I Have Never Been a Fitness Junkie
So people who know my sister and I know that she is the
crazy fitness junkie, and I am the health nut. I think that most people assume
that those two personalities go hand in hand….but they are extremely different.
I have never been into working out—most days it is the last thing on my mind. I
always feel like I have so many other things going on every day that I don’t
have time to workout. I hate running. All I can think about when I run is all the
other, more fun things I could be doing. My saving grace growing up was my love
of soccer; without soccer I probably would have ended up overweight and unhealthy.
Finally, I Found My Niche
Luckily,
when I entered college, I had a new drive to workout and become active. My amazing
roomie had the same desire, so we decided to start daily workout dates. I subscribed
to this app called Freeletics Gym which helped me to learn what to do when I
was at the gym. It plans all of your workouts and adjusts the weight based off
of the data that you input after each workout. FINALLY, I found the workout
routine that was right for me! Over the year I became more fit than I ever was
in my soccer days. My roommate and I began to crave our workouts which was
something I had never experienced. By this time I had been eating clean for
about 2 years. I am sensitive to gluten and dairy as well as a few other more
obscure foods, so my great diet plus my newfound appreciation for fitness was a
recipe for success. I have never been more confident in my body and my
athleticism and my health overall.
I feel
like a lot of people can relate to my struggle. A workout routine is impossible
to stick to unless you enjoy it. That doesn’t mean that the workouts should be
easy—we want to build muscle and burn calories—but it should be something that
isn’t miserable for you. People who love running love it for the runners high…..As
far as I am concerned, runners high is a big, fat myth….
The Formula for a Successful Fitness Routine
If you struggle with fitness and sticking to a routine, here
are some tips to help you find your niche:
1.
Find a workout buddy with a similar fitness
level. If my roomie hadn’t been into working out, I probably would never have
stuck to my routine. She kept me accountable and pushed me when I wanted to slack,
and I pushed her when she wanted to slack. We complained together, died during our
workouts on the rowing machine together, and, admittedly, sometimes we ran to
Cheesy Grill for milkshakes directly after our workout together….There were
weeks that we went every day, and there were weeks we didn’t go at all because
of class. It worked for us because we were at the same level, so find someone of
your own to team up with on this journey toward fitness.
2.
Keep trying new things until you find what you
truly love! Soccer was my love for many years, but, as I grew up, it stopped
working for me. I lost my drive to go to practice and condition because I had
so much going on that it became last priority. Not to mention, when I entered
high school soccer it just became too political and lots less fun. You do not
have to workout the same way your entire life. Transitioning to the gym was the
best thing for me. However, there are millions of ways to workout. Try a yoga class,
Zumba, a running group, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, backpacking, water skiing,
super long walks with your dog, kick boxing, rock climbing, tennis, hockey,
figure skating, movie workouts, etc. The options are literally endless! Get out
of your comfort zone and go to that spin class your friend has invited you to
for months!
3.
Consider changing your diet as well. I find that
I stick to my routine much better when I can see improvement. The best way to
see improvement and feel improvement is to have both a diet and workout plan that
work well in conjunction. It doesn’t have to be a complex or strict diet, but
you will notice that your workouts are better and you just feel better in
general when you are working a full program.
4.
Choose goals, but don’t choose a certain weight.
One thing that I have learned coming to college is that our bodies are all
different. If I am to be the same weight as someone else, I will probably be
disappointed. I always wanted to lose weight, but when I worked out I was
gaining muscle and burning fat simultaneously which kept my weight pretty
constant. What was changing was my aesthetic and how I felt. Make your goal a
way to feel. I wanted to be able to feel confident in a more cropped top, a
bodycon dress, a bikini, and while doing an active, athletic activity with
friends. Am I there yet? Some days yes and some days no! It is a constant
battle, but fighting for a feeling is way more powerful for me than fighting
for a number that may or may not be realistic for my body.
5.
Invest in some cute, high quality workout
clothes. I made sure to get clothes that make me feel confident for the gym. I
want to feel like a 10/10 when I am working out. Also, if I love to wear the clothes,
I love to get ready to workout, and then I am more inclined to go. My roommate
and I also set a goal for how many days we would workout in a month. If we made
the goal, we would go shopping for a cute new gym outfit. Give yourself those
rewards!
Ideas for Alternative Workouts
You all hear about my sisters workouts all the time, and she
is very hardcore gym/running junkie. I do like the gym, but I am not as intense as she is when it comes to building lots of muscle. I workout to stay fit and healthy, not to reach that next, amazing, impressive, physical feat. These are the things I do to workout:
1.
Gym—I love going to the gym with my Freeletics
Gym app and lifting weights. There is an option to do rowing along with your
weights on the app, but I found that when a rowing workout came up I would put
off the gym. I decided to quit rowing so that I would go more consistently. It
is all about being honest with yourself.
2.
Hiking—I love hiking with my sister, boyfriend,
and dogs. Hiking is the best workout for my dogs—they love being free to run
and play! I love the beautiful scenery and the adventure of finding a beautiful
place in the middle of nowhere. Last Labor Day Weekend we went and hiked
Horton, a mountain in the Sawtooth mountain range. It was so hard, but the
calorie burn was amazing, and we felt great afterwards!
3.
Long Walks—I love taking my dogs on long walks
with my mom. Many say that walking is not strenuous enough exercise to really
make an impact. I challenge that statement. I try and walk to work and anywhere
else I go as many days as possible, and when I am home I walk my dogs with my
mom. It is a great way to fit in a workout and have a conversation! We could go
for hours and walk for miles, and my dogs love it too! I always feel better when I spend more time walking each day rather than driving. Check out the link to see if you are up for my Walk to Work Challenge!
4.
Snowshoeing—My dogs do not really know what to
make of snowshoeing yet…but we are working on it! I love hiking through the
winter wonderland that is our forests in winter! It is a great workout for them
and for you. Snowshoeing is like a ton of slow motion high knees….very painful
after a while. Especially is you are the one breaking trail! However, you will
never see more beautiful scenes than when you snowshoe!
5.
Water Skiing—Being dragged behind a boat does
not seem like a lot of work, but, let me tell you what, you will be sore in
muscles you did not even know existed the day after you waterski! I try to go
most mornings I am at my lake house. Sometimes the early mornings are not my
favorite, and I slack, but when I do ski it is so fun and my body feels great
after!
6.
Movie Workouts—I love movies! My friends and I
decided that we should take advantage of our movie addiction, stop watching movies
while sitting, and workout during instead! When you choose your movie, choose a
bunch of criteria that happens often in the movie. Maybe you are watching Scooby
Doo. Every time Scooby is given a Scooby Snack, do ten pushups. Anytime a ghost/monster
sneaks up on them, do 20 crunches. Any time Velma loses her glasses, plank
until she finds them. Any time there is a running sequence set to music, do
calf raises until the song ends. You guys get the idea! I actually typed a few suggestions up here, so check those out if you are interested! A movie workout can be
built off of any movie or show! It is always fun to try and keep up with the
workout! This is probably my favorite one :)
I had to do a lot of experimenting to find ones that I
enjoyed, and I still am looking for more! I also grew out of a few: I used to
swim, play tennis, play soccer, run, and rock climb. As I grew, as did my workout
preferences. If your workouts are getting old or it has been hard for you to
stay committed and go workout, maybe it is time for a change! I promise there is something for everyone so please do not get discouraged! Keep trying!
Comment down below what your favorite workouts are, and give
me ideas for more movie workouts if you have any!
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