Have you ever told yourself (or had a friend, family member or doctor tell you) that you need to “get in shape”, “get healthy”, “lose weight”, etc.? Do you find yourself lacking in motivation to do anything about it?
Living a healthy lifestyle is overwhelming if it is not something you are already doing. It is easy and all too common to become highly motivated and jump in with both feet only to get overwhelmed and discouraged very quickly. Thus making your “healthy lifestyle” venture short and painful in memory due to stress and guilt.
So here is the answer for you…are you ready?
Get Creative!
Ok I know what you are thinking…”This woman has lost her mind…That answer doesn’t help us at all!”
So here is the help that goes along with the answer.
1. First determine what it is that you enjoy doing.
Do you enjoy reading, watching television, gaming, bowling, dancing, competition? What is something that you feel excited about doing?
2. Now take that thing that you love to do and make it into something fitness-related.
Get creative with this…think outside the box…heck, throw the damn box away (recycle it please ;))!!
I know this sounds silly and may seem near impossible, but I challenge you all to give me activities that you love to do so we can brainstorm together and find a way to make it a healthy activity that you will actually do because you enjoy it!
I will give you one example that I used with one of my clients at work.
She and her husband enjoy bowling. Any mention of eating better or going for a walk and he (like most of us) mentally checks out and thus is not motivated to follow-through with it. So I suggested we look for a way to make bowling healthy and a fitness-related activity. I ended up finding an article in a Philadelphia magazine (Be Well Philly) called “I tried it: Bowling for Fitness at Sweat Fitness and Frames“. Great article!
Obviously those of us that do not live in Philadelphia will not be able to attend this facility and participate in this program…but we CAN take the ideas and creatively apply them to our own activities. I love the ideas presented in the article regarding doing jumping jacks and other activities to keep your heart rate up in between frames or while your partner is bowling his/her frame. Will people look at you funny? Probably…but who cares! You are getting healthy and having a blast doing it (don’t tell me you won’t burn a whole lot of calories just laughing at each other and at yourself during this)!
So your challenge is to comment on this blog and give me an idea of what activity/hobby you enjoy doing that we can make into a fitness-related activity.
Ready…….
Set…..
GO!
Until next time…make today a happy and healthy day!
🙂
Compassion Bulldog 
This is funny Miss Lori! We bowl – used to bowl 3 times a week – this year we are cutting back to one day of week. With taking both girls to bowling each week – we had to cut back somewhere because by the time Saturday rolled around I was just down right exhausted. Yes you are right – people will completely look at your funny. I grew up in the bowling world. Haha but I do think that is funny.
I think something else for a “bowling attribute” would be to continue to walk around until it is your next frame! I chase after my kids b/n each frame but in all honesty if you bowl fast you burn a lot of calories!
I started wearing these it work wraps to lose inches. So far they are working and giving me more motivation to get up and keep it off! I need something extra to do when cooking diner! I used cans and did arm exercised and my husband would laugh at me and tell me I was nuts!!
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