Fit Body:

Consider Small Group Fitness Classes

Check out small group exercise for a motivation boost. Exercising with 3-4 others, instead of 20 others as in group fitness, may just be the workout solution for you. Small groups are not only an economical choice, they hold you accountable and don’t let you get lost in the shuffle of a big gym or crowded class. You’ll get personal attention, a challenging workout and the motivation of others at the same time.  You’ll find:

New friends.

Maybe even a new training partner to meet for workouts outside of your small group.

Friendly competition.

Encouragement and support of your workout (and healthy lifestyle) goals.

Solutions to your fitness challenges.

A fitness mentor in your coach or instructor.

Is Small Group Fitness For You?

Commit 100%

Fitness commitment doesn’t have levels that vary up or down. Fitness commitment doesn’t wane when times get tough, when schedules are difficult or when you experience doubt. Simply put, either you’re in or you’re out. Are you IN?

Step 1: Choose a fitness goal.

Step 2: Map out an exact plan. Write down all the details.

Step 3. Find a way. For example: Get up early, stay up late, make up your own workout at home, join a gym, exercise in at a park or beach, use a school or community track, pull up a YouTube workout, use streaming workouts, walk your errands, walk your dog, join the community center, join a club, ask a friend to be your accountability partner, create a noon-time fitness club at work, ask your family to exercise with you on the weekends.

Fitness commitment doesn’t have levels

Fit Mind:

Give up your fitness excuses.

Excuses won’t get you fitness results. Hard work, dedication and consistency will. Eliminate your excuses by making a list of the most common reasons to skip a workout. For example, no extra time, not enough energy and no access to equipment. Along side each excuse, brain storm three ways to overcome each according to your own schedule and goals. If you’re stumped, ask a friend to look at your list and come up with a solution together. Fitness results happen by making a daily commitment to your workout. Make your dedication stronger than every excuse.

Give up your fitness excuses.

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Form your Fitness Team

Getting fit takes effort, support and accountability. Form a fitness team by asking others to join you in your healthy living journey. Set a time to meet once a month, or even once a week. Share your top 3 fitness goals, as well as your specific plan how you’ll accomplish each. Ask for regular support of accountability via emails, texts or phone calls. As you work toward your goals together, you’ll be able to share your successes and problem-solve to overcome any obstacles that may come up. Having your team to report progress to will increase adherence and consistency, as well as keep motivation high. Your motivation will soar through encouraging your team members to keep going, stick with it and never give up on their fitness goals. Consider your fitness team as a healthy living mastermind group getting together for the common purpose of creating a healthy mind, body and heart. Who will you invite to join your fitness team?

Your Fitness Team

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Focus your motivation FORWARD!

Focus your motivation to keep moving forward. Your thoughts and words matter, so keep both positive and use words like “I am…” .  Make a decision right now to focus on what is possible for your fitness. Here’s how to start:

Commit daily to your goal.

Speak your goal aloud often.

Take at least one action step toward your goal each day.

Practice gratitude for each successful step accomplished toward your goal.

Instead of focusing on what you’re unable to do, focus on what you’re able to do! How can you keep moving forward?

Focus your motivation

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Choose health and fitness TODAY! Getting healthy and fit takes commitment, dedication and effort. And it will be worth every minute of your time, effort and sweat. Here’s how to stop procrastinating and choose health and fitness TODAY:

Set the timer on your phone  to signal workouts.

Ask friends and family for accountability.

Set a mini-goal for each workout.

Add a social component to make your fitness fun. Fun workouts mean you’ll be less likely to skip. And when you’re consistent with workouts, you’ll see results.

Learn a new sport or skill to keep interest high.

Choose health and fitness…

Practice Form!

If you’ve been at the weight lifting game for awhile, doing a quality-control check of your form is always productive. It’s easy to pick up bad habits here and there, or to crank out a sloppy set every so often. Check your alignment, check your posture, check your speed, check your range of motion, check your stability. Here’s how to begin:

Perform your exercise without weight, or with half the weight you usually do. How’s your form?

Don’t want to waste time? Quality-control your exercises as a range of motion warm-up without weights. Stand in front of the mirror and check your form points. A few minutes of quality control every few months is time and effort well spent! You’ll improve your results, and decrease risk of injury through logging a high-quality workout!

Practice Your Form

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Go PLAY!

Take a note from kids and add the PLAY to your workout!

Every once in awhile forget counting reps, sets and logging rest time, and go PLAY! Let loose and run, jump, skip and hop. Implementing one PLAY day per month is a great way to keep workout motivation high. Adding play to your workout is also a great way to take the pressure off of regulating intensity and such. Let your mind wander, get lost in your thoughts or the scenery around you. Invite friends and chat it up while getting active. Take a walk around your neighborhood, play with your kids, hit up the outdoor obstacle course at your local park!

Go PLAY!

Fitness Breaks!

Whenever you’re out and about or working on a project at home, add in fitness breaks! Anything goes as long as you’re moving your body for 10 minutes… and having fun! Fitness breaks are limited only by your imagination.

Take a Fitness Break

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Fitness opportunities are everywhere!

LOOK around you, there are fitness opportunities everywhere! Not all exercise has to be structured to count toward your fitness. With creativity and imagination, fitness opportunities can be found in a park, school yard, soccer field, housing complex, and so on. Here are a few to get started:

Wall: Wall Squat- Stand with your back against a wall and your feet about 12 inches from the wall. Keeping your torso on the wall, slide down the wall about 12 inches. Hold for ten to thirty seconds.

Stairs: Stair Intervals- Jog up 10-20 stairs. Turn around and immediately walk down the stairs. After ten seconds rest, repeat the stair interval.

Bench: Pushups- Place your hands on a bench about shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs out straight so only your toes are on the ground. Keeping your torso straight, lower your chest toward the bench, and then return to your starting position.

*Consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Fitness Opportunities are Everywhere!