CHALLENGE yourself!
I keep myself challenged in a variety of ways. For many years I did Figure / Bikini competitions. I knew that I could not miss workouts and I had to eat clean because I did not want to get on stage looking out of shape, I wanted to look fabulous! There was a time that I was competing 5 - 7 times per year, so I was constantly in 'competition mode'. When I'm not competing I'm either running 5K's, getting ready for photo shoots, or leading fitness challenges to help others stay motivated. These events always keep me challenged so there's no time to slack off.
SWITCH things up
Albert Einstein says that Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Why go insane doing the same workouts / activities over and over again, and wondering why you have not gotten any results? It's very important to add variety to your workouts. Our bodies get use to this and the results that we were getting soon dwindle away. So every 6 weeks switch things up.
​
​MAKE it a Lifestyle.
You probably hear this all the time, but fitness really does need to be part of your lifestyle. It's not always easy to get up super early to workout before work, or fit it in after, especially if you have a family, a few jobs, or other responsibilities that take up the bulk of your day. So fitting exercise into your routine is imperative, whether it's getting up a few minutes early, working out during lunch, or during your favorite TV program in the evening. Early mornings work best for me, the hours of 4:00 AM - 6:00 AM are reserved for workouts, meditation, preparation.
My Fitness Journey
My Fitness journey dates back to my very young days. My parents were all about keeping us busy so from the age of 5 on, I took part in ballet, jazz, tap, gymnastics, ice skating and softball. Once I got old enough to have a say so in what I wanted to do, I was able to opt for cheerleading and Pom Pon as my choices for activities. When I moved away to Florida for college, I kind of fell off the fitness track and opted for partying and travel with my friends; I was having the time of my life. Then one day, we all planned a girls trip to Cancun. While there, we spent our days hanging out and eating everything our hearts desired. One day as I was heading out for yet another day of frolicking, I ran into my friend Marcye. Marcye was not hanging out with the rest of us that day, she had on her string bikini and was headed to the beach. As I looked at how amazing she looked, I thought about how back at home, she spent at least 6 days in the gym, no excuses! No matter what we had going on, Marcye always found time for the gym, even if it meant missing our outings or just being late. So needless to say, as soon as I got back home, I joined a gym and have never looked back.
Over the years, I've found that there a few things that have helped me stay focused, stay in shape, and maintain my health!
