Monday, June 20, 2011

Summer is Officially Here- But It's NOT too Late to GET IN SHAPE!!!!

Exercise…What exactly comes to mind when you hear that word? 
Do you begin thinking about how busy your schedule is and how you would never have the time? 
Is joining a fitness club a possibility but you don’t want the added expense? 
If exercise is something you would like to incorporate into your lifestyle, there are plenty of ways to do it! And these helpful tips are just in time for summer when most people enjoy getting outside more often.


-Find a friend to work out with! 
Not only will it make exercising more fun, but the two of you will be able to encourage each other on your goals.


-Discuss a time/days of week that will work with both your schedules. Many people find the evening hours work pretty well. Play with the times; you would be surprised how much extra time you may have during your day if you really think about it.
-Share your goals and aspirations with your friend…what type of exercise would you like to do during your workout? Have you been interested in finding out more about pilates, or yoga? Did your friend take a kickboxing class before and really wanted to learn more about it? 
You can begin to plan how you envision what each session will be like by sharing ideas. You could incorporate 10 minutes of different forms of exercise, or even have an hour long yoga session one day, and pilates the next.
-Take advantage of all of the free resources you have in your community, yes FREE!
My one stop shop is the library, I can find all sorts of workout DVD’s, music and books on various forms of exercise. Plan a day to get together with your friend to visit the library or even a bookstore together and see what you come up with!


Have kids? 
After dinner, take a nice evening walk together. Not only are you getting in some valuable family time, but you are exercising as well. You could even have the kids ride their bikes while you jog alongside them.


Live or work near a neighborhood park? If you haven’t checked it out before, now is the best time! Many parks have trails that are perfect for walking, especially with a friend. 


Early evening is usually a great time during the summer to check out a park. It’s still bright enough outside in the evening to walk but cooler so that you don’t get overheated. 
Always be sure to have water when you are working out, especially outside to avoid dehydration.
The main goal is to realize that exercise is not something that has to be wrapped up in a gym membership, or something you have to have a personal trainer for! 
You can begin whenever you are ready, for however long you are comfortable doing it. 



Enjoy yourself!!! 


You will begin to feel the benefits of exercise both inside and out…it helps to relieve stress and gives you positive feedback; mentally and physically. 


When we treat our bodies to exercise, we reap the benefits of losing weight, becoming more toned, and having more confidence in our ability to taking better care of ourselves.


Composed and contributed by: Empress Lisa