Alright guys, it’s time to be super honest here. I haven’t worked out in almost two years, until the past few months. I used to be a Crossfit Queen doing 4-6 classes a week! I then went through a really difficult time and then started working on getting the missing pieces in my life’s puzzle back together which consumed me entirely.
I started to remember how good I felt when I would even do just a warm-up. I missed the feelings of all the positive energy that would come out of my body while I was working out, this inspired me to start small. I couldn’t commit to full-time workout right away because I didn’t want to shock myself or put too much pressure on myself. The best way to start getting the ball moving on your fitness goals is to make realistic plans for yourself.
If you didn’t already know, I have my Master’s in Clinical Psychology and have been doing the internship (those 3,000 hours) for the past few years. I took time some off recently to focus on my blog but have worked with so many people and dealt with a lot of children, adolescents and adults who suffered mild to severe depression. One of the biggest ways we would overcome the depression was to start making daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Setting these goals were an effective way to boost confidence and start making small changes.
The same can go for fitness. Being active helps your mood, so I’d always suggest to my clients to either go for short or long walks, walk on some stairs, or if they weren’t ready to go out the house, to do something active at home. Over the course of a few weeks, most of the clients felt a significant increase in their mood and started to making bigger and more challenging goals for themselves. Not only did it feel good to start moving, it also felt good to get something checked off.
Here are some tips on how to get our of your fitness funk:
- Start at home: Doing some sit-ups, or lunges around the house will help get you into the groove. Pop a squat while brushing your teeth or cooking dinner, and continue doing random movements around the house to start getting your body used to the concept of working out. Also, I like to start my morning by doing 25 push ups right after I get out of bed to get my mind ready for the day. It works better than a cup of coffee.
- It’s the little things: Park farther away than usual and take those extra steps to the supermarket or the restaurant. Don’t use the elevators, take the stairs. Stairs are a great workout to keep your legs and glutes toned. I love making little efforts to stay active during the day. It makes me feel so proud at the end of the day.
- After work workout: You don’t have to go the gym to get a workout in, just take a stroll after work around the office or around your block. The worst feeling is coming home and getting so relaxed that you end up wanted to stay in and be lazy. For me, the gym is not only crowded after work, but finding a parking spot, then waiting for machines, etc…makes me not want to work out even more.
- Invest in cute workout clothes: I know this sounds silly but when you look good you feel good right? For me investing in workout gear that I will actually wear helps me feel excited about working out because why wouldn’t you want to use something you just bought that you love? Workout clothes, like regular clothes, allow you to express yourself and help feel strong when you’re about to work out. It also allows you to have fun and get excited about putting to use you need threads.
Recently I have discovered Sweaty Betty. For me, workout clothes are an essential part of my inspiration to work out. Sweaty Betty is one of the few workout retailers that actually speaks to me. The clothes are cute and fit me perfectly, but they’re made to be useful so that your workouts not only look stylish but are efficient. Unlike other brands that focus on design and being “too cool for school”, Sweaty Betty has the right amount of cool and the right energy behind it.
I recently purchased the Zero Gravity Run Leggings and LOVE them! Super comfortable, stylish and they don’t make me feel sweaty (wahoo!). I also purchased the Shakti Knit Sweater which keeps me warm and stylish during the chilly mornings.
Photography by: Photo by Vincent.
Hope this blog post inspired you to start working on your fitness dreams and to get out there, look good and feel good!
