there about the link between type 2 diabetes and wellness. 

"For 30 minutes a day, five days a week, to go for a walk with your spouse doesn't seem to me to be asking the impossible," said lead researcher Dr. David Nathan of Massachusetts General Hospital.

If you're looking for something a little more intensive or dedicated, or f you're ready to make a change that will help you be healthy and stop the diet roller coaster, contact me.  We'll find the program that's right for you.

Crys

#10 - Because you want a great butt

The only way to get the body you want is to work for it, and the older we get the harder we have to work to keep these bodies of our in shape.  Ernest Hemingway famously said, “writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind and I like to write standing up.”  I spend a lot of my day sitting in front of a computer.  My butt was getting bigger and the shape was definitely not what I wanted.  Now that I workout every day, I'm starting to see that feminine shape that I really want to have following me around.
Here's a few exercises that are great for toning and shaping your butt from Ediets.

10 Great Butt Exercises from eDiets

1. Stiff-Legged Deadlift: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp two dumbbells and let them hang in front of your body. Keeping your knees straight, slowly bend forward at the hips and lower the dumbbells until you feel an intense stretch in your hamstrings. Then, reverse direction, contracting your glutes as you rise upward to the starting position.
 2. Good Morning: Begin by resting a barbell across your shoulders. Assume a shoulder-width stance and keep your lower back taut throughout the movement. Slowly bend forward at the hips until your body is roughly parallel with the floor. In a controlled fashion, slowly reverse direction, contracting your glutes as you raise your body up along the same path back to the start position.
3. Reverse Hyperextension: Begin by lying face down on a flat bench with your lower torso hanging off the end of the bench and your feet just short of touching the floor. Grasp the sides of the bench with both hands to support your body. Slowly raise your feet upward until they are just short of parallel with the ground, contracting your glutes at the top of the move. Then, reverse direction and return your legs to the start position.
 4. Unilateral Hip Extension: Begin by placing your left knee on the bottom of an incline bench. Bend your elbows and place your forearms across the top of the bench so they support your body weight. Slowly raise your right leg as high as comfortably possible, keeping it straight throughout the move. Contract your glutes and then reverse direction, returning back to the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left.
5. Lying Abduction: Begin by lying down on your left side. Bend your left leg at a 90-degree angle and bring your left foot to rest underneath your right knee. Keeping your right leg straight, slowly raise it as high as possible. Contract your glutes and return to the start position. After finishing the desired number of repetitions, turn over and repeat the process on your left.
 6. Standing Abduction: Begin by attaching an ankle weight to your right ankle. Stand with your feet together and grasp a sturdy, stationary object for support. Bring your right leg directly out to the side as far as comfortably possible. Contract your glutes and then slowly return the weight along the same path back to the start position. After finishing the desired number of repetitions, invert the process and repeat on the left.
7. Lying Leg Curl: Begin by lying face down on a leg curl machine, with your heels hooked underneath the roller pads. Keeping your thighs pressed to the machines surface, slowly curl your feet upward, stopping just short of touching your butt or as far as comfortably possible. Contract your hamstrings and then reverse direction, returning back to the start position.
8. Standing Leg Curl: Begin by attaching an ankle weight to your right ankle. Grasp onto a stationary object and slowly curl your right foot forward, stopping just short of touching your butt or as far as comfortably possible. Contract your right hamstring and then reverse direction, returning back to the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left.
9. Kneeling Abduction: Begin by kneeling on the ground, assuming an all fours position. Keeping your right leg bent, raise it to the side as high as comfortably possible. Contract your glutes and then slowly return the weight along the same path back to the start position. After finishing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left.
10. Floor Kick: Get into an all fours position, placing your palms on the floor to support your body weight. Keeping your left knee on the floor, straighten your right leg and extend it behind your body just short of touching the floor. Slowly raise your right leg as high as comfortably possible, keeping it straight throughout the move. Contract your glutes and then reverse direction, returning back the start position. After performing the desired number of repetitions, repeat the process on your left.

Are you ready to get the butt you want?

We're not all lingerie and bikini supermodels. But who says we can't learn their secrets to getting a firm, lifted butt? Leandro Carvalho, trainer to famous supermodels, combines Brazilian dance, cardio, and his own signature lower-body sculpting moves to help you make your booty your best feature.
Leandro's proven TriAngle Training method works all three major muscles of the buttocks from multiple angles to lift your butt, reduce your hips and thighs, and tone those stubborn trouble zones.


If you have questions, or if you're ready to make a change, join us on Team Beachbody!
Crys

#9 - Because it improves your heart health

Photo By rei-san 

From Web MD: A sedentary (inactive) lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. Fortunately, it's a risk factor that you can do something about. Regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has many benefits.

This is kind of a big deal.  What we eat and what we do makes our body healthier or sicker.  However, what I find really exciting is that I also think that exercise is good for our emotional "heart."  We breathe, find calm, or find our point of exhaustion. 

We aren't dwelling in our minds for just a short time each day.  Instead we're dwelling in our bodies.  Exercise triggers responses within our muscles, our nerves, and our balance stabilizers.  It keeps us too "busy" to over think things.  Thus, letting our subconscious take over and work on issues that need to be worked on. 

So that, when it's time for bed, we are sleepy and our mind can be quiet. That is a beautiful gift.

Crys

#8 Because it burns more calories than not working out

Photo By rellim jan Miller

When we're trying to get fit, we'll do any number of things to lose weight and change the shape of our bodies.  We'll try fad diets, pills, exercises, tread mills, just eating less, cutting out sugar or fat, shakes, etc.  Some people are driven while others are reluctantly making changes because they're no longer happy with the way that they feel in their skin.  I've known very large people who were happy in their skin.  I've known athletic people who aren't happy and continue to strive for some sort of perfection.  It's interesting to me, not only because I've had my own struggles with weight and body image throughout my life, but also because we're here to encourage each other. 

When a friend says that they're getting a little too much junk in the trunk, our first response is often that they're beautiful.  This is true to me when I say it.  I don't feel what they're feeling.  I just know that when I look at my friend, I see my beautiful friend. 

On the other hand, when somebody makes a grand effort to improve their body, I find it an inspiration as well.  I'm encouraged in my own battle between what is right or wrong with my own body in my own mind.  I'm not usually the first person to say "Have you lost weight?" but I'll often say, "You look really great!"  If they care to share, then I like to learn what is working for them. 

More often than any other answer, people have decided to get up, start walking, and become less sedentary.  That's the only start that really matters.  You finally get moving and you're instantly burning more calories than you were before.  You can go from sitting and burning about 75 calories per hour to walking and burning at least twice that (even at a slow pace). 

Here's a fun Calories Burned Chart.

Time to get moving...

Crys

#7 - Because you want to move forward, not backward

Photo By Nicholas_T 

"When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened."

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)

Twenty years from now, if you stay on your fitness plan, where will you be?  If you keep working out, don't give up, don't let a stumble take you out of the game, and you keep going, where will you end up? 

You want to move forward in life.  You want to feel better, look better, do better.  Sometimes I wish I could write things on the inside of my eyelids.  So that when my head is hung low, and my eyes are closed in defeat, I could read to myself  "You are one of those who Make It Happen."  Even if you fall down today, you will not be defeated by weakness if you keep building your strength.  Even if you can't catch your breath today, you will not be defeated by exhaustion if you keep building your endurance. 

The image you see in the mirror will change whether you keep working hard or whether you give up entirely.  What kind of change do you want to see? Every day that we make healthy choices, we're deciding what we want to see in the future.  The same goes for every unhealthy choice we make.  When our bodies start to break down from lack of use, when our nerves are damaged from sitting all day long, when we eat the most convenient and nutritionally lacking foods, we are choosing what we want to see in the future. 

We want to move forward, not backward.  We want strong and healthy bodies that we will joyfully live into old age with. 

Crys

Reason #6 to workout "Because you'll feel bad if you don't"

By Mel B. Melissa Wiese

This is number 6 of 100 Reasons You Should Workout Today. 

Thinking about disappointing myself is a good reason to get moving on any given day.  I like that I've made the commitment to be healthier.  It's disappointing to find that I've either made excuses or filled my day with other activities, and I can't workout.  Sometimes this is motivating enough to workout at strange times or get moving where ever I happen to be. 

This past Saturday we were visiting a friend that lives several hours away.  We were at an outdoor beer and chili festival.  By the time we got moving that morning and had breakfast, it was time to head to the festival.  We knew that we would have to head home pretty soon after the festival because the drive was long.  This was an outdoor festival so we did get plenty of walking in.  I felt like I needed to stretch.  I saw a little girl doing cartwheels in the grass.  It'd only been at least 20 years since I've done a cartwheel.  So I put down my purse and my fancy necklace made of a beer can.  I warned my husband to step aside... and I did a somewhat weak cartwheel.  When I stood up, at first I saw stars, and it made me laugh.  I could feel the places in my body that had stretched to help me throw my feet up into the air.  As the stars dissipated, I was ready to try again.  This time I threw my feet higher and I was conscious of where I wanted them to land (near where my hands would release as I came back up).  This time was much better.  It felt good to be stretching the rest of the world receded for just a few moments.  I probably looked silly, but I really didn't care.  It felt good.

Some nights we get home late, and we workout anyway, but that's always hard for me.  My motivation is low when I've had a long day at work and a long drive home.  I'm likely to choose to skip on those evenings.  So, this week we've started working out at 6am.  This means waking up before 5am so that we can drive to Alamosa (45 minute drive).  So far?  I'm a little more weary, but my days seem longer.  I am enjoying having workout partners.  I like having a protein shake first thing in the morning.  I never have to worry about fitting in my workout.  No more disappointments. 

This morning our workout was P90X2: Shoulders, Arms, & Balance and X2 Ab Ripper.  It was great.  I felt like this was my best effort at Ab Ripper to date.  I love this program.  If you've done P90X, you've got to try P90X2.  I think it's more fun even though it's also more challenging with all of the balance and stability exercises. 

If you haven't tried P90X, I highly recommend it!  It was my gateway to fitness.

Reason #5 Because you have goals you want to reach

Photo By opopododo Quinn

How have you done with your resolutions from the New Year?  Do you end up having some of the same resolutions every year?   I think most of us do, especially where exercise, diet, weight loss, and different physical activities are concerned.  We resolve to fit into clothes that we've "grown" out of.  We resolve to workout 3-5 times a week.  We resolve to spend more time outside and less time watching TV.  We all have goals.  Some of them are immediately attainable while some are long term goals. 

This year I decided to skip the resolutions that I never follow through with anyway.  I decided that I needed to make changes, but I didn't start doing anything about it right away.  I didn't like what I saw in the mirror.  My clothes were all getting tighter.  I didn't feel like walking out to the mailbox, much less any further.  Reasons to make a change began to outweigh my excuses. 

The tagline for Beachbody is "Decide. Commit. Succeed."  I'd decided, and finally I was ready to commit. 

Everybody needs to come to that point on their own.  Nothing will force us to get up and move around.  We must push ourselves outside of our comfort zone.  Let's face it, our comfort zone hasn't been very good to us.  It lets us get complacent. It lets us decide that the easy road is the road we want to be on.  That road is flat and boring.  The easy road never challenges us, and we never grow.  If you're happy with your life, with the image you see in the mirror, and with your health, then maybe you don't need to make a change.  However, if you're like me, you've started feeling aches and pains that are just the beginning of signs of trouble.  It hurts to get up off the couch.  It's exhausting to go get the mail.  My food tasted bland and boring.  My comfort zone was getting incredibly uncomfortable. 

When you've decided, then commit.  Choose a program or a goal that's right for you.  Whether you choose to go the extreme route like Insanity, P90X, or P90X2 or if you'd like something that is a little gentler to get started, perhaps Slim in 6 or Body Gospel, you won't regret getting started changing your own life.  There's a great comparison chart that will help you compare and choose the program that's right for you. 

My transformation is still happening.  We're all a work in progress. Our goals won't achieve themselves.  Nothing extraordinary happens without work.  You have things that you'd like to accomplish in this lifetime.  It's time to get to it!

Crys

#4 - Because you'll feel proud of yourself

Photo By enthusiast_rocks

There are days that I just don't feel like getting up early.  Or it's late in the day and I've not had time to workout yet.  I don't want to.  Usually one of two things happens, I either decide to do it anyway or my husband starts his workout and I can't resist joining him. 

I can't say enough about having a workout partner that helps me stay motivated.  Even when we workout separately, I like having sombody I can text when I need help or motivation.  It's also nice to have somebody share my celebrations with.  "Today I finally did Drea Rolls!!"  "I burned a record 650 calories!!" 

When I'm done though, it's all calm and happiness.  I'm proud that I was able to complete what I've committed to doing.  Sure, I still fall down, but it's the getting up that really matters.  Jumping back into the workout and getting dirty again.  Nothing that is worth it is easy, but no matter what you use for motivation and what kind of workout you did, you got off the couch and you did it!  If you simply get outside for a walk, or do a nice yoga stretch workout in your living room, you're doing something.  You're moving when you could have sat still.  Eventually, when you look in the mirror, you'll start to see changes, but until then, celebrate the fact that you started.  Be proud.  Be joyful. 

Crys

#3 Because exercise helps combat depression

Photo by: morgan cain

According to Web MD:

Regular exercise has been proven to help:

• Reduce stress
• Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression
• Boost self-esteem
• Improve sleep

 

This is one of my favorite motivators for working out regularly.  When I don't work out regularly, I have less motivation to do other things that interest me.  I'm more likely to sit in front of the tv, eat, or think about things that bother me.  When I work out regularly, my mind tends to work on problems without so much worrying.   I can focus and cope with things that are otherwise overwhelming.

 

When I was struggling with some really painful personal issues, I decided it was time to pour myself into my workouts.  The sessions helped me relax.  Sometimes I found resolutions to my problems, but other times, I was just able to escape issues in a healthy and productive way.  It's such a gift to do something that makes me feel better.

 

When I talk to people about working out, they sometimes feel that the programs I work would be too much for them.  I have friends who are older, heavier, or in poor health who just don't know where to start.  There are also people who have very full lives.  Adding in a workout that lasts an hour or longer just doensn't work for them.  Thankfully, not everybody has to do an "extreme" workout in order to start getting healthy.

 

My favorite motivational trainer is Tony Horton!  He's fun, he doesn't yell at me, and he makes me laugh.  One of the programs that Tony has on Beachbody is the 10-minute trainer.  These short workouts will help you get results without a huge time commitment. 

 

 

 

Here's some more info on the 10-Minute Trainer:

• Get into amazing shape in as little as 10 minutes a day! 10-Minute Trainer was made for people who are “too busy to exercise.”
• Build muscle and shed pounds in no time with super-concentrated workouts—and lose fat even faster with the 10-Minute Meals plan, free with the program.

How 10-Minute Trainer works

• Instead of working one muscle group at a time, Tony Horton’s breakthrough Super Stacking™ Technique conditions your body, head to toe, in minutes.
  Follow the free nutrition plan, with lots of quick, simple-to-prepare, delicious meals, and see results even faster.

10-Minute Trainer is for

• Busy people who don’t have a lot of time for fitness.
• Anyone who needs extra motivation—Tony Horton keeps you motivated, and even people who dislike exercise can get through these brief workouts.
• Everyone from beginners to frequent exercisers who want a quick workout on an especially busy day or while they’re traveling.
• People who want an exercise program without a lot of equipment.

 

What’s included in the Base Kit:

 

• 5 Workouts
• Workout Calendar
• Rapid Results Guidebook
• Resistance Band Kit
• Cardio Belt

 

3 FREE Bonus Gifts:

 

• Abs workout—Uncover your 6-pack fast
• 2-Day Jump Start program
• On-the-Go Workout Cards

 

What’s included in the Deluxe Upgrade Kit:

 

• 3 extra 10-Minute Trainer workouts
• 6 P90X ONE on ONE® workouts

 

Plus:

 

• Accelerated Results Calendar

Check out the 10 minute trainer using the link above or contact me, your beachbody coach,

Crys Wallace

Working Out Helps You Get Stronger!

Photo By greg westfall.

The second reason listed to motivate yourself to workout is that Exercise Helps You Become Stronger!

This might be a given to some. However, sometimes the workout part of losing weight seems to be forgotten.  We adjust our diets but we stop short when it comes to challenging our bodies.  When you do a search online, you find multiple sites offering you "get strong fast" and "easy" workout options.  Let's drop that right now.  If you want to get strong, you have to work at it.  You can start out smaller and slower and that'll take longer, or you can start out more extreme.  Extreme will get you there faster than taking it easy, but it's all hard work. 

At Men's Fitness, they recommend 10 steps to getting stronger now (these work great for women as well):

1.) Own the "big four" : squat, deadlift, bench press, and shoulder press

2.) Use barbells first.

3.) Keep it simple.

4.) Maintain a log.

5.) Don't overdo it.

6.) Think five :sets of five

7.) Add weights slowly.

8.) Take to the hills. do cardio in short, intense bursts.

9.) Balance your training..

10.) Do it right. Form is key.

Go to Men's Fitness to get the full article on building muscle more "quickly."

One of the Beachbody programs that I've been thinking about getting next is Les Mills Pump. I love the idea of having a guided program to help me gain strength and muscle.  

What makes LES MILLS PUMP so exciting?

• Beachbody® and Les Mills International teamed up specifically to bring to the world the best trainers, the best chart-topping music, and the best body-changing PUMP moves, so the same results can now be achieved at home that millions of people get in gyms every day.
• Done three times a week, this barbell-based rapid weight loss and accelerated strength-training program reshapes a person's entire body extremely fast!

Why is LES MILLS PUMP so effective?

• It's all about THE REP EFFECT™. Unlike traditional strength workouts, which feature heavy weights that bulk people up, this program features light-to-moderate weights used at a higher rate of repetition.
• The constantly changing tempo, body position, and speed of THE REP EFFECT breaks down more fat reserves, targets more muscle fibers, and burns more calories than traditional weight training.

What are the workouts like?

• Muscles reach fatigue by performing 70-100 repetitions per body part. That's about 4 times more reps than one would typically perform in a standard gym workout.

Do people really have to work out only 3 times a week? If they want, can they work out on other days too?

• We encourage anyone to engage in non-resistance training workouts (such as cardio or cross-training) on days that they're not doing LES MILLS PUMP.

Who should do this program?

• People of all ages and fitness levels
• Men and women who want to lose weight and get fit
• People who want leaner, stronger muscles
• Those new to working out
• Women who are afraid of getting bulky from lifting weights
• Fans of BODYPUMP gym classes who like to work out at home
• People who want to try something new
• People who do other Beachbody programs, such as: P90X®, RevAbs®, TurboFire®, 10-Minute Trainer®, and INSANITY®
• Weightlifters who want to improve muscular endurance

What's included in the LES MILLS PUMP kit?

Les Mills Base Kit

• 7 workouts on 7 DVDs (ranging from 20-55 minutes per workout)
• Padded barbell with speed safety clips
• Two 5-lb. weight plates
• Two 10-lb. weight plates
• Tape measure and measurement tracker
• Get Lean Nutrition Guide
• Lean, Strong & Unstoppable Fitness Guide

Les Mills Deluxe Kit

The Ultimate Cross Training Deluxe Kit is the perfect complement to the LES
MILLS PUMP workout system, and includes everything in the Base Kit, plus:

• 3 cardio workouts on 3 DVDs
• Step platform plus 4 risers
• Two additional 5-lb. weight plates

Does Exercise Help Increase Confidence?

 

Photo By: Earl McGehee

I'm using the Spark People post:  100 Reasons You Should Work Out Today as inspiration for my fitness blog.  The first reason they list to help you motivate yourself to workout today is that exercise makes you feel confident.

Several good answers were posted on Share Care.  Here's one to illustrate our topic today:

"Exercise and fitness can contribute greatly to feelings of increased confidence. Exercise has the ability to change your body composition for the better, and improving the way you look and feel will improve the way you see yourself. The way you perceive yourself has a direct impact on the way the world sees you. By improving your appearance and health you improve your self-image. You see yourself in a better light, and so does the world.

Exercise can also make you stronger, both physically and mentally. The knowledge that you are a stronger person both inside and out can lead to increased confidence. Simple daily tasks such as walking up a flight of stairs or carrying groceries are made easier with exercise. Knowing that you are doing something positive for your body and improving the way you look and feel is a tremendous builder of confidence."

This is quoted from: http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-exercise-increase-confidence

If you have any questions, thoughts, or would like help motivating yourself, please contact me.

My beachbody coaching website is: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/ascbeachbody my help is free.  Are you ready to take the beachbody challenge and make a positive change in your life today?

Happy Working Out!

Crys

Welcome! Are you ready for a change?

Are you looking to get in shape and make a change in your life.

I'm a Beachbody coach, and I am here to provide support and motivation. I am passionate about my health and fitness, and I would love the opportunity to help you with yours. Whether your new to fitness or just want to bump up the intensity, I can help you reach your goals. I have completed some of beachbody programs and am knowledgable about all of them.

Here on our blog you'll find motivational tips, reviews of programs, and opportunities to meet up.

Let's get in shape! Beachbody for summer!

Crys