With the invention of the Internet, we have easy access to information now more than ever before. There are tons of websites offering up free tips, workout plans and advice on how to be fit, active and healthy. Many bloggers make a living inspiring, motivating and educating people on the latest fitness trends and gear. However, with all this knowledge, you must be cautious in deciding who to trust and believe. Some individuals are paid to promote products and others don’t have the education or certifications to instruct others.
Don’t want to commit to a gym or monthly fee? Create a home gym. This does not mean you have to remodel a room in your house, but you can be creative. Invest in a few key exercise accessories like a jump rope, kettle bells, free weights and bands. On busy days when I still want to get a workout in, I use our porch. I will pull up a chair for step exercises, as well as for incorporating body weight exercises like dips.
There are a lot people on various social media outlets who want to motivate and inspire you. I follow a few bloggers who post workout tips, recipes and insights into how they live their healthy lifestyle. I get a lot of my home workouts from them and always love when I find new healthy meals to cook up.
YouTube is a great resource for learning how to do exercises. If I’m unsure about an exercise, I’ll look it up and watch it in action. I may view a few videos until I really understand what I’m supposed to do. If I think it’s a little too advanced or I may get hurt, I replace the exercise with something else. Searching for an “alternative exercise” is also great way to learn new ways to work out a particular muscle group.
But if you’re like a lot of people, you need to be in the gym to be motivated. Just being around other people who are working out can give you that extra push you need. I’ll see a girl lifting an impressive weight and it makes me push myself harder and up my workout. Boot camp classes and Couch to 5K programs challenge you mentally and physically. You develop a sense of camaraderie with the other members and look forward to being healthy and active together. Plus a little competition can help you push yourself harder. Being healthy and active with others not only keeps you motivated and focused, but it’s fun too.
Belonging to different gyms for different classes can become expensive. A lot of places have punch cards or allow you to drop in for the classes you want to take. Most places offer a free trial or class so you can try it out before committing to anything long-term. If you’re dying to join a gym but it seems expensive, take a look at your daily spending. Things add up quickly and maybe you can trade one habit in to pay for this one, instead. Think about how much you spend on that coffee every day or by eating lunch out instead of packing. No matter what your goals are, you have to find out what you like to do and what you will stick with.
Katie Kozloff-Banks, Wyomissing, is the owner of Taffy Activewear and Katie K Active. Her closets are full of fun activewear! Her favorite activewear lines, besides her own, include Puma and Reebok. Check out her collection at katiekactive.com
