Motivation Monday - Health and Fitness

It's time to focus on health and fitness, time to focus on ourselves for a change.

I don't know about you, but I've really been slacking in this area of my life lately. I've been so consumed with work, decluttering, renovations, etc. that I just let everything to do with health and fitness go by the wayside. 

I am going to use the next couple of weeks as somewhat of a pre-training/preparation period. I hope you will consider joining me.

During this pre-training time here are 10 things to do...

1. Have a regular check up if you haven't done so recently. Not only to get the ok from your doc to start a fitness program, but also to find out what your cholesterol levels are, blood pressure, weight, and to address any other problems you are having that might get in the way of starting a new program.

2. Go to Homefuse.net to calculate your body mass index (BMI), your waist-to-height ratio, your body fat levels, and your basal metabolic rate. I like the calculator at Homefuse because it takes your waist measurement and age into consideration for a much more accurate calculation.

3. Take a before photo if you really want to give yourself some serious motivation. It will give you a major wake up call, I promise!

4. Get a pedometer if you don't already have one, very inexpensive ones can be purchased at any drug store. Wear it a few days over the next week or two to gauge your average steps per day. A steps per day challenge using a pedometer is in the near future, be ready!

5. Be sure to get yourself a decent pair of sneakers if you don't already have some. They don't have to be expensive, just not worn out and with good support.

6. Take a pledge to be more mindful of what you eat - strive for good healthy meals, eating smaller portions more often in place of big meals, focus on getting in the good stuff such as the recommended daily intake of veggies especially, and reducing the amounts of processed foods.

7. Start increasing activity levels. I won't give any specific challenges for this yet, but you know they will be coming soon!

8. Go to My Fitness Pal to create a free account. At My Fitness Pal we can set goals and track our daily foods and exercise. It really seems to be a great site with tons of support and motivation.

9. Take some time to seriously think about your own person health and fitness goals - be realistic.

10. Go one step further and decided why you want to focus on health and fitness - is it so you can fit into your skinny clothes, to set a good example for your family, to live a longer more healthy lifestyle?

Make the commitment - leave a comment saying you are in! Be sure to come back every Monday to report your progress and join the weekly challenges. Together we can do it!