Friday Fitness: #FitnessMotto

Yesterday and this morning the recommended hashtag on WW Connect is #fitnessmotto. As in, what's your fitness motto?

I don't think I have a fitness motto per se, but I do have a few fitness philosophies (that are kind of like mottos) that I thought I'd share in today's Friday Fitness post.

#1 -  just do it!

(and yes, I'm stealing this one so please nobody from Nike sue me!)

But really you just have to decide to start. And then on the days you just don't want to and you're looking for an excuse you need to just force yourself to do it. I workout 5-6 days a week. And there are definitely days where I'm tired and I don't want to, or I'm super busy and I think I could really use those 30 minutes to get something else done. You have to make yourself workout because...

#2 - nobody feels bad after a workout

You really won't. Unless you severely injure yourself, nobody finishes a workout and says "Gee I feel terrible, I really wish I hadn't done that!" You're going to feel great, accomplished, and proud. Especially true if you didn't really want to workout in the first place.

#3 - If you really want something you'll find a way, if you don't you'll find an excuse.

I don't remember where I heard this, but it really stuck with me. I try to tell myself this on the days I don't feel like working out. I try to think of why I do work out and use those reasons to make myself find the motivation to put on my gym clothes and my sneakers.

#4 - mix it up

Don't do the same workouts over and over again. In the first place, you'll get bored. And if you're bored you'll be miserable, and if you're miserable you will start to find those excuses a lot easier to come by. Also, by changing up your workouts you will find you make better progress, and faster progress.  Body builders know the science of muscle confusion. It's no secret. If you do the same exercise over and over, your body adapts and plateaus. By constantly changing things up you keep your body guessing and you make better progress in your fitness goals.

#5 - the best time to workout is whenever you can

So whether your a member of the #5AMClub or the #6PMClub, you're right on track. Years ago I had a job that started a little later in the morning and I didn't have a kid. I used to wake up at 5 AM to workout before showering and getting to work. I liked working out in the morning for a variety of reasons, mostly because I could cross it off my list first thing in the morning. I didn't have to worry about trying to squeeze it in later in the day. I knew that as the day went on it would be easier and easier to find those excuses. So I laid out my gym clothes, and set my alarm clock on the other side of the room so that I would have to get all the way out of bed to turn it off. But then, I started a different job with an earlier start time, and I had a kid. Now I still get up at 5 AM and that leaves me barely enough time to get dressed, eat breakfast and put on a little makeup before I have to get my kid up, get her dressed, feed her and get her to daycare early so I can get to work on time. By necessity I've had to become a member of the #6PMClub. Admittedly this has been made easier by a very supportive hubby and having a somewhat older child who can play alone and entertain herself for a half hour while I workout.

#6 - (stealing again) You get what you work for, not what you wish for

When you're working out, give it your all. Don't half-ass it. You'll be thankful you put in the effort when you see your progress. And remember that you're more limited by your head than your body. Push yourself. Just when you think you can't do one more pushup, or one more squat, or one more lap, just do it. You can. The "can't" is coming from within.

#7 - (stealing again) You can't outrun your fork

Exercise is awesome, but don't stop tracking your points just because you just ran your first 5K or you did 20 squats with 30 lbs. What you eat is still important. Eat good, whole, clean foods so you have the nutrition you need to workout efficiently. And, if you're doing really intense exercise 5-6 days a week, think about eating back some of those FitPoints. Your body needs the fuel to finish a grueling workout, and then also to repair muscle afterwards.

#8 - strong is sexy

Ladies, don't be afraid of the weights. You can't bulk up the way men do. Building muscle tones you up. Muscle takes up less space than fat so at the same weight, your body may be slimmer and your clothes will feel better. Ounce for ounce, muscle burns more calories when you're at rest. Yup, you will burn more calories doing nothing if you have more muscle. And I like the confidence I have to be able to do things for myself. It feels really good to be able to easily lift a case of water at Costco up into my cart and then into my car with no problem. Did some biceps curls the other day with my 12 lb. dumb bells. The men folk out there may not be impressed, but I felt pretty good about myself!

And that's that! Hopefully you'll find something in there that you can use to motivate and inspire you to get your fitness on! Have a great weekend! I'll be earning my activity this weekend by starting to scrub up the boat to get her ready for the summer! See you on Monday!