Now most of my friends think I'm crazy for getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym, and maybe I am... but it has to be done right?
Wrong! It doesn't have to be done, I do it because I love it.
I wasn't always into fitness. When I was in school I ditched every PE lesson I ever had and the only time I would go running was to get more food.
Unfortunately I was not blessed with a fast metabolism like so many others, so when I ate badly it showed the next day.
I must have been about 14 years old in that picture and yes everyone has 'baby weight' but mine carried on into my late teens, not so cute when you're not a baby!
I wont sit here and lie to you, when I first started going to the gym I hated it, and I mean HATED it with a passion. I begrudged going to the gym, I was sure people where laughing at me because I didn't really know what I was doing. I felt like a fish out of water.
But the more I went, the more I began to enjoy it. Yes, actually forcing yourself to get up and go to the gym is hard and to be completely honest I don't think it every goes away, there will always be an excuse to not go. But the feeling you get when you're there is addictive!
It has been scientifically proven that when you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These endorphins trigger a positive feeling in your body, similar to that of morphine. Regular exercise has been proven to:
- Reduce Stress
- Ward of anxiety and feelings of depression
-Boost self-esteem
- Improve sleep
exercise also has a lot of health benefits as well:
- Strengthens your heart
- Lowers blood pressure
- Increases energy levels
- Strengths and builds bones
I can understand that maybe joining the gym can be a bit daunting for some people, it was for me at first. If thats the case, maybe start off at home where you're more comfortable, go for a run early morning or in the evening when the streets are quiet, just until you feel more at ease.
With the ever rising use of technology, fitness has never been so easily accessible. There are so many apps that you can download, making it as if you have your very own personal trainer at your finger tips. Personally I use:
-30 day squat challenge
- 30 day ab challenge
-30 day press up challenge
- My fitness pal
and my personal favourite - JEFIT
JEFIT has everything you could ever need, featured workout plans for every muscle at whatever level you feel most comfortable. You can save your favourite workouts so they are easily accessible, saving reps/sets and the weight in which you used giving you a target for next time. You can also take pictures of your progress and share your workouts with other people (I've never used this feature but its there if you wish).
Obviously its not just about working out, your diet plays a big part too. You cant expect to eat badly and it not have an effect.
Personally I don't find eating healthy a difficulty as its become second nature to me now. I make sure I have protein with every meal and limit my sweet tooth. I stay away from simple carbs such as sugary drinks, white bread, potatoes etc... Now by all means I'm not saying to loose weight stay away from bread, I just find that when I eat starchy food I bloat a lot and feel very uncomfortable, so for me it works.
I start my day with scrambled eggs, coffee (with soy milk) and a fruit smoothie. For lunch I usually have a salad and dinner is normally chicken/turkey and vegetables. I realise that it sounds very plain and boring, and at first it was but there are ways you can make it a bit more exciting. Grilled chicken in a chilli paste with roasted balsamic vinegar vegetables always goes down nicely. Not hard to make and a good twist from just your standard 'meat and veg'. Or try making homemade burgers with salad. Cooking is a big part of staying fit and healthy, so try new things and see what works for you.
It's not going to be easy, and you're going to want to give up, but set your self achievable weekly/monthly goals, and remember why you started.
