• Blogs >
• Fitness Blog >
• 10 Ways to Build a Better You

04 Sep 2007 07:56 AM

10 Ways to Build a Better You

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

Let me say this in all honesty, if you don't want to work out -- you're not going to. Part of the reason why exercise works is because it gives you a payoff while you doing it, after you're doing it and the next time you go to do it. You feel better, you feel healthier, you sleep better. But if you really don't want to exercise, people don't. You can make a thousand and one excuses for yourself and they're all valid. Trust me, I've been there.

But if you want to do it -- then here are 10 ways you can make it work for you and improve your results.

• First and foremost, we all have a great time of day that's ideal for us. I'm a morning person -- mornings are my best time to hit my workout. Since I workout in the morning, I've usually not eaten before my workout so everything I'm burning comes straight from my own stores rather than what I just ate
• Some people just aren't comfortable working out in a gym and some people are more likely to enjoy an aerobics class than grinding away on the machines -- so you need to know what you like doing so that you can continue to enjoy yourself
• Don't let yourself get bored, find a way to watch television, read, listen to music or bring a friend -- something that keeps your mind engaged
• I can't get through my day without a schedule anymore, no matter how much I get done, there are always a dozen things to do -- so it's not enough to say I'm going to work out today - instead I say, I'm going to get up at 5 and do my workout between 5:15 and 6 in the morning, that way I know that I've got that time set aside - period.
• The great thing about fitness is that you can share it with other people. I know lots of the regular walkers in my neighborhood because they walk when I do and we chat, catch up, exchange ideas and we keep right on walking - it's always a plus to see them every day
• No matter how sluggish I feel at the start of a session, when I'm done, I always feel wired and like a million bucks. I'm ready to take charge of the day and go for it - that's one of the real perks of working out
• There is no all in in fitness -- seriously, if you can't commit to more than 20 minutes a day and you're not interested in strength training, you'd rather just bust a mile or two on your treadmill, then go for it, some fitness is ALWAYS better than no fitness
• Set your own goals and your own priorities, sure I can tell you about mine all day long, but you know what's important in your life and you know what you need to take care of, so set your own priorities in order to get things done as you need to
• There is no crying in baseball and there is no quitting in fitness -- that word shouldn't exist, I don't care if you can't workout for three weeks because you're in terrific pain, you haven't quit, you've taken a break because you will get back to it
• Don't confuse body type with fitness level, a very good friend of mine is a size 2, she weighs 105 pounds soaking wet and she's not in good shape. She can't run up a flight of stairs without wheezing and she's got no body strength to speak of -- so the next time you look at those curves in the mirror -- think about what you can do before you worry about how you look

What do you think?

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Send this to a friend