Mix it up and stay Fit for Life

You all know my job is "working out" and trying to keep all of you motivated for a living.  I have a solid understanding of how to stay consistently dedicated to an exercise regimen and I try to motivate my clients to do the same.  I've read numerous articles and attended various seminars, learning a broad range of ideas on how to help others accomplish their fitness goals.  These can range from the simple act of convincing someone to take a group exercise class a few times a week just to keep moving, or to come up with a more well defined set of fitness goals and personal rewards for accomplishing these goals. The aforementioned is similar to what we do in the River Valley Slim Down and what I do with my personal training clients.

There often comes a time when a regular exercise routine can become extremely redundant.  Redundancy will eventually bore the average person right out of their mind! In time, most people will start thinking hard about all the enjoyable things they would rather be doing instead of exercise (which are not always good things, like over eating) and then, slowly but surely, they give up!

So, what is the key to motivation when it comes to exercising?  In my opinion, there are two: music and variety.  Motivation is usually driven by the desire to accomplish something; your mind must be continuously stimulated.  If the mind isn't stimulated, it will rapidly lose the desire to achieve the original goal.  To create the desire for exercise, you have to stimulate your mind by making exercise fun and adventurous.  This is where adding great music and mixing up the variety will add to a long-term exercise routine. I aim to make things interesting in our classes, and always try to make workouts new and different by adding new music or different physical moves in my classes.   You can do the same whether it is your treadmill routine, hiking with the dog, or making up you own exercise play list and workout routine at home.

Music - Music makes us think, it gets us going, and it sets our stream of consciousness on a positive note, sometimes it hits an inner emotion.  Both fast beat and slow beat music can have the same stimulating effect on the mind, so alternate between the two while you exercise.  Discovering new music that you like is a great experience.  Once you overplay all your favorite artists, start plugging their names into i-tunes, or You Tube.  These sites will assist you in discovering new bands and artists based on similarities to music you already like.  Use your exercise time to rediscover your favorite artists, discover new ones, and build a collection of music that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.  It won't be long before you realize that music makes exercise fun.

Variety - No matter how wonderful an activity is at first, if it is performed in isolation over the course of many weeks it will become boring.  Keep things interesting.   Do a variety of different exercises each week.  If you have strictly doing Zumba, challenge those muscles to a boot camp class. If your Cardio-Vascular feels maxed on the Spin bike, add some resistance or for Fun add a Zumba class into the mix. Stretching is also such an important thing we all forget about and need, If you are not taking a Yoga class or Tai Chi then you need to stretch everyday regardless of whether you exercise or not.   If you are working out independently and are bored or need some advice, ask me for help!

IFoundFitness, in Deep River, CT, is a personal training & group exercise studio specializing in "Personalized, Personal Training" in an effort to improve clients overall health and help them to: Get In Shape, Lose Weight, Improve Balance And Flexibility, Relieve Stress, Challenge and improve their fitness level.

Donna Scott, owner and founder of IFoundFitness, is an AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) Certified Trainer, Zumba® Trainer Licensed in Basic, Gold and Toning, a Mad Dogg Athletics Certified SPINNING® trainer (indoor cycling) and holds a CPR certification through the American Red Cross.

Donna's focus is on Inspirational Fitness, inspiring her clients to make a change, to say "I can" or "I will" instead of "I can't". Donna found fitness and with the right help, so can you. Whether spin's your thing, Zumba! is what you live for or you think your fitness days are over, stop and remember ifoundfitness with Donna Scott.