WE ALL have experienced the feeling – we think of having a workout but the sofa fronting the TV looks so inviting and chances are, we sit, binge watch and snack.
Yup, I sometimes get glued for hours fronting the TV watching episode after episode of Netflix series. We need to give ourselves some stimulation because we all know that being active is beneficial to our bodies, especially if we had already hit the half-century mark.
Gina Harney, a certified personal trainer and blogger whose articles had seen print in publications like Well + Good, Forbes, Fitness Magazine and Shape, shares her motivational strategies on how to get us moving.
She said we should think about our reasons for doing a fit and healthy lifestyle. We ask ourselves – do we want to be stronger? Do we want to have lean muscles or decrease our body fat? Do we want to have more energy and endurance to play with our children or apos?
Harney’s personal reason is that it makes her a better person when she sweats. It’s a feel-good thing knowing that we are energized after a good workout. And at the end of the day, it gives us a good night’s sleep.
When we’re not really having the feel of doing some exercise, she said to wait for five minutes then get started. When the time is up and yet we’re still not up to it, don’t do it. Harney said that most often, it’s simply a matter of getting started.
Let’s not force the issue if we’re not enjoying it or there’s no motivation. One example she gave is the treadmill. If you don’t like it, don’t get on it but instead walk around the neighborhood and as a bonus, we just might get some juicy tsismis from our friendly tambays.
There are many fitness options and it’s up to us to pick what we like and enjoy most. Our bodies need to recuperate and we need at least a day or two of rest each week. Over-training does more harm than good.
Lastly, Harney said that consistency is the key. A monthly goal of working out three times a week is a start. Achieving that goal, we can reward ourselves with a little something to acknowledge our efforts in our exercise. Rewards can be a massage at the end of the month or maybe a pair of dri-fit shorts./PN
