I sat staring at the stair climber in my bedroom. It has been there for two months, unused and gathering dust. It was strategically placed in my line of vision in the bedroom so it would be the first and last thing I see on waking or going to sleep.
This was my way to motivate myself to exercise and get in shape. Sigh, it has proved not to be a very effective method. I am certain many of you can identify with this, if not, congrats on being disciplined and having the sheer will power of a Super human being.
Getting in shape should not be a mundane, repetitive boring as hell routine. It can be fun, a change of lifestyle and also aid in networking to help you add valuable skills to your repertoire. Here is how to do that; throw out those exercise bikes, stair climber and bow flex machines!! You hardly use them anyway. There are several ways to get in shape and have fun while doing it.
Join a class or a club – There are lots of extracurricular activities out there to enjoy. From sports, dance, yoga there are many fun options to get in shape. If you have always envied popular dancers and their smooth moves, get into a class and get moving. One popular new trend is learning to pole dance. Yes ladies, pole dancing tones and strengthens muscles so don’t knock it until you try it.
Take the stairs or a walk – When getting around on errands or in the office;
take the flight of stairs to the next floor rather than the elevator. Grab a coworker and take a stroll to a restaurant nearby to grab lunch rather than order in and eat at your desk. Try to walk to nearby locations rather than always driving. Always leave a pair of comfy flats in the office to facilitate this.
Learn while you burn – Learning certain skills provides not only ways to handle yourself in certain situations but also to help you stay in shape. Life skills that are handy such as taking a self defense class, or karate. Also taking swimming lessons, where you learn an important life skill and for those of you who don’t like to be all sweaty when exercising, this is a cool way of doing it.
Last but certainly not the least is to know that you are what you eat. Avoid the fast food joints and unhealthy snacks. However, most importantly, do not skip a meal or starve yourself as this is a sure way to overindulge.
I find that having people who have successfully maintained their ideal body weight eat five small meals per day. It revs up the metabolism without feeling hunger pangs.
Also, if you do snack, choose snacks like fruits topped with yogurt or honey, it tastes great and is good for you. You can also add various nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, or cashew to that which is also healthy.
