Fitness

Ahhh.. working out. Why so many of us fight it, I'll never know! Being physically active should be second nature, and yet so many are incredibly lazy. Could this be due to advances in technology? Maybe. Could it be due to pure laziness of Americans? Maybe. Whatever it is, it makes me sad.

Physical fitness is critical to your health, your energy, your self-image and confidence... I could go on and on. Why aren't we motivated to exercise? Why do we consider it pure torture? Because we're afraid to be sore? Afraid it's going to hurt? AFRAID of embarrassing ourselves?

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF??

Jillian Michaels is one of the best motivators for physical fitness, and I think it's definitely why she's a top trainer. She makes you search and dig inside yourself until you uncover whatever it is that is stopping you from being better. Sure, you may think she's terrifying and mean, but in reality... she's PURE GENIUS! You can't tell me that you watch The Biggest Loser and you don't want the training and leadership they're receiving. (Don't deny it, people!) They are changing lives, and I am so motivated by that.

Speaking of motivation.. STOP looking for someone or something else to motivate you. YOU are your own motivation. YOU make your own choices. YOU are responsible for YOU. (Do you feel like I'm pointing fingers? Because I am.)  Don't be mad. It's for your own good, promise.

Set Goals!

Goal setting is something that can change your whole life. Not just in the realm of health, but in every realm of your life. If you want to be better, you probably have goals. You may not write them down, but you have probably thought of something at some point. 

"I want to __________ by ____________."             "I want to weight ________ by _________."

As you may have guessed, there are some rules to setting goals. It's easy, I promise. And, it makes a big difference. It's called SMART goal setting. Yes, it's an acronym.

Specific

Be specific! (Duh.) Of course, you want to be specific about WHAT YOU WANT to do. Answer these questions: who, what, when, where, and why.

Example: "Get in shape." vs. "Join a health club and workout 3 days per week."

Measurable

Establish a criteria to measure your progress. When you measure your progress regularly, you tend to remain focused on achieving your goals. Ask how much, how many, how will I know when I've reached my goal?

Example: "I want to lose 2 pounds by next Sunday, February 3, 2013." 

Attainable

When a goal is important to you, you begin to figure out ways to achieve that goal. You develop the attitude, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You find yourself worthy and able to achieve them.

Realistic

Be realistic with yourself. What are you WILLING and ABLE to do? As far as weight loss goes, it is reasonable and healthy to lose approximately 2-3 pounds per week.

Timely

This is generally not a problem. However, it is important that you set a specific date and time to accomplish your goals! Not someday, not sometime, but a SPECIFIC day!