I bet you wonder how she does it. That fit superwoman that has three kids, a part time job, and a volunteer job, carrying 6 credits a semester working toward her master’s degree, all while managing to get to the gym. Don’t forget she still plays Cinderella at home because as my mom always said, “the laundry doesn’t fold itself, and dinner isn’t delivered by a genie.”
So if you try to tell someone like that “I just don’t have enough time to get to the gym,” she might try to sympathize with you, but honestly, her-toned-tush you don’t have enough time. You do. We are all given 24 hours in a day. And no, there aren’t enough hours in the day, for ANY of us. Life is hectic. Life is busy. Life gets hard. We make time for what’s important and your health is important. So, you might have to cut out the hour per day you spend stalking people on Facebook , or quit watching “Real Housewives” reruns (guys, don’t even pretend you aren’t into that), and we’ll never believe you are color coordinating your closet for summer. I’m going to be bold here and say that your “I don’t have time” excuse is 99.9% not valid.
By speaking with members and local people in the Poconos, I came up with a list of the most common invalid excuses people have for not going to the gym:
Money: Ok. A gym membership is a bit of an investment. But I would rather spend, say, 50 dollars a month for the year instead of spending money on medicine, doctor visits, fast food, eating out, and pain reduction products. If you go to the gym regularly, preferably more days than not during the week, lots of those aches and pains and health issues will begin to dissipate. Spend a little to save a lot. Done & done.
Too Tired/ I’m too lazy: You’re tired? Congratulations, you are the average person working in corporate America. This past week, I asked some members how they felt before and after their workout, and the nearly 100% answered that they felt like they had more energy and felt better after working out than before. Working out releases endorphins and makes you feel great! It’s like a double shot espresso, but better.
Body Image: Too many people think they have to get in shape before they go to the gym and that they will stick out like a sore thumb. While some gyms appeal to young, buff, beautiful people where an “average” person might feel out of place, please trust me when I say that there are lot more average people both in the world at large and at most health clubs. We are all there to better ourselves. Some people want to get stronger, some want to get leaner, some want to run out work frustration, and some are there on doctor’s orders or for medical reasons. Find the right gym for you - a place that is full of different kinds of people, encouraging you and helping you, no matter WHAT you look like or WHAT your motivation is.
Time: *Please refer to my opening paragraph, re-read twice.*
Maybe you have heard some of these excuses before, or used them yourself. Take those excuses out with the garbage. They are doing nothing but hindering your health. Even in a time of financial stress, the very last thing that should be cut from your life is your well being. You owe it to yourself, and you deserve it, too.
*Kate is a personal trainer at Elevations Health Club.
Circuit training is a great workout for busy people who are trying to burn fat, gain lean muscle, and get the most out of their workout in the least amount of time…95% of us! Watch me show you what it's all about!
What is circuit training?
Circuit training is a type of conditioning in which you move through a series of exercises with little or no rest between each station. Circuit training workouts generally include 6-10 different exercises in a particular order. The point of circuit training is to keep your heart rate up throughout the entire workout, while building muscle and burning fat! A cardiovascular workout and toning workout in one! Sounds great, right?
Benefits of circuit training:
Increases fat loss: even after working out, your metabolism will still be going strong throughout the duration of the day.
Is adaptable to your goals: If you are trying to build muscle, you can incorporate this workout into your routine to switch it up once in a while and use heavier weights for lower repetitions (6-8 reps). On the other hand, if your goal is to tone and gain muscular endurance, go lighter on the weights and higher on the repetitions (12-15 reps).
Variety: Use weight machines, free weights, cardio machines, or your body weight for your resistance. If you don’t want to count res, use a stop watch for timed sets. Be creative!
Time savings: For of those days when you literally have only a half-hour to workout, circuit training is exactly what you want to muster up and muscle through!
Check out this video for a sample circuit, and enjoy your workout!
*Kate is a Personal Trainer at Elevations Health Club.
This season let's all try to avoid this statement: “After the holidays, I’m going to start.” Kick that mindset to the curb. Start now. You can still rock around the Christmas tree, it's just that this year, you won't feel like someone secretly shrunk your pants in the dryer. It honestly isn’t too hard for the holidays, you just have to attack your healthy living with the same gusto that you attack that Christmas shopping list.
Most of the time we really don’t have a burning desire to decorate gingerbread houses with the little ones, we just know that gingerbread houses = massive amounts of candy that you might accidentally eat 42 pieces of. The truth is, if we didn’t want to have that candy, we would be building Christmas log cabins with the kids out of popsicle sticks. That way nothing sweet and tempting would be scattered about on the kitchen table.
It's all about avoiding temptation and getting our mindset right. It is possible to live a healthy lifestyle, but you have to believe that you can do it. It has to start with you. To get you started, I've complied a list of tips that will help for this holiday season.
1. This is the season to believe, so start by believing in yourself. You may think, well, that honestly seems just a little too simple. But some people, when setting a goal, will tell themselves, ‘this is going to be soooooooo hard.’ Instead tell yourself, ‘I am going to do this.’ I mean literally, tell yourself. Speak it out loud, put notes around your room, your kitchen, wherever. Write out encouragement for yourself!
2. Avoid temptation. This doesn’t mean that you have to become the Grinch and avoid every holiday party as you sit in isolation in your living room with a Shape Magazine on your lap. On the other hand, you don’t have to make seven trips to that amazing homemade chocolate place to get candy for everyone and their mother, where you end up buying three boxes for yourself. This year, get people candles or gift cards instead. Be creative, outside of the sweets department.
3. Prepare. I’m sure that your spinach and artichoke dip is to die for, but it's killing you on the calories. When you go to holiday parties, bring a healthy option that you like, so this way you can't use the infamous excuse, “there was nothing healthy to eat there, so I just ate all desserts.” A fruit tray with a variety of cheeses or a veggie tray with reduced fat dip are two great options.
4. Drink! …………. “now she is talking!” Well, I’m actually talking about drinking water. So many people will mistake thirst for hunger when really all they need is a tall glass of H2o.
5. The gym doesn’t close in December. Try not to get that seasonal allergy to the gym this year. Stick with your workout routine! Get a workout buddy to hold you accountable, work with a personal trainer, get into those exercise classes! Keep your body moving, it will thank you afterwards.
6. Your wish list. Think of a couple of gifts to put on your list that are going to motivate you to get to work! Maybe you want a new dry-fit workout outfit, or an iTunes gift card to get some amazing music that motivates you to move! When we get new things, we want to try them right away… and hot sneakers are looking better than hot chocolate mix this year.
7. Pie has portion sizes, too. Sometimes you have to try that homemade pie that your best friend made, but you don’t need a quarter of the pie to feel satisfied. Take small bites and put your fork down to talk in between. Our minds aren’t on the same page as our stomachs, so sometimes it takes our brains a few minutes to realize that we are, in fact, full.
8. Doggy-bags are for dogs. You don’t want leftovers. There. I just made your mind up for you. You don’t need to take home cookies on a plate from that party, and you don’t need to take home that extra bacon burger from the restaurant. Unless the leftovers are leafy and green and resemble something like a chicken breast, it's best just to pass.
9. Sleep. I feel like a hypocrite writing this one. I know what its like to be so busy you don’t feel its physically possible to get it all done, but even if you have 20 minutes between doing errands, working, and taking the kids to basketball, take the nap. Little rest and poor nutrition cause our cortisol levels to spike. That's our stress hormone, and we want it as low as possible.
10. Happy for the Holidays. Keep your spirits up and play music that puts you in a great mood! The happier you are, the better you feel. You want to feel good all year long, but this is the perfect season to start feeling even better! Oh, and smileeeeeee. You look more attractive that way.
*Kate is a Personal Trainer at Elevations Health Club.
To receive more information on nutrition and weight loss, please request the Elevations special report on How to Lose Weight Sensibly!