Monday, September 13, 2010

A New Flight Plan to Make Your Fitness Routine Soar

Back to School, Back to the gym. A New Flight Plan to Make Your Fitness Routine Soar


It’s that time of year again. School, work, sports practices, weekend sporting events, family time……. You name it and this time of year everything kicks in full swing. How does one find time to do things that our body needs to keep going, like exercising and eating properly? There is just no time to go to the gym and cook healthy meals between taking the kids to and from school, going to work, taking them to practices, etc. Does this sound familiar?

I hear the above “turbulence” on a daily basis. So let’s try to make this transition back into school as smooth as possible by following these simple ideas.

Our first step is to sit back and breathe for a moment. The first couple weeks of school are hectic, crazy, and confusing. Let your schedule fall into place then start the next step, which is to plan ahead and prioritize. Planning ahead and prioritizing are vital steps to having a successful fitness routine. We need to not only plan specifically when we can exercise, but also what we are going to eat throughout the day. Every night you should plan exactly what you will be eating on the following day. What healthy snacks will you take with you to work? What will you be eating for lunch? These are vitally important to eating healthy consistently. When you don’t plan ahead and prepare your meals and snacks it is very easy to stop for a fast, convenient, fatty processed meal. This may also require taking some time on a Sunday to do your grocery shopping so that you can free up some time during the week for family time.

Planning when you will be exercising is your next step. And maybe more importantly, planning what you will be doing when you get to the gym. All to often fitness professionals see people wandering around the gym looking for what they should do next. This is a major time waster that can be simply eliminated by having your exercise routine planned when you come to the gym. There is no reason to spend 1 ½ to 2 hours in the gym, especially if you are wasting a lot of that time trying to figure out your next exercise. If you need help with planning an exercise routine you have many options at your finger tips, from personal trainers to social network sites.

Having a training partner is the next recommendation. Some of us don’t always have that self motivation to go to the gym consistently. Having a training partner makes you accountable to them as well as your self. We all need a little “push” at some point, and your training partner is there for you as much as you are there for them.

Remember, everything worth achieving requires work, consistency and patience. Where you are on day three of your exercise program is meaningless. What matters is where you are on day three hundred and, further, day three thousand.

Live with No Regrets, No Excuses!
Scott

Monday, September 6, 2010

Sometimes you just gotta be a kid......


I have come to realize that often times it is the little things in life that make such a lasting impression.

Exercise, for example, often times gets a bad rap. You just mention the word "exercise" and people will just cringe. Why does exercise have such as negative connotation to so many people?

Last week, I had one of those weeks that makes it difficult to maintain a normal routine of exercise and healthy eating. And like many of you, I succumbed to eating foods that I normally would not have eaten, and paid the price by feeling like crap for a couple of days.

So, why does exercise get a bad rap? People have forgotten that exercise doesn't have to be going to the gym and lifting weights or jumping on the treadmill and running.

Today, after spending Labor day working, I had a dilemma. I knew that I needed to do something to be active, but I also wanted to play with my son. When I got home from work it began to rain, as it often does on a Florida afternoon. Conventional thought would have been to stay inside and out of the rain. But there was no lightning, so I thought it could be great opportunity to take my 5 year old son for a jog.

After about 5 minutes, a light rain turned into a torrential down pour. Next thing I know, my son started screaming, "This is the best play day ever! This is the best play day ever!" How cool is that? We were actually exercising!! But to my son, it was just like playing in the rain. Before I knew it, we were both taking breaks from our jog to jump and splash in puddles! That excitement I saw in him put things into perspective for me. Exercise doesn't have to be what so many people think of it to be. Sometimes you just have to get out and run around in the rain.........sometimes you just gotta be a kid again.

Living life with No regrets...... No excuses.....
Scott

"Life Is Motion"

"Life Is Motion"
Turkish Get Up