Self-discipline. It's a beautiful thing. But it's also tiring. Since my wedding in 2009, I've embarked on somewhat sporadic health/fitness journeys -- the latest documented in my inaptly named "25 by 25" challenge. But here's the problem: I get sick of the routine. My body gets used to the same moves. My palate can't take another freaking banana dipped in almond butter. And in most cases, I settle into a workout/eating routine for a few months, only to be deterred by whatever "event" that motivated me in the first place. Example: For my "25 by 25" challenge, I held on to the promise of getting fit by my 25th birthday. While I still had room for improvement, I definitely succeeded at being the healthiest/most fit I've been in a long time. But our quick trip to Disneyland + our moving adventure a few weeks later translated to a complete lack of time/will to work out or prepare healthy food.
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| Oh Disneyland. You get me every time. |
Now that we've had some time to unpack and unwind, motivation has sparked once more. And I hope I'll be smarter this time. While I'm still learning, here are some quick tips I'm using to stay out of a health/fitness rut:
- Don't use the same workout DVD everyday, or even the same instructor
- Track your progress with photos
- Experiment with healthy recipes -- I've got my eye on Mama Pea's list
- Buy cute workout clothes
- Adopt an exercise mantra or two -- PB Fingers has a great post on this
- Think of the long life you want to live
- Two words: summer berries
- Customize a playlist and change it up often
- Don't beat yourself up if you miss a workout or two
- Make drinking water a game. My husband and I compete
- Grab free workouts from YouTube and blogs. I'm currently loving:
What are your tips to avoid a health/fitness rut?
Good luck with your journey to healthiness Vanessa! I'm on one too right now. Most of what's on your list is on mine as well. I've been reading a lot of books to help me be healthy AND happy. I'm reading the Beauty Detox Solution which give SOOO many great health tips. The ones that I've been trying and has been giving me soooo much energy (no coffee for DAYS! I'm proud): Chug a TALL glass of water right when I get up, your body needs the most hydrating in the morning. Make sure that the first thing in your mouth at every meal is a vegetable, lots and lots of them. Try to eat lighter in the morning and lunch and heavier at dinner. I HIGHLY recommend this book! Sorry that was way too long for comment. :X
ReplyDeleteI am going to try and switch up my fitness activities a lot this summer so that I don't get into a rut.
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