The importance of getting back into a fitness routine

We all know that getting into a fitness and health "lull" is very common. We lose our motivation and think, "taking just a couple days off isn't going to hurt anything." and then, well, we get stuck. And a couple days turns into a couple weeks, which turns into a couple months, and so on. I am very fortunate to work for a company that not only has a fitness center and gym, but provides classes taught by the local YMCA on a daily basis. Classes range from body building/weight training, to cycling, to HIIT, to yoga, and everything in-between. You can access the fitness center 24/7 and are allowed to use your lunch hour to hit the gym if you choose, which makes it SO convenient. However, even with this unlimited and easy access, I still lose motivation at times. It's especially hard when you go through periods of heavy workload that prevent you from getting to the gym. For example, this past week we started working on new apparel designs for F20 and I couldn't get into the gym for 3 days. After that I felt my mind losing motivation. I took a day off to work on my blog, which meant I didn't workout that day either, and I started to feel...BLAH. You all know the feeling I'm describing. That feeling where you start to feel useless and can't quite figure out why. Well, I've started to recognize that usually that feeling stems from inactivity. Even if you're "working" all day, your body isn't. It is so, so important to exercise your mind AND your body. If you start to feel "blah", I encourage you to get out and do something, anything. Take a walk, go for a quick mile run, do a quick body-weight workout (there are a TON on Pinterest), anything.

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One of the things Clint and I have really enjoyed is tennis. We are absolutely HORRIBLE, but it's a fun way to get up and get your body moving. Exercising doesn't have to always be about overexerting your body; it can be a fun little competition between you and your partner.

Again, because I work in an environment that really encourages getting up and moving throughout your day, it's pretty easy for me to maintain an active lifestyle. There are plenty of options that allow me to switch up my routine so I'm not doing the same thing every day, which can get pretty boring. I usually get in 2-3 days of pure cardio a week, mix in some light weight-training and then hit the court for some recess (aka lunch volleyball). If you aren't as fortunate as I am and don't have this type of facility at your work, I encourage you to join a gym or download a fitness app that has a community you can feel a part of. For me, it's always much easier to stay active and involved when you have others around you who are holding you accountable. If it's just up to you every day, it's easy to fall off the wagon and lose your motivation. Find a partner and you can hold each other accountable. It's much easier to stay in a routine that way, and it's also a lot more fun.

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Don't fall into the "lull". You KNOW you feel better after a workout. Keep holding onto that feeling. I know you're in pain while doing it; you feel like there's no way you can push through. But just think about how much good you're doing for your body and your mind. Exercise is a major stress reducer. It flushes everything out of your system and allows you to start fresh. Get out and do ANYTHING and I promise you will feel better.

A place to be #unapologeticallyme.