Don’t Be Your Own Workout Enemy
March 12th, 2010Don’t Be Your Own Workout Enemy
When it comes to working out, it goes without saying that you will need a certain level of will power and dedication — but many women are their own worst enemies. Our self conscious attitudes and paranoia of how we are perceived by others drag us down rather than into the gym, and this is hard to overcome.
We all have things about our body that we don’t like (cue sexy Megan Fox with her strange thumbs) but we can’t let them hold us back, Megan certainly doesn’t. Sure, walking into a gym that is filled with ‘the fit people’ can be intimidating, but only if you let it be…
Booster 1 - Buy a new workout wardrobe
When we feel down, how do we cheer ourselves up? Go shopping for new clothes of course! When you are working out it is vital that you feel good, so go shopping for workout gear that you feel comfortable in and head off to the gym with a new-found confidence.
Booster 2 - Lose your paranoia
You walk into a gym all ready to workout and get blown away by all the machines and mirrors, the huge guys in the corner picking up weights the size of houses and the beautiful women who barely break a sweat while pounding away on the running machine and bam — your whole workout goes out the window.
Forget everyone else. Don’t look at the gym pros as you head to your area or simply smile at the fact that you will be one of the dreaded ‘fit people’ if you work hard enough. Take a friend for support or wear an MP3 player and you will soon notice that no one is actually looking at you…
Booster 3 - Plan your workout
Plan what you want to start with, what you will move onto and where you will finish, and when you walk in head straight to what you want and get started. Pretend you are a horse with blinkers on and simply walk into the gym, head held high and knuckle down.
The trick is to not let your fears overcome you. No one is judging you, no one is looking at you and how confident we feel is in your own hands — so suck it up and get working out!
Get in Shape Like a Desperate Housewife!
We all do it; watch the latest happenings on Wisteria Lane, wondering why the housewives there were blessed with such perfect bodies while we’re stuck with the left overs! Yet, what we often forget is that they only look so good because they work at it, and if we all worked at it, we could all look that good!
Contrary to popular belief, celebrities are real people (Shock, horror!) — human beings, just like the rest of us, and they work hard to look as perfect as we see them. Follow their workout regimes and you too can get in shape without going under the surgeon’s knife… (Cue the boos for the new Heidi Montag!)
Nicolette Sheridan - Hot in her 40’s
At 46, Nicolette Sheridan boasts a body that many of us stand in awe over. Never a flappy bit or bulge in sight — but how does she do it? Nicolette claims to regularly go to the gym as well as horse riding and playing volleyball. She is an active gal who munches on fresh fruit and veggies in order to get in shape, and teamed up with various weight training sessions at the gym; she makes many 20 somethings ashamed to be full of their non-gym-attending excuses!
Eva Longoria Parker - Petite and powerful
Although only 5ft 2ins, Eva’s petite frame is toned and honed beyond perfection! She gets her tight body by using a personal trainer to assist her at the gym as she claims it helps her to keep to her routine of attending the gym as well as giving her the encouragement that she needs. She also does kick boxing twice a week and yoga plays an important part in how she keeps herself looking so fit.
Terri Hatcher - Lean and slim
At 45, Terri puts her slim frame down to healthy eating, regular gym sessions, hill walking and er, stripping lessons! Terri’s, ahem, interesting way of keeping fit sees her complete one hour of stretching and pilates followed by 30 minutes on a stripper pole without a single man in sight! Gentle weight training also keeps her slender arms in shape and she explains that her pole dancing workouts are ‘not about turning a guy on, it’s about turning yourself on and feeling good about yourself’. Two thumbs up for Ms. Hatcher!
Three quick ways to look great this summer
Women are busier than ever — with high powered jobs, children, husbands and of course some quality time for yourself. So where do you find the time to get fit?
There are a few ways to get fit for the summer that you can squeeze in around your crazy schedule, and here are a few tips on how you can rock the beach in your bikini with just a few simple steps.
Step 1 - Walk more!
We rely heavily on cars and public transport to get around and often we don’t have to. Walk to the stores, get off the bus one stop earlier, walk the kids to school, take the dog out twice a day… all of this will help to tone your muscles and burn calories and it is simple to fit into your day. So, next time you head towards the car to go five minutes down the road — turn around and walk out the front door instead!
Step 2 - Use the housework as a workout!
The housework is never finished; there is always something to tidy, to wash or to sweep, so why not use your housework time to get fit? Put some music on and get dusting — and while you dust, have a dance! It may feel ridiculous at first, but not only will your dusting be more fun but you will burn more calories while you do it.
Mop the floor faster and vacuum harder to get your heart beat going and actually cook a dinner from scratch rather than simply opening a packet — because moving around, chopping and cutting are all activities that mean you are on the move more. Never again will the housework be so dull…
Step three - Workout at home
At the end of a long day often the last thing on your mind is getting out to go to the gym, so why not bring your workout to your home? Buy a keep fit video and workout in your own living room and while you catch up on your favourite TV for the night, instead of watching from the sofa why not do a few miles on your running machine? There is so much you can do from home like walking around the house with light weights in your hands, a few rounds of sprinting up the stairs, and let me guess — you have never tried reading the kids a bedtime story while completing 50 sit ups? It works!
3 reasons why you should always make time for the gym
Women in the noughties are busy; busy at work, busy raising children, busy shopping, busy challenging men for the well paid jobs, busy socializing… you name it, we do it! But we need to find more time to fit in trips to the gym, as getting fit and healthy has never been more fun or important to our hectic lifestyles.
We seem to find hours in the day where there aren’t any when it comes to taking the kids to school or staying late at work for a meeting — yet when it comes to getting into the gym; you can guarantee we will find a reason why we don’t have time! So, why is it so important to our lives to make time to get to the gym?
Reason 1: You will feel good about yourself!
The adrenaline in your body will soon get pumping and you will leave the gym on a natural high; especially as you start to see the changes in your body. Make yourself feel good at the end of a long day and believe me, a few miles on the running machine paired with some muscle toning exercises with weights will leave you feeling like a new woman in no time…
Reason 2: You will look better!
Let’s be honest, most women go to the gym to make themselves look good. Yes, it is a plus to know you are getting healthy but there is no denying that most of us push ourselves to work out in order to get ourselves a rockin’ body! And why not? When we look good, we feel good and it is empowering to be told you look fit and healthy, which is great for our personal lives and our working lives.
Reason 3: You will put your life back into your own hands!
It’s simple; when we look and feel good we live happier lives. You will find your confidence goes through the roof and you will feel like you have a new found voice that demands people listen to you! Long gone are the days when you sat back while others fought out the promotion or the children screamed at the very thought of going to bed when you want them to. You will find your whole persona has an increased confidence that makes you feel like you can take on the world, and with your new body, why not try?
