5-Secrets To A Successful Fitness Plan: Making Health Fun And Easy

If you’re like most people, you want to look and feel good; but you’re probably frustrated or confused by all the different diet plans and exercise programs coming at you from all directions these days. Perhaps you’re just sick and tired of being sick and tired and you just want to be able to do the things you want to do without difficulty, pain, or fatigue, but you don’t feel like you’re fit or healthy enough. Even if this isn’t an overriding concern in your life, there’s probably at least one or two areas where these things are true for you — a few extra pounds you’d like to lose, not as much energy as you used to have, etc… Health and fitness doesn’t have to be difficult or painful; and life was meant to be enjoyed. You can get fit and healthy with a smile on your face and a spring in your step if you just pay attention to these 5-secrets to easy fitness.

  1. HAVE FUN! The first secret to getting fit and staying that way is Fun. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, your lifestyle has to be sustainable; in order for an exercise program to be successful, it has to be sustainable. If your workout isn’t fun, you’ll eventually start coming up with excuses to avoid it. Workouts don’t have to seem like “work” in order to work your body. Kids don’t buy gym memberships and hire personal trainers to stay active and fit; they PLAY! Find something fun to do and do it. And keep doing it! Before you know it, you’ll notice a difference in your health and your attitude; and you’ll be looking forward to your opportunities to “work that body.”
  2. Start small. How many people do you know (including yourself) who decided to take up running, went out and bought a new pair of $100.00 running shoes, and tried to run a 5K the first time out? I don’t have to tell you what happened next, do I? But I will. They (and by “they” I mean, “You”) were too sore to run the next day, and the next day, and by the time they weren’t sore — a week later — they had gotten over that silly urge to run marathons and the new shoes are under the bed or in the back of the closet. If you want to run, start by walking. Then, after you’ve come to enjoy your daily walks, add a few minutes of jogging in here and there. If running isn’t your thing, try walking a little faster; but any amount of walking is better for you than sitting on the couch with a bowl of potato chips. They say, “The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time;” start small and enjoy the little victories — then build on them.
  3. Be practical. There’s nothing wrong with going to the gym; but, if it isn’t easy to do, there’s a greater chance you won’t do it. Going to the gym adds time to your exercise routine (travel to and from, etc…) as well as cost. If it’s free and close to home, you are much more likely to exercise than if it’s expensive and far away; that’s just common sense. But keep secret #1 in mind: Fun is essential; and sometimes the things we most enjoy doing require us to go somewhere or pay some fee. Nonetheless, look for low-cost or no-cost pastimes that are close to home, easy to access, and fun and easy to do on a regular basis.
  4. Be good to yourself. Don’t punish yourself or be too hard on yourself about performance. You don’t need to work out for an hour to benefit; and you aren’t a loser or a wimp if you can’t do something someone else can do. Don’t compare yourself to others — especially professional trainers or the people on workout videos or television shows. Not everyone is a workout fanatic; and people weren’t dropping dead from a lack of exercise before personal trainers came along. Be more active; but be kind to yourself. Stress is the real killer; and all the exercise in the world won’t protect you from stress is you are constantly entertaining negative thoughts and negative self-talk. Create a positive self-image and keep it in mind as you do fun activities. Consistency is the key to success; and positivity and enjoyment is the key to consistency.
  5. Be flexible and creative. Don’t limit yourself to one activity — especially one that can be affected by the weather or someone else’s schedule. Give yourself options and be flexible and willing to move to “plan-B” if your first option is not possible. If you can’t go outside due to weather, think about developing some simple calisthenics and stretches you can do indoors. Though it requires an initial investment, the Wii Fit video game can give you a surprisingly good workout before you realize it; and dancing is another simple way to be active in your own living room. Resistance bands, dumbbells, jump ropes, exercise balls, exercise bikes, treadmills, and other workout aids provide an almost endless array of at-home exercise opportunities if you can just be creative enough to incorporate them into a routine you enjoy.

The bottom line is simply this: You don’t have to be fanatical about working out to be fit and healthy. Practically anything you do that keeps you moving can provide you with the exercise you need provided you do it for at least 20-30 minutes at a time — at least three-times per week. In order to do it consistently, it must be fun and enjoyable; so be creative, be playful, be flexible, and have fun while getting healthy. You’ll be surprised how easy it can be; and, as long as you’re doing something you love, you’ll love your new lifestyle.

Consciously Creating Your Own Life With Effective Prayer: Learn To Control Your Thinking

Before seeing the word, “breathing,” you probably weren’t thinking about it; and you probably weren’t thinking about your own breathing – even though you were doing it. Breathing is one of those things we do unconsciously – whether we are asleep, or not. And, though most people never consider it until they experience a problem or some difficulty, breathing and thinking are closely related. Thinking is just like breathing; you are always doing it to some degree – even while you sleep. And this is important because, though breathing gives us life, it is our thinking that creates and shapes our experience of life. And, just as you can control your own breathing to a certain extent, you can learn to control your own thinking to a certain extent, as well – giving you greater creative control over your life.

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