Consistency is the key

It is much easier to maintain and progress fitness than to keep starting over and over again

As summer inches another month closer, are you closer to losing the inches you want?

Last month, I wrote that it isn’t too late to get fitter for summer. That is totally true. But why stop with just getting ready for summer? Why not just be the best you all year round?

The problem with us humans is that we are always taking one step forward and two steps back. We have become a binge society. We go all in on partying, working, stressing and, yes, even on working out.

We need to find a happy medium. It is so much easier to maintain and progress your fitness than to keep starting over and over again. I use the term fitness, but wellness is probably a better term. I think of wellness as a term that covers all health. What good is it if you look great but feel terrible?

When is the last time you have done something positive for your overall health? I am going to share with you a few things that I do as I get older to help keep me fit in mind, body and spirit.

1. Yoga: I do yoga, but not because I like to Zen out. I do yoga because it is so different then the other kinds of training I do. It takes my body through movements that I miss in my everyday training. I feel so good after a class. New to yoga? You may want to try a relaxing class like yin if you want a deep stretch without the intensity. If you want to get a great workout, try a vinyasa class. Don’t worry about how awkward you look. No one looks graceful their first time out.

2. Don’t go three days without exercising. Sounds easy right? You would be surprised how many people just get don’t move at all. You don’t have to go intense, but you have to move.

Find a workout on YouTube, Fitnessblender.com, or just have a dance party in your kitchen. Keep the wine to minimum.

3. Expand your mind. Read more. How much time do you waste on social media? Does it bring any positivity to your life? Some great inspirational books I have read are Born to Run by Christopher McDougall or Finding Ultra by Rich Roll.

4. Use technology to your advantage. There are great apps for meditation, like Headspace. You may be thinking that mediation isn’t for you, but give it a try. It’s a great way to de-stress. Lumosity is a brain game app that can help keep your brain sharp long after the school years. Duolingo.com is a language app that is fun and interactive. Studies indicate that language learning is an effective tool in helping keep cognitive diseases at bay. Myfitnesspal is an app to track fitness, food, and health.

Just remember, if you always do what you always did, then you will always get what you always got.

Here is the second workout to help get you ready for summer.

Do this workout three days a week with a day of rest in between. You could walk, bike or do yoga on the rest days.

Complete as supersets. Do the two exercises back to back for three rounds. Rest for 60 seconds and then move on to the next two exercises.

1. a) body weight jump squats, 10-15 reps

b) Pushups, 8-12 reps (knees are still fine)

2. a) burpees, 8-12 reps b) dips, 12-15 reps

3. a) lunges, 10-15 on both legs

b) mountain climbers, 40-50 reps

4. a) jumping jacks for 45-60 secs

b) plank for 30-60 secs. (do shoulder tap planks, if possible)

As you get fitter and it becomes easier to finish, add 5-10 reps for legs and 2-5 for upper body. You could also increase times.

Give this a shot for another 3-4 weeks. Once again, for best results, record the number of reps you do each workout and how long the whole workout takes to complete.