Wow! Where has the time gone? It's already June 11th and we are coming in on our 3rd week of summer break. Time sure does fly.
Last week you may have noticed that I did not send out my weekly news. My son turned 6, we had family in town and I honestly just told myself that it's OK to take a break. Our mental health, energies, and overall fitness journeys need to take breaks. Sometimes when I am so worn out and the week is flying by and I realize that I only got one workout in, I feel disappointed but then I remind myself that it's OK to have this break. There will always be another day, next week or even next month to hit those goals. It's so important to remember to not get burned out. This is what causes a lot of people to give up, say it's too hard, or just say screw it. It's crucial to keep in mind that the key to effective fitness is finding an activity that you enjoy, one that challenges you and leaves you feeling satisfied after each session. Remember, your workouts should be a reward for yourself and no one else. So, make sure to prioritize activities that motivate and inspire you, whether it's weightlifting or yoga. The key is to focus on what brings you joy and fulfillment while working towards your fitness goals.
Staying motivated and committed to the process, rather than feeling like exercise is a chore or obligation, is exactly how I look at working out. For example, if you love dancing, try a Zumba or hip-hop class to get your heart rate up. If you enjoy the outdoors, consider hiking or biking on a scenic trail. If you like to compete, sign up for a local race or competition. Use these tools to help motivate you to challenge yourself. Most of us are not in school anymore and the mundane work life can make you forget about the things that challenge you. In school teachers gave us tests and those tests are what challenged us to do better, to get the A+ grade and to succeed. Now outside of that chapter in your life what are you challenging yourself with?
In addition, it is important to find a workout routine that fits your lifestyle and schedule. If you have limited time, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or Tabata workouts can be done in as little as 20 minutes and still provide a challenging workout. On the other hand, if you have more time and enjoy variety, try mixing up your workouts with different types of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. This month my husband is challenging himself to hit 3,000 push-ups, 1500 crunches, 1000 pull-ups, and 1000 burpees & 30 miles with our dog. THAT'S A HUGE GOAL! But the best thing about that goal is that he is motivated. He sets these challenges to success and continues to show improvement every single day. Last month we started this 3,000 push-up challenge and to get through 10 sets of 10 push-ups was challenging. Now he is hitting 50 push-ups in 1 set and makes it seamless. Setting up goals like this can be your first start at finding success with your fitness. Walking 1 mile a day, going to 1 fitness class at your local gym a week. joining in 2 yoga classes each week, walking your dog every night after dinner, and doing 10 push-ups a day for the next 30 days. Whatever your goal is, set it!
Remember, the most important thing is to find an enjoyable and sustainable routine that works for you and to celebrate your progress and achievements along the way. Over the next few weeks, I want you to come up with a goal in July. Email me your goal and I will record them. Let me help you succeed and let's get on this journey together. For July I will help you and check in to see if you met that goal and if you are unsure and want to partake in something together, let's DO IT!
Keep an eye out for my goal for July and join me.
