Embracing a Fitness Funk

My sister has always been my fitness idol. She got in shape while we were in high school and hasn't stopped ever since. As I started my fitness journey, she taught me that there will be days where, for whatever reason, I will experience what I call a "fitness funk". The music just isn't pumping you up, you are feeling a little too hungry (or ate a little too much pre-workout), whatever. These days will happen.

I actually had one today.

I was working all morning on graduate school homework when I realized how little I had eaten all morning (and, also, how starving I was)! I heated up some brown rice, black beans, and garbanzo beans in a bowl with some Parmesan cheese. Yum. :]

Shortly after, however, I tried to fit in the only 30 minutes I had available for a workout. I popped in my Focus T25 DVD, took an Ibuprofen for my headache, and began to work out.
I don't know if it was the food or the headache, but I just couldn't push through the intense cardio moves like I typically do. I texted her and this is what she said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's true!

 

The same thing will most likely happen to you, and it's important to forgive yourself when it does. And so, with that in mind, I am going to make some green tea for myself and get ready for the rest of the day.

 

 

 

Mama's Got a Pair of New Shoes! ...Athletic shoes, that is.

If you are an athlete in any form (novice, intermediate, etc.) and feel a bit clueless about athletic shoes like I do, read these FAQ's that I (and other people on my fitness team) have asked in the past. It's worth the read!

How often do you buy new athletic shoes? 

It's a question that I've been learning more about as I exercise on a very regular basis. As I have learned, you should not give your running shoes a birthday. (This also goes for people who do high-impact exercise as well!) I recently found out that I blew through my first pair of serious running shoes in SEVEN MONTHS! This blew my mind.

I'm not a runner. Should I buy running shoes?

Not necessarily! If you are strictly a cross-trainer (ie. kickboxing, high-impact, interval training), running shoes may not be the best bet for you. Running shoes and cross-training shoes offer different levels of support for your feet and body as a whole. It is in your best interest to go to a runner's specialty store and see if you need running or cross-training shoes. 

Can you wear down athletic/running/cross-training shoes without running?

Surprisingly, yes! If you worked as, say, a waitress and are on your feet all day, you are putting pressure on the cushion of your shoes. Standing in athletic shoes for one hour puts the equivalent of one mile of wear on the shoes. Even more so, other forms of cardiovascular exercise (like kickboxing, Zumba, P90X, Insanity, etc.) puts pressure on the cushion of your shoes, thus wearing them down. 

What happens if you work out a lot and DON'T buy new shoes?

Wearing athletic shoes that are too old mean that the cushions of the shoes are too compressed to provide adequate support. Some runners notice certain pain surfacing when it's time to buy new shoes. (I think that my time is here to buy new shoes- I am noticing inner knee pain on one leg.) Not giving your body the support it needs while doing strenuous exercise can result in short- and long-term physical pain and injury. Don't be cheap with your joints! If you exercise almost daily, INVEST in the right shoes and BE WISE ENOUGH to know when to buy new ones!

I don't think I could ever work out. Who can I turn to for help?

I provide 100% FREE coaching to those who reach out and ask for it! All it takes is a click to sign up and start working towards a healthier, happier you. Let me help you today!

My Story's YouTube Official!

Ever wonder what results I have earned through Focus T25, P90X and working hard for a year? See my results in less than 2 minutes here:

My Results with Focus T25 and One Year of Health!


Ever think, "I could never do what she did. I'm not athletic like her."? Yeah. I did too. I ALWAYS told myself I would never be in shape...until I decided to change that.

Watch the video. 
Follow my journey on Facebook.
Kick your goals in the pants and get happy! :) I'm here for you!

Can Fitting in Fitness be Fun?

When people say "I'm really busy", I struggle with finding too much sympathy for the other person. I currently work five part-time jobs while commuting over an hour away for graduate school classes and still fit in time to work out and be a fitness coach. Is it time-consuming? Absolutely. Does it make me insanely busy and obsessive about keeping my day planner next to me at all times? Why yes, it does.

Is it fun?

yes!

I have found that when I make my health a priority, a lot of other things fall into line. For example, I worked out with my sister last Saturday morning. We wanted to do Focus T25 together. We figured out that, instead of killing 30 minutes watching television on a Saturday morning, we worked really hard and had an incredible amount of energy for our day! I showered and immediately went straight to work. Was I busy on Saturday? Yes. Did I work out? Yes. Did it make me feel better? Yes!!


How could fitting in fitness be fun, you ask?
1. Find your fitness soulmate. If you don't like running, don't run! If you don't like to lift weights so much, then don't lift weights. If you like to feel like you're dancing the whole time, then dance the weight off! Do whatever you will want to do almost every single day, and don't settle for anything less.

2. Find a way to commit. Do you like to work out with another person? Then make sure you have that person know your goals for accountability and support. Do you like to jump around in your living room alone? Then make sure you set a calendar alert on your cell phone and stick to it. Does your fitness program come with a schedule for a variety of workouts? Stick to that calendar 100%.

3. Don't quit on yourself. Just because you're out of shape doesn't mean it will always be this difficult. The hardest thing to do is to establish new habits that counteract habits you have subconsciously maintained for years. You must push play on that DVD player every single day and do not quit on the process!

4. Celebrate the victory! REAL healthy habits equal REAL RESULTS! This isn't rocket science! I'm not trying to sell you some get-skinny-quick program. This is a lifestyle change that will continue to reward you! Imagine not being concerned about how you will fit into your winter clothes. Imagine knowing already that your bathing suit will fit just as it did last year. Could you put a price tag on that feeling? Investing in a fitness program that works for 100% of you is like investing in your future. It really is. You are investing in your health, which will mean a healthier, happier, longer life with the people you love. Can you put a price tag on that?

5. Do it today. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Just go run around the block. Buy that fitness program that you saw on a Sunday morning infomercial. Just start for yourself.


And on that note, I must go press play and jump around in my living room. :) Go out there and make this fun!

Day 28 of P90X: Recovering From Injury

Last week I somehow pulled my shoulder while doing P90X's "Chest and Back" routine. My shoulder was extremely sensitive and I was very concerned about hurting it more, so I took a few days off of working out. It was actually really difficult not to work out because I've grown to appreciate the time spent on myself daily as well as the endorphins that keep me smiling through all of the stresses of work!


The one thing I had to force myself to learn throughout this weekend of healing is to respect my pain and respect my injury, despite the fact that I wanted to continue to work out and ignore the pain. Halting my progress in my workouts was just as hard as halting my workouts when I become sick. But I had to remind myself that if I were to work out, I risk hurting my shoulder even more!


Here is the video I made from the weekend about this exact topic:

YouTube: Amanda Plazek's Channel


Have a great post-Memorial Day week, everyone!