Tag Archives: working out

Why You Can’t Always Trust “Fitness” Influencers – Along with A Much Healthier Approach to Fitness

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Nowadays thanks to social media, there is so much information about health and fitness. People post everything ranging from their workouts to what they eat each day. Just about anyone and everyone can post including normal people who are fitness enthusiasts, actual professionals who work as trainers or within the fitness industry, or people who call themselves fitness influencers who might have a massive following but do not have a professional background. You might also notice that fitness influencers try to sell fitness programs that are marketed to help you train to look just like them or try to obtain a certain physique. While I also like to turn to places like Instagram to learn new fitness moves or as fitness inspiration to help me vary my workouts, that is the extent that I rely on social media for this information because I know that there are many people out there who might make fitness claims that are not valid. For example, it often is a taboo subject to talk about plastic surgery or any type of body procedures; however, there are some people that have had work done but say that they look that way thanks to their workouts and programs. This is false advertising! That is why I don’t think you can take everything that you see on social media all too seriously. Also keep in mind that everyone’s genetics are designed differently so a specific diet and fitness routine that works on one person might not necessarily work as effectively on someone else.

I believe the healthiest approach to fitness is to first set realistic expectations and fitness goals that apply to you personally. From there, you can create a game plan to determine how you will reach these goals and then develop the right habits that you can adapt on a daily basis that will help you achieve the results that you are looking for. Consistency is the key and as long as you are consistent with your efforts, you will notice that you will make progress over time. It is natural that there will be off days but never let that bring you down and know that you can always pick right back up from where you started or where you were previously. It is much healthier to focus on your own fitness journey than to compare yourself to others because the majority of the time, the people who might have a major social media following are not always the most knowledgeable and/or might be taking extreme measures to appear “healthy” when they actually are not. It is important to find what works for you and to apply it in your everyday life so it becomes a lifestyle as opposed to feeling like a chore which is why that it is also beneficial to find physical activities that you love paired with a healthy diet that you find enjoyable.

3 Reasons Why Daily Exercise is Essential

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While many would agree that staying healthy is a priority, not everyone puts the right practices into place to ensure that they maintain their health. I would say that there are many factors that contribute to living a healthy lifestyle that include implementing a nutritious diet, getting enough rest each day, keeping stress levels low, and daily exercise. While I know many people live very busy lives between their careers and personal lives, I do not think that should be an excuse or a free pass to ignore exercising a few days a week. Why? I believe that daily exercise is not only important for your health but that it is essential for your well being.

Exercise Boosts Your Mood – For me personally, I am in such a better mood for the day after I exercise. Whereas when I do not fit in the time for a workout, I notice a difference in my mood where I might not feel as happy and upbeat. Studies do show that exercise very well does not only uplift your mood but it also helps as a stress reliever. For many including myself, exercise also builds my mental strength which is just as important as your physical strength and perhaps even more so.

Exercise Helps With Weight Management – While some might not feel that they are in need of losing weight or building muscle, it is still a good habit to exercise to maintain your weight throughout your lifetime. As people age, it is natural to put on excess weight little by little due to the metabolism slowing down over time. I do believe that focusing on a healthy diet is more effective than exercise given the choice; however, if you eat well AND exercise daily, that is the golden combo in helping you stay physically fit and obtaining a desirable physique.

Exercise Prevents Potential Health Problems – I look at it like this, we only have one body that is going to carry us throughout life. It is for this reason that we should treat our bodies with care and in order to do so, we have to feed our bodies with the right nutrients and fuel while also keeping the body moving in order for it to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. By taking the time to exercise daily, it helps in preventing future health problems to occur and also can add many extra years to your life. Remember that every little bit of exercise helps and it is never too late to start!

How to Make Fitness a Part of Your Lifestyle

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Many people understand the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and why adding physical exercise into their daily routine is important but not everyone takes the time to make it a part of their lifestyle. I understand the reason for this is going to vary from person to person but can range from simply not liking to exercise or perhaps living a busy life where it is hard to make the time for it. Whatever the case may be, the good thing is that any little bit of exercise that you do is always going to be better than doing absolutely nothing. So you can start very small and eventually progress over time. If creating a fitness routine is totally new for you, then it can be expected that you might not be doing much in the very beginning and that’s OKAY! As long as there’s a start, you can always build better habits as time goes on. You might now be wondering, “Well, how exactly do I get started?”

Find Physical Activities That You LOVE – Not everyone loves going to a gym but thankfully a gym membership is not a requirement. You can easily workout in the comfort of your own home or find sports/physical hobbies that you enjoy. If you participate in activities that you actually want to do, then it will not feel as much like work.

Set Fitness Goals and Write Them Down – If you have fitness goals that you are looking to achieve, then take the time to write them down. It is good to have goals because this can motivate you to actually take action to achieve them. For example, your goal might be to weight train for three days a week at 30 minutes a session. Once this becomes a habit, you can then reassess and create more challenging fitness goals.

Hire a Professional – It is a valuable investment to hire a professional to teach you how to train properly or if it is a sport that you are looking to get better at, then this is also a good reason to look into hiring someone who can up your skill set. Some people might feel intimidated or that they can’t do a certain physical activity but with the right professional help, there is an opportunity to grow, learn something new, and/or improve from where you started.

Plan Ahead by Creating a Consistent Fitness Schedule – By creating a fitness schedule in advance, you are adding concrete blocks of time within your day/week to work out while also holding yourself accountable to sticking to a fitness regime. It’s okay if it varies from week to week depending on your schedule as long as you are making some type of commitment each week. In other words, it is not as effective to have four days in a week that you work out followed by two weeks of inactivity before you get back on track again to your initial schedule. This plan lacks consistency which means that it is not much a part of your lifestyle. It is more preferable to maybe start with two to three days a week and commit to that rather than fitting in random work outs sporadically throughout the month.

How I Stepped Up My Fitness Routines Thanks to Instagram

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When it comes to exercise and fitness, if you are someone who is already very active and not a novice at the gym, it can be challenging to find ways to elevate your everyday workouts. Someone like myself who utilizes a gym membership by going on a regular basis, it is easy to gravitate towards the same weight machines and do the same moves all the time. Although I do make the effort to switch things up and change up the routines, I still feel there is more room for change. When it comes to any type of exercise, the body adapts pretty quickly which is why you need to incorporate various moves and activities where the body feels challenged on a regular basis or otherwise, it will not change over time. People often do not understand why they have reached a plateau and usually this is due to not challenging the body enough and doing too much of the same stuff.

Although there are many resources on YouTube and plenty of workouts you can probably access through an app, I actually find Instagram to be the most ideal place to find new workouts. There are many fitness professionals and enthusiasts who post their workouts on Instagram. To find a workout, you can use hashtags to find exactly what you are looking for. For example, you can type something like #legsworkout and you will find plenty of results where people post a short video of their routine or it might feature a single move. It is great because they are usually short clips versus watching a full hour of someone’s workout. On Instagram, there is also a way you can bookmark people’s posts so I have an entire bookmarked section, “Fitness” where I bookmark moves that I like from various people. I cannot always rely on my memory to remember everything I viewed which is why the bookmarking feature on Instagram is extremely beneficial as I can refer back to it at any time.

So before I go to the gym, I look through some of my bookmarked videos on Instagram so I have an idea what I want to do when I get there. I find that having the video is helpful for viewing the proper form of the exercise to ensure I can execute it correctly at the gym myself. When it comes to fitness, being that it is a very important component of my lifestyle and a self investment I will never neglect, I always want to find ways to try new things and pick up new challenges along the way. There are certain exercises I really like which I will still continue to do but there is always room for growth and improvement. As they say, “no pain, no gain” so rather than stay in the comfort zone, it is valuable to push yourself to maximize your long term results.

Don’t Like to Exercise? – Maybe I Can Convince You Otherwise

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For me personally, heath and fitness have always been a huge priority in my life. I started exercising on a regular basis since I was in high school and although my routines have varied throughout my life, there was never a time I took an extended break from it or was too busy to exercise. The truth of the matter is, we are never “too busy” for the things we care about most. Being that staying healthy and in shape are important to me, a good diet paired with an exercise routine are both essentials. I do not believe that you can rely solely on good genetics–that is not enough. Although the science shows that what you eat has more of a higher impact on your overall health and well being than exercise, there is no doubt that putting both into practice will provide you with the very best results.

I actually truly do not understand people who do not exercise. People should want to take care of themselves and take accountability for their health. I suppose the reasons can vary from not enjoying it, too many professional and/or personal obligations, getting bored doing it, or maybe not looking at the long term positive effects of incorporating exercise into daily life. Even if you cannot find a little time out of your day to do it a few days a week, I always say that any time you can commit to yourself is always better than nothing.

If you are in the category where you never exercise or maybe you do so at random but there is no real emphasis on making it a priority, I would like to provide some reasons as to why you need to start making it a habit.

Keeps You Young and Looking Good – People who take the time to exercise regularly always look way younger than their physical age. I will admit, this was always one of the many incentives as to why I stuck with it was because I knew that it would preserve my youth over time. Aesthetically, I also always wanted to stay in shape and knew that the work (aka exercise) would provide the results I was looking for.

Improves Energy Levels / Mood / Mental Health – Without a doubt, after a good workout, I feel amazing. This includes feeling accomplished, energized, strong (both mentally and physically), productive, happy, and so much more. I am naturally a positive and happy person but by adding a solid workout to my day really takes it to a higher level by uplifting my mood and building my mental strength.

Prevents Potential Health Problems From Occurring Later in Life – Exercise cannot prevent everything as we know that certain health problems are genetic and are completely out of our hands no matter how much we eat well and exercise. However, keeping the body healthy definitely adds a layer of protection in preventing serious health problems to arise.

Helps with Weight Management – As we age, it is natural for the metabolism to slow down and unexpected weight to appear out of no where. Even if you have consistently been a relatively healthy individual, it is still easy for the body to put on weight over time. This is where exercise helps by burning excess calories and if you also weight train, the muscle you build will aid in weight management by keeping the body lean and trim. (If genetically, you are thin to begin with, this does not give you a pass to not have to exercise. Even though you might not be looking to lose weight, you can still exercise by lifting weights to add muscle to your body which is ideal).

Increases Longevity – I know for some, people live day by day, not thinking about their future, let alone tomorrow. However, if you could live a longer and healthier life, wouldn’t that be the best scenario? By adding exercise, you are staying healthy and ultimately extending your life by investing in your health.

Even though these are all reasons that you probably are familiar with and they are nothing new to you, at the very least, I hope reading this can inspire you to make a healthy life change and open your mind to the idea of making exercise a part of your lifestyle–not just a temporary resolution that you make and fail to keep each year.

How to Get Started TODAY: The best thing you can do is start incorporating small amounts at a time and vary the activities. Ideally, find things that you enjoy. If you like going on nature walks, I would still count that as a form of exercise because at least you are moving. Over time, you can increase the amount of time you allot during the week and increase the intensity. Again, start small and gradually you can always do more as time progresses.

* If you are totally clueless when it comes to working out or what would be the best moves for your current fitness level, consider hiring a professional who can personalize a routine just for you and teach you how to exercise properly.

* If you really want to take it a step further, write down your activity each day. Even for someone like myself who has the self motivation to exercise daily, there is still a need to stay on track and record the progress. How do I stay disciplined and regimented? — I write it down every single day! I simply record the activity and how many minutes along with what I ate that day. As I mentioned, a nutritious diet and a fitness regime are the golden combo when it comes to staying healthy! 🙂

Do You Put the “Work” in Workout? – 3 Ways to Maximize Your Results Over Time

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I do not find it a coincidence that the word “WORK” is in workout.  For me, a good WORKout is where I am not only breaking a sweat but also pushing my limits.  Although I cannot go to a gym right now (due to strict Covid-19 restrictions in my area), I never picked up a gym membership to “take it easy.”  If that’s what I was looking to do, I could do that in the comfort of my own home or go to a spa to relax. I recognize working out is not for everyone and not always the easiest habit to pick up but the good news is, you do not need to belong to a gym to get moving. Faced with the pandemic, I adapted to working out from home in my living room with just a few weights on hand and continue my cardio workouts with either jogging or even Zoom workouts taught by a professional. My point is, nothing should hold you back from a good workout!

You may be asking yourself, “How do I push my limits?  How do I take my WORKouts to the next level?”  Everyone is at a different personal fitness level, so I cannot give you a direct answer, but at the very least, I can definitely motivate you and share some healthy tips.  For starters, you will absolutely NEED to make a CONSCIOUS choice to push your limits and this will require strong efforts on your part.

The first step is to really focus on what your personal fitness/health goals are.  If nothing comes to mind, then maybe take some time to think about them. I am a firm believer in goal setting in all aspects of life which means that health/fitness is no different.  You will need to set specific goals.  Going to the gym and losing weight are NOT concrete goals.  Everyone’s goals are very personal but things to think about include what your ideal weight might be or maybe how much time each day/week you want to incorporate a fitness regime.  This is where you need to ask yourself what you are ultimately looking to achieve and depending on what it is, it is a good idea to also attach a deadline (or else you may never reach it).

How can you push your limits? How badly do you want to attain your goals? Generally speaking, in order to maximize your results, remember that you do not ever want to get too comfortable or else you will hit a plateau. Here are some ways you can continue to push yourself once you have set some goals for yourself and have gotten into the routine of working out or about to for some people 😉 :

Switch Up Your Cardio:  There are so many cardiovascular exercises available. Anything where you are keeping your body moving and at an elevated heart rate. To name a few, there is running, swimming, dancing, playing a sport, rowing machine, Stair Master, etc. It is good to switch it up, again so that your body does not get too used to any particular movement and it is good to work out various parts of the body while burning a good amount of calories.

Vary the Settings on Cardio Machines: If you are utilizing a cardio machine such as a treadmill, you can manually change the speed and inclines which can give yourself an extra push. There is even a setting where the speeds/intervals can change every few minutes at random which is good as it always keeps your body guessing and changes up your heart rate versus keeping it at a manual setting where you are doing the same pace the entire time.

Increase the Weights When Weight Training:  In order to continue building strength, it is important to gradually increase the weights.  It is beneficial to do this every so often as the body usually adapts over time and it needs a new challenge.  If you can do over ten repetitions of a single lifting move with ease, then it might not be working the body to its full potential so that is a good indicator to up the weights.  When lifting weights, really try to concentrate on good form even if that means less repetitions.  Like most things in life, quality over quantity!

[A Final Note:  Often times, people ask me how I stay so motivated.  I look at working out like brushing my teeth or any other self care health habit. So for me, of course I want to take care of my health and body. I also aesthetically like being in shape. As a reminder, if you TRULY love yourself, you are naturally only going to want to do what’s best for you.]