Blog Archives
Still Looking for Your Motivation?
Dreams of a beach getaway could be just the motivation you need!
Congratulations! You’re already two weeks in to making those health and fitness resolutions stick! Keep up the good work and when you get discouraged, remember, in just a few short weeks, those new healthy behaviors will be old habits. Before you know it, getting in those 30 minutes of cardio or downing those extra glasses of water will be as routine as brushing your teeth!
If you’re still looking for a reason to work toward your goal, why not try the “trick” that’s probably worked since you were a kid: set up some rewards. Think about it, if you know you’re going to get a bonus or an extra day off for putting in 150% on a project, you’re bound to put in some extra energy at work. So, why not use the same kind of incentive to break an extra sweat now and then and turn a health and fitness goal into a reality?
Goals can be short term, like saying you’ll make it to that Zumba class every Tuesday until February. You can also set up long term goals, like losing 10 pounds by May 1st or studying to get certified in the fitness industry by summer. Whatever the goal, having a reward attached offers that extra incentive to help pushing toward it.
Now, I’m not necessarily talking about high-calorie rewards. For example, instead of saying “If I stick with this health and fitness routine for the six weeks like Laura said I could, I get to eat cupcakes every day for a whole week,” why not try this: “If I stick with this health and fitness routine for the six weeks like Laura said I could, I’ll book a massage to help my body feel even better!”
For all the fitness chicks, rewards for short-term goals can be anything from new workout wear to a pedicure and for the guys, maybe you snag tickets to that big game. Reaching a long-term goal could reap a bigger reward like a spa getaway or special night out.
When you’re working hard to take care of yourself, knowing a “treat” is waiting for you down the road could be just what you need to stay on track with your plans to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Some New Tunes for the New Year
Despite the abbreviated work week, it’s been a bit of a challenge getting back to the grind after taking some time off for the holidays. One thing that always helps me put a bit more spring in my steps during my morning walk to work and keep the energy up during my workouts is good music.
So, on this first Friday of 2013, I thought I’d offer some of my current favorite songs that keep me moving on the elliptical, banging out the burpees and making each rep count. Some of these tunes are old, some are new, but they always manage to keep me going!
My Cardio Kicks:
- “‘Right Now” (feat. David Guetta), Rihanna
- “Appreciate Me,” Amuka (feat. Sheila Brody)
- “Run” (feat. Alanah) Andy Duguid
- “Sweet Nothing” (feat. Florence Welch) Calvin Harris
- “Spectrum,” Florence + The Machine
- “Turn Around (5, 4, 3, 2,1),” Flo Rida
- “Feel the Beat,” Darude
- “Who’s Got Your Love?” Nyasia
- “Theme to S’Express,” S’Express
- “The Sound of Goodbye,” Perpetuous Dreamer
Tabata/ Weights/ CrossFit-Style Motivators:
- “Hate It or Love It,” Game & 50 Cent
- “My Time” Fabolous & Jeremih
- “I Miss the Misery, ” Halestorm
- “Falls Apart,” Stabbing Westward
- “4 Minutes,” Madonna w/ Justin Timberlake
- ” Read the rest of this entry
Friday’s Final Thoughts
TGIF!
With the 2012 holiday hustle and bustle in high gear, there aren’t always enough hours in the day to come up with original material for my blog. So, I hope you’ll forgive my ending this particular work week with what I hope will be a little comic relief and some borrowed words for motivation.
First, thanks to my colleague and friend Valerie for this one:
For those of you who aren’t sure why the above definition holds true, here’s an encore presentation of the quick video I posted over the summer showing what the burpee looks like in action:
Finally, I offer a few words from some famous folks that I hope will motivate you to conquer burpees and all the other “tough stuff” life can throw at you:
“All things ar difficult before they are easy.”-Thomas Fuller
“If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.” -Vince Lombardi
“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.” -Roger Bannister
And finally, I figured this was the perfect quote to end a Friday post:
“Always so sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”-Ernest Hemingway
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and plenty of chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Using Other Peoples’ Words for Some Monday Motivation
A great resource for motivation!
Happy Labor Day!
I usually kick off each week with some words of motivation to get people moving or put some life plans into action. However, since today is a holiday, I thought I’d take a bit of a break and borrow a few words of wisdom from some notable folks.
Anyone who follows me on Twitter or keeps up with me on Facebook (and if you don’t, why not start today?) knows I share all kinds of quotes from sports legends, philosophers and pop culture icons. Some have been worthy of repeat postings. So today, I though I’d compile a list of my very favorites.
I believe many of these sayings offer a boost beyond the walls of the gym or your favorite running route. They’re reminders on why we should push the body, mind and spirit in our everyday pursuit of overall physical and mental wellness.
- “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” -Bill Cosby
- “He who does not risk will never drink champagne.”-Russian proverb
- “The difference between life and the movies is that a script has to make sense, and life doesn’t.” – Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- “The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.” -Ben Stein
- “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”-Paul Valery
- “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”-Wayne Gretzky
- “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” -Andy Warhol
- “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”-Confucius
- “Lead, follow or get out of the way.”-Thomas Paine
- “Clear your mind of can’t.” -Solon
- “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”-Vince Lombardi
- “The man who has no imagination has no wings.”-Muhammad Ali
- “All things are difficult before they are easy.”-Thomas Fuller
- “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience usually comes from bad judgment.”-Anonymous
- “Sometimes you have to play for a long time to be able to play like yourself.”-Miles Davis, Jr.
- “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.”-Vince Lombardi
- “Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you.”-Aldous Huxley
- “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t wanna know.”-Jerry Garcia
For number 20, I leave you with my favorite quote at this time in my life:
“Some people believe that holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go – and then do it.” -Ann Landers
It’s amazing how the words of others can sometimes be the eye opener you need for that extra push to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Mindful Monday
Now’s the perfect time to take stock of what makes you smile!
Photo by Leslie Hassler
I can’t believe we’re one week away from Labor Day. I’m part of the group that considers the holiday the unofficial end of summer.
When I was a kid, that meant dealing with a mix of dread and excitement in anticipation of a new school year. Now that I’m a grown up, (not that I always feel like one) even though I don’t have kids, I find this back-to-school time one of the best times to take stock of where I’m at and figure out where I’d like to go from here.
What does that mean exactly? It’s time for me to get out the big planner and set up a new schedule and some new deadlines for some new adventures. That involves taking all of the following into consideration:
- Reality: The hours involved with my Monday through Friday work schedule.
- Current deadlines: That includes the writing I do for the posts here each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- Necessities: Working out on my own and the group exercise classes that my body and spirit can’t live without.
- New projects: I’ve been collecting information for a new writing project for quite some time and I need to get my butt in gear and start putting things together. I also want to lure some guest bloggers to appear on my site and hopefully get some of my writing on other sites in return. There’s a lot of social networking ahead of me!
- Down time: Yes, I plan to designate which days and/or nights I’ll be social and which ones where I’ll be alone to work on all the other “stuff” or simply chill out.
What’s my motivation for getting my fall plan on paper in the week ahead? Because when you have a to-do list in your head, it can be overwhelming. You stress about all there is to do, and with no plan, the stress festers and nothing gets done.
If you’re busy helping the kids get ready for the new school year, why not use this time to also get your own September schedule in order. Maybe this is the autumn you put it on your schedule to get to that gym class or meet a friend for a walk one or two days a week after you get the kids out the door. If the afternoons are better, then schedule an hour to get some exercise before you have to pick the kids up from practice or other after-school activity. While they’re busy with their extra-cirriculars, maybe that’s your hour to spend on a project you’ve had on the back burner for too long. Have you wanted to start your own blog or write a book? Or maybe now’s the time to find out what the Zumba craze is all about or take that photography class.
Making time for you doesn’t mean you’re being selfish. Prioritizing what you need to find your contentment will only make it easier for you and the people you care about to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
lauralovesfitness 