photo credit: Adam UXB Smith

Fitness and health is so much more than eating well and going for the occasional jog. In fact, fitness and health start with the mind. If your head is in the wrong space then it is very difficult to achieve any long term fitness, weight loss or health goals. In this post I am going to talk about 8 attitudes that cripple your long term health and well being. They might even be making you fat!

1. Jealousy
If you go to the gym you will probably know what I am talking about. The green eyed monster is extremely bad for our health and well being because we are constantly comparing ourselves to other women at the gym. Sometimes I actually feel like the gym is a lot like high school; everyone checking out what the other girls are wearing, talking about and how they look when they do certain things. It can be quite stressful. If you go to the gym worried about how all the other women look better than you do then you are going to set yourself up for disaster. You will end up quitting out of frustration.

2. Playing the victim
I hate to say it but most of my friends play the victim. Every time I see them for coffee or dinner they talk about how hard done by they are and create a thousand excuses for why they haven’t been going to the gym or eating healthy. The sad fact is that none of them know they are doing it. They all think it is normal. And to some extent being the victim is very normal in our society. The fact of the matter is you have a choice. You can choose to be a victim of your own circumstances or you can choose to make a change. And if you want to look and feel good, live a long healthy life and be happy with your own situation you are going to need to stop playing the victim.

Here is an interesting article about playing the victim in Psychology Today that has some excellent insights about where the victim game leaves you in the end.

3. Laziness
If you took a look back at the last 10 times that you skipped a work out or got take away instead of cooking a meal I would wager that at least eight of those times it was because you couldn’t be bothered. Laziness is probably the most damaging attitude there is when it comes to health and fitness because, unfortunately, health and fitness are so damn hard to maintain. Working out at the gym is not easy, shopping for the right foods each week is even more annoying. However, laziness is even more annoying because it will cause you to have future regrets. One of the most painful things you can ever imagine is getting to your 50s, 60s and 70s and realizing that you wasted your life being lazy. Stop today.

4. Stress
Stress is an interesting one because a lot of you will disagree with me that it is an attitude. Most people think it is just something that occurs that we have no control over. And while I believe that is true some of the time, I also understand that a lot of women out there use stress as an excuse. They say that they are too stressed to go to the gym or cook a meal. The funny thing about that attitude, however, is that going to the gym and eating healthy are two of the most powerful cures for stress!

photo credit: Juliana Coutinho

I also think that part of the reason women get stressed is because they are not achieving their weight loss goals. But if you made exercise a priority you would find that less stress occurs.

5. Insatiability
As a regular gym goer I constantly see women come and go. Some of them stick at it for a few months, other only last a week or so. And while there might be a whole host of reasons for this lack of consistency I understand that a lot of women are completely insatiable when it comes to exercise. In fact, I would go so far as to say that every single person (male and female) has experienced this when it comes to their exercise programs.

Insatiability means that you are impossible to satisfy. You become bored easily and as such you struggle to finish your goals. The fitness world is rife with this problem because fitness and weight loss goals take so long to achieve. After a week of the same workout you get bored and either move on or give up. I think this has a lot to do with our modern world of iPhones and Twitter and Facebook where we need to be constantly entertained. You can change your workout a few times but after a while you need to tackle the boredom otherwise you will end up giving up like everyone else.

6. Procrastination
We all do it and we all know its bad. Procrastination is an attitude that will send you to an early grave and an obese waist line because you simply never get around to it. Strongly linked to laziness, procrastination is much more sneaky. Why? Because it happens one omission at a time. Laziness is a general attitude that is very easy to spot but procrastination might only occur once or twice a week – just enough to sabotage your progress. You can bet your bottom dollar; the second you hear your mind saying “I’ll just finish this first” or “I’ll make up for it later” you are on your way to a lifetime of putting things off. Nip it in the bud as soon as you can.

photo credit: Looking Glass

7. Impetuousness
I have to admit being a very impetuous person. When I first started becoming interested in working out at the gym I just dived in as if I was an expert. Bad idea. Within a month I had obtained a pretty serious injury that plagues me to this day. Being impetuous means that you rush into things without really thinking them through first. This is a crippling attitude because, when it comes to health and fitness, you need to know a lot of information in order to do it correctly. If you go back and read our article on why you can’t lose weight you will see that it is extremely important to read and study and talk to experts before you try to play around with your body. Information is power and a lack of information is often crippling.

8. Impatience
Impatience is the final attitude that I want to talk about today. It is closely linked with almost all of the other attitudes and, like the other, it is extremely harmful for women who are trying to lose weight, get healthy and change their lives. The thing you need to realize really early on is that weight loss and fitness take a long time. They take years to really pull off in a long term way. And not only that, they take a long time on a daily scale. You need to exercise and eat healthy every single day if you want to make long lasting progress. If you are impatient you kill your progress at the very root because you just won’t stick it out.

If you want to learn to become more patient you need to really work on yourself because it is a long held habit. The article in the link is a great starting point for everyone out there.

Conclusion

Everything that you do in life starts in the mind. If you have a healthy attitude with a good motivation you will find that you can achieve all sorts of successes. If, however, you live your life choked by poisonous attitudes you will end up failing at everything you touch. Really examine yourself and see whether you are harboring any of these 8 attitudes that cripple your health and well being. Recognizing them is the hardest part.

photo credit: jessica.garro

One of the most common complaints that modern women have is that they do not have enough energy and they always feel tired. I know the feeling, I’m sure you know the feeling too. We have to get up early, perhaps do some exercise, go to work and come home and cook dinner. We have to see friends, go out on the weekend, pursue our hobbies, eat junk food when were busy… the list is endless. In this post I am going to show you a few ways to get more energy and never feel tired.

Why am I tired?

In order to solve any problem you need to know the cause. If we don’t know the cause it would be impossible to target what is exactly going wrong. Imagine trying to treat heart disease if you didn’t know you had heart disease. It would be impossible. The same is true of low energy levels. You need to firmly establish why it is that you are tired. Without this knowledge we really are just stabbing in the dark. And how to we find out what the cause is? Go to your doctor. Your GP is the only person who is authorized to make an official judgment about why you are tired. The rest of us can guess and make suggestions but only your doctor can advise you. Go and see him/her this week and then revisit this post for some extra help.

That being said, there are some very common reasons why people get tired. Take a look at this list and see if you fit into any of the explanations. These might be some good things to bring up with your doctor:

• you eat less than four handfuls of vegetables a day
• you eat less than two handfuls of fruit a day
• you drink mostly sugary drinks and not a lot of water
• you go to bed at different times each night
• you stay up late for no reason
• you don’t sleep well because you are stressed
• you exercise less than four times a week
• you are anxious about work, family or something else
• you have a history of insomnia or some other health issue
• etc

If you think that any of these sound like you then I have good news for you. We can solve the problem. But rather than relying on a blog post for health information, go to your doctor and just make sure you are on the right track. He/she will also be able to tell you if your blood is healthy and whether there are any other issues that might be hiding in the background.

How to get more energy and never feel tired

photo credit: daveynin

So you have been to the doc and they have given you a clean bill of health. Now that you know there are no underlying issues we can start the methodical process of changing some habits in your life so that you don’t feel tired anymore. The tips that follow can be used individually or all at once. The more you can adopt the better. But, most importantly, don’t just adopt them for a week or two. Try and make these permanent habits that you take with you for the rest of your life.

1. Eat more fruit
Fruit is not given enough attention in today’s culture. We hear a lot about the benefits of vegetables but due to the fact that it is made up of sugar, a lot of people make the mistake of ignoring fruit. Let’s be clear – fruit won’t make you fat. Fruit is an extremely natural food that humans have been eating for thousands of years. Our digestive systems are designed perfectly for fruit. If you are feeling tired and low on energy then you need to start taking in more fruit, especially early on in the day. The vitamins, minerals and, yes, even proteins, will make you feel energetic for a long time during the day.

2. Get your sleep habits right
Obviously, if you are feeling low on energy we need to look at the sleep habits. I have written about this a few times before and as such I don’t want to rehash it again. Basically, you need to be going to sleep at the same time and waking up at the same time every day. If you can’t do it every night of the week then just do your best. Your body needs to know the routine and the habit, if you muck up your sleeping arrangements your body’s clock gets extremely confused and can actually become “jet lagged” for up to three days after. Some other posts on sleep include:

• how to wake up when your alarm goes off
• how many hours of sleep do you need each night

You might be surprised to know that the idea of eight hours sleep per night is just a myth. In fact, it is a harmful myth. Get your sleep in order if you want to get more energy. This point is not really an option.

3. Do an “energy” based exercise
We all know how to run and lift weights. We know how to tense certain muscles and we know how to move the body in a variety of ways. But how many of us know how to control our internal energies? Not many. And that is something we need to work on.

If you have been abusing your body for years with junk food, late nights and alcohol there is a good chance that your internal energies are a little out of whack. If you go to a Chinese doctor he/she will be able to tell you what energies are damaged by looking at your eyes and tongue and listening to your pulse. I have so many friends who, having tried every western form of medicine, gave acupuncture a go and found that it cured them completely. And this is because it corrects your chi or internal energies.

Tai chi and yoga are the two best forms of “internal” exercise. These ancient disciplines have been keeping people healthy for thousands of years by using certain poses and breathing techniques to move the energies of the body in a certain way. Don’t believe it? Good. You will be all the more surprised when you give it a go and feel amazing!

4. Drink green tea
If you are a regular reader of Free Women’s Fitness you will know that we love green tea. And with good reason! Countless studies have shown that green tea is an amazing health food due to all those antioxidants that it has. People who drink green tea are less likely to develop heart disease, cancer and, yes, it can help you feel more energetic.

photo credit: ?Debs?

The reason green tea can help is twofold. Firstly, it has caffeine in it and as such it will give you that little pick-me-up that we so often need. Secondly, the hot water mixed with the health benefits of the tea can really serve to clean out your system and rejuvenate the mind. Remember, if your body is toxin free your mind is likely to be clearer and that is, a lot of the time, the only thing you need to feel more energetic.

Remember, you need to drink green tea without milk if you want to get the most health benefits. Studies have shown that the protein in milk can destroy some of the goodness in the tea and as such you do not extract as much from it as you could.

5. Cut out refined sugar
One of the absolute worst things you can do for your body is eat refined sugar. The problem? Americans are addicted to it. It is in every cereal, snack and even some supposedly healthy meals. Take a look at anything that says “FAT FREE” and you will notice it is full of sugar. And it is sugar that makes you fat! So why is no one worried about it? But I digress.

Refined sugar is a very simple sugar that carries zero nutrition with its energy. That means you are taking in lots of calories but getting no benefit. Compare that to a bowl of fruit where the sugar you eat comes with minerals and vitamins and goodies that you can’t get anywhere else. Sugar is bad. And it makes you feel low on energy because it causes spikes that are followed by a sugar low. And in order to get yourself out of that low you need more sugar. And so the cycle continues.

If you need to get a sugar hit go with natural raw honey or fruit. Try and get rid of anything in your house that has processed sugar in it and see how you feel after just a few weeks. I bet you feel better than every and I bet you lose weight without even trying.

Conclusion

If you can adopt at least one of these points, great. If you can adopt all of them, fantastic! Each one will give you more energy and stop you feeling like a zombie all day long. If you have any other suggestions please let us know by leaving a comment. I’m sure a lot of our readers have some wonderful tips.

photo credit: rich115

Many women avoid going to the gym because the are intimidated by all the massive bodybuilding males and all the super fit females in their designer workout gear. Other women avoid going to the gym because they are naturally shy people and the gym represents something very foreign. I can understand. I was once like you.

In this post I am going to give you a few simple techniques that you can use to not be intimidated at the gym. I am certain they will help you overcome your fear.

How to not be intimidated at the gym

Have a read through these techniques and take what works for you. If you find that something has a particularly good effect then keep it up. If something is not working then forget about it.

1. Realize that nobody cares
The biggest thing that I cam to realize some years ago is that people care a lot less than I think they do. People are not staring at your huge butt. People are not looking to see what brand sneakers you have on. People are not critiquing your workout.

The truth of the matter is that everyone there is as self conscious as you! When you are worrying about what THEY are thinking they are sitting there worrying about what YOU are thinking. So relax. Nobody cares.

2. Go with a friend
A great way to get over the initial gym fear is to go with a friend. If you workout together you will have the “safety in numbers” feeling and you will be a lot less intimidated by all experts walking around. In fact, people who workout with friends are often seen as the trend setters and other people will be more open to what you are doing.

3. Book a session with a trainer
Booking a session with a trainer is a fantastic way to learn the techniques and workouts that will get you fit and healthy. But it is also a great way to overcome that intimidation factor. Why? Because the trainers run those gyms. They are there everyday and they know the people and the machines inside out. In fact, they might even introduce you to some of the more intimidating people such that you will now become friendly with the people that you once feared.

4. Understand that the gym is a friendly place
Another important realization I had after spending a few weeks at the gym was that it was a very friendly place. The people there are mostly interested in improving their lives and getting healthy and fit and as such the place has a very positive vibe. This can differ from gym to gym (some gyms are more like pick-up venues as opposed to gyms) but for the most part they are warm and friendly places.

5. Participate in a class
Every gym has a set timetable of classes including yoga, pilates, pump, RPM spin classes, etc. It is a good idea to join in one of these classes as soon as you get to the gym as it puts you in a big group and gives you something to do. I have found that I am a lot less likely to be intimidated when I am focused on a class and following an instructor. In those classes everyone becomes a student – all are equal.

If anyone has any other tips please head over to the forum and let us know. And don’t forget to enter to win a free iPod!

photo credit: jcestnik

Well, its our birthday! And to celebrate we are giving away a FREE iPod Shuffle to one of our lovely readers to keep you motivated and entertained during your workouts.

How to enter:
To enter the draw you only need to do one thing:

Enter your email address in the box below and sign up to receive all our updates right in your inbox. NOTE: Your privacy is protected. We will never sell or share your email address.

The winner will be selected by random on the 24th of April. We will notify you by email and post the results here on the blog.

photo credit: Pinkabilly

Meditation is very important to me. I like to spend at least 15 minutes a day on my meditation cushion focusing on my mind and breath. In this article I want to show you seven reasons why every woman should meditate every day.

7 reasons every woman should meditate every day

Have a read through these reasons and see if any of them make sense to you. If they do then I highly encourage you to start meditating on a regular basis – ideally first thing in the morning.

1. It makes you happier
The most important reason to start meditate every day is because it makes you happier. Meditation helps you to get in touch with your thoughts and emotions and work through a lot of crap that you might otherwise just let float around. It also helps you become more focused and mindful which leads to happiness because your actions will start to match your intentions.

2. It is good for you
Science has shown that meditation is extremely good for your health. It relaxes your heartbeat and lowers your blood pressure – extremely important for all you corporate women out there who are busy focusing on deadlines and due dates. Meditation also strengthens your internal energies which will make you less susceptible to colds and flus.

3. It gives you quiet time
These days there is almost no room for quiet time. You are either looking after the kids or your husband or work is riding you to meet with some client – there is no time for silence. But silence is extremely important. It can relax your mind and body and allow you to “process” all the things that are going on. Ten minutes of silent meditation everyday will go a long way to making you more sane.

4. You will become stronger
Meditation masters are always strong people who can deal with any situation that gets thrown at them. The reason for this is because they have become so accustomed and familiar with their own mind that they are able to see through all the trash and just remain calm. After a few months of regular meditation you will find that you don’t get blown around by all the little ups and downs that life throws at you.

5. You will be able to train harder
Along the same lines as the previous point, meditating regularly will allow you to train a lot harder. The reason is simple. When you begin looking at mind you start to see that your thoughts have no real power. They arise and dissolve but they never really have any inherent power to influence you. After a while you will be able to take this realization off the cushion and out into the world with you. For example, when you are running on the treadmill and your mind is telling you “stop” you will be able to see through that game and push on. This is a very valuable skill to have.

6. It removes stress from your body and mind
One of the most fundamental benefits of meditation is relaxation. Meditation allows you to process all the stress in your mind and sort it out. And once it is out of your mind it will soon be out of your body. Your muscles will relax and your joints will loosen. Daily meditation will make you a much more relaxed and easy going person.

7. Your sleep will be peaceful
Another major benefit that I have noticed is that my sleep has become a lot more peaceful. I fall asleep much faster and I am able to wake up fresh. This is extremely important if you have a training session to get to or you need to start work early.

Conclusion

The wonderful thing about meditation is that the more you do it, the more benefits you will get. If you can sneak in five minutes of meditation after work and ten minutes before you go to bed then you will be well on your way to better health and a lot happier living.

photo credit: Ed Yourdon

One of the most common reasons that women don’t workout is because they just can’t find enough time in the day. This is very sad state of affairs. It is horrible to think that in a 24 hour day there is not enough time to do something that is good for you. In this post I would like to show you a few ways to find more time to workout in your busy day.

How to find more time for workouts in your busy day

These suggestions come from my own experience so if anyone else has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. Please stop by our forum and let us know what works for you.

1. Make it your priority
At the moment a million other things are your priority. Making the beds, feeding the kids, going to work, cooking dinner, watching your favorite TV show, going to bed. Somewhere in there you need to make fitness and health your priority. Now I am not saying make working out a more important priority than your kids. But it should be a more important priority than watching Lost or Deal or No Deal. If you can do this you will find that you make time for your workouts instead of wondering why there is no time.

2. Wake up earlier
The sad fact is that most of us are pretty busy. In order to find time to workout you might have to wake up early. This might mean waking up 20 minutes early and doing some yoga or body-weight exercises in your lounge room or it might mean waking up an hour earlier and going for a run and a weight session. Either way, waking up early will give you more time that you can specifically allot to fitness.

3. Park the car away from work
There are some really simple little things that you can do if you want to find time to workout. To do this you need to remember that you don’t always have to put on tights and drive to the gym in order to have a workout. For example, parking your car 15 minutes away from your office will give you a 30 minute walking session every single day. That way you get a workout without even having to do anything different.

4. Go directly to the gym
One technique that I have found to be particularly useful is going straight to the gym before or after work. This direct approach gives you a lot less wriggling room. When you drive straight to the gym you have less time to convince yourself that you are too tired or too busy. You just go there and do it.

photo credit: lu_lu

5. Workout in your lunch break
If you go into the city during lunch time you will be amazed to see all the corporate boys and girls going for a jog together. It is a great idea. Most workplaces give you an hour lunch break which is often way more than you need. Why not try this instead:

• 0-5 minutes: get changed
• 5-35 minutes: go for a run
• 35-45 minutes: shower and change
• 45-60 minutes: eat lunch

This schedule is more than reasonable and by following it you will get a 30 minutes workout every single day, regardless of how busy you are. Why not make the most of the time that your work gives you instead of exercising on your own time?

6. Read, study or work at the gym
Something I have seen more and more people do lately is read while they are sitting on the exercise bike. I think it is a great idea. If you are find that you don’t have time to workout because you need to study or read over some case notes from work then why not take them to the gym and read them while you are pedaling away on the bike? You will kill two birds with one stone and you will feel a lot better about your “take home” work.

Conclusion

Your health is so important. You should never let your busy life get in the way of your workout routine or program. If you really want to be healthy and live a long life you need to find some time in your busy day to workout. Try some of these tips and see how they work for you.

photo credit: Cia de Foto

So many people have trouble getting out of bed as soon as their alarm goes off. In this post I am going to give you a few tips on how you can get up straight away feeling fresh, alive and ready for your morning exercise. It really isn’t that hard when you have the right tools.

How to wake up when your alarm goes off & not sleep in

This matter is something that is very personal. Everyone has different body clocks. Some people respond to one technique while others will not respond at all. Make sure you experiment with a variety of different techniques and find out what works best for you.

1. Put your alarm away from the bed
The first thing you need to do is move your alarm away from your bed. This will stop you from just hitting the snooze button and diving back under the covers. And we all know what that means – another hour of sleep!

Ideally you should have to get out of bed in order to turn off your alarm. Once you are out you will have a much better chance of staying out. Try this and see if it helps.

2. Go to bed early
If you do not go to bed early it will be extremely hard to get up when your alarm goes off. You will not wake up fresh and alive and instead will feel groggy and tired. The comfortable blankets will be too tempting and you will fall right back to sleep.

If you are having problems getting up early you need to go to bed earlier. It is not rocket science. In fact, this is one of the most simple points that people overlook. Find your optimal time and go with it.

3. Get up at the same time everyday
You need to get out of bed at the same time everyday, even on weekends. If you change times everyday you will irritate your body clock and find it extremely difficult to get out of bed when you actually want to. Pick a time and set your alarm to it and never change it. After a few weeks you will find it quite normal to get up early.

photo credit: R.P. Piper

4. Don’t drink coffee
Coffee is medically renowned as one of the worst substances you can take if you are trying to get a more regular sleep pattern. Coffee irritates your gut and intestinal tract and this causes certain imbalances which cause you to have a shallow sleep. If you had a lot of coffee during the day you will be a lot less likely to get a good night’s sleep and as such waking up will be hard.

5. Drink a glass of water
Next to your alarm, on the other side of the room, should be a big tall glass of water that you put there the night before. When you stumble out of bed to get your alarm you should drink the glass of water straight away. This is a great tactic that many people throughout history have utilized. The water kick starts your metabolism and really seems to wake you up.

6. Don’t be too warm
If you sleep with a lot of covers on it is likely that you will find it difficult to get out of bed. I have found that I have a much better chance of getting up early when my alarm goes off if my covers are not too thick. Sure, you need to be comfortable but the trick is to not overdo it. A sheet and a blanket is probably enough. Quilts are just too luxurious for me!

7. Make a serious promise
Taking a vow is one of the best ways to change your bed habits. This situation is no different. If you have no inner reason for getting up when your alarm goes off then it is unlikely you will succeed. Try to think of a few concrete reasons why you need to get up. For example, getting up early so you can exercise to avoid a heart attack is a good reason. Think of your own personal ambition and then take a vow in front of some people that you love and respect.

8. Reward yourself
Give yourself a reward for your successes. If you get up at 5.30am for five days in a row you can go to McDonald’s for breakfast on Saturday. Or you can get that new T-shirt that you wanted. If you reward good behavior you will find that you have both a positive and a negative reason for getting up at a good time.

9. Remember the benefits
Getting up early has so many amazing benefits. You will experience more of your life and you will have more hours in the day to do things. Sleeping is nice while you are doing it but later on you regret all the time that you wasted. We already spend half of our life asleep – why do you want to waste any more?

Conclusion

Getting up early is a habit that you need to form and it starts by waking up when your alarm goes off. If you can manage to accomplish this seemingly simple task you will find that you can experience a lot more of your life and achieve great progress in your fitness and weight loss ambitions.

If you have any other tips please drop by our forum and share them.

photo credit: patrick kiteley

Life is busy. Work, family, cooking dinner. It doesn’t leave us with a lot of time to workout. So when we finally make it to the gym we need to make sure we are getting the most out of our workout sessions. In this post I am going to show you 11 ways to get more from your time at the gym.

11 tactics to get more from your gym session

These tips are designed to help make your gym workouts more efficient, effective and result producing. If you have anything else to add please head over to the forum and leave your tips. You never know, your knowledge might really help someone.

1. Have a coffee before hand
Studies have shown that coffee helps you workout. It keeps you more focused and alert and it can even help you perform better physically. This is particularly true if you are doing a weight loss workout as caffeine speeds up your heart rate and metabolism.

photo credit: Joanne Probyn

2. Warm up correctly
A lot of women fail to warm up correctly. If you are doing a weights session that involves a lot of upper body work you need to make sure you warm up that part of your body. Running on a treadmill is no good! If you are going to be doing upper body weights perhaps start with some rowing.

3. Keep hydrated
When you workout your body loses fluids. This can end your workout prematurely because it starts to make you feel sick and tired. Keeping hydrated is extremely important if you want to make sure you are getting the most from your time at the gym. Keep a water bottle with you or make sure you constantly visit the fountain.

4. Workout the big muscle groups
There are two types of weight lifting exercise – isolated and compound. Isolated exercises only work one muscle at a time and as such do not have a lot of full body benefits. Compound exercises, on the other hand, workout lots of muscles at once. This is a much better option for saving time, burning calories and getting a full body workout in a short space of time.

5. Use heavy weights
Whoever it was that first said that light weights tone your muscles was a fool. Light weights don’t do much at all to be honest. If you want to tone up and lose weight then you need to use heavy weights. Don’t worry, you won’t get bulky. All you will do is burn calories faster and make a lot more progress.

6. Workout with a partner
Sometimes we can be a little bit lazy when we workout by ourselves. We wander around looking at the televisions or taking big breaks in between sessions. However, if you workout with a partner a lot of that is cut out. Similarly, you will be more likely to work hard when your partner is pushing you to do better. Try it out.

7. Have a fixed routine
A few years ago I used to go to the gym and spend half of my time walking around wondering what to do next. This is a big waste of time. Plan your sessions before you go by creating a fixed routine. Stick to that routine and you will find that your sessions become a heck of a lot more productive.

8. Take some music
There is nothing like a good loud song to get you working out harder. I always seem to run a lot further when I have a good hip hop song in my ear. Try and put together a workout playlist and crank it on whenever you do your cardio sessions. The added emotion will really get you moving.

photo credit: dongga BS

9. Have a set goal
One thing I noticed recently was that I worked a lot harder at the gym when I had a set goal. In previous years I would just go the gym out of some sense of needing to stay fit and slim but recently I decided that I wanted to lose 5 kilograms after spending too much time in the local cafe on an overseas trip. Once I had this set goal I did what I needed to do to achieve it and stayed on track. Find out what you want to achieve, write it down and go for it!

10. Cut your sessions to 45 minutes
Your gym sessions should not go for longer than 45 minutes. Any long than this and your body starts to produce a chemical that can actually hamper your progress. But that is not the only reason. If you cut your session times down you will be forced to fit more in and work harder. This is a fantastic way to work out – intensely.

11. Squat
The squat is the best wight lifting exercise there is. A good session of heavy weighted squats will burn more calories than any other exercise. But what is really cool about the squat is the fact that your body will continue to burn calories after you have finished the workout. If you really want to super charge your gym session you need to start squatting on a regular basis.

If you have any other suggestions please drop by our forum and let us know!

photo credit: Photos8.com

Do you set your alarm for a 6am run but then hit snooze til 9? Do you plan on going to the gym after work but never seem to get there? Sounds like you’ve got a case of fitness laziness!

In this article I am going to give you some simple steps to overcome fitness laziness. For once you overcome this hurdle, the rest will seem like a walk in the park.

Admitting that you have fitness laziness?

The first thing you need to do is admit you have a problem. Once you have admitted you have a problem you can begin to solve it. If you never admit it, you will never solve it. Here are three ways to tell whether you have fitness laziness:

• You don’t last more than a month
  One surefire way to tell if you are lazy is if you begin a weight loss program or a new fitness regime and then quit after a month. This is lazy because you have not given it enough time to work and are giving up too early.
• You cheat all the time
  Another way to tell if you are lazy is if you cheat. This could be that you have a “cheat snack” every now and then or it could be that you blow the gym off to go to a party or watch TV. Lazy.
• You leave the gym early
  If you ever leave the gym before completing your workout or head home after only jogging a few blocks it is a big sign that you are being lazy. Successful people never cut their workouts short – they always follow through to the end.

If you do any one of those things then it is time to admit that you have a laziness problem. Now that you have done that we can get to work solving it.

How to overcome fitness laziness

Laziness is a habit. It is not an inbuilt personality trait. Laziness has become a part of your life because you have allowed yourself to slip into that mindset. This means that with a few simple habit changes you can reverse its negative effects. You can change.

1. Take a vow in front of someone you respect
One of the most powerful ways to overcome laziness in relation to weight loss or fitness is to take a strong vow in front of someone you respect, love or admire. Vows are very powerful things and, when done with a good motivation, can shape and change your situation.

The best thing to do is gather together your husband, parents, siblings and friends and then make the announcement that you want to achieve a certain goal. It might be that you want to drop 20 pounds. Once you have made that announcement vow in front of all of them that you will achieve your goal within a certain time frame. This puts the onus on you.

2. Think about the consequences
Another way to combat laziness is to think about the consequences of your laziness. This is often the most powerful way to spur you in to some new and more motivated activity.

For example, if you keep putting off your weight loss program there is every chance that you will become overweight. Being overweight can be damaging to your health and can cause heart problems, diabetes and several other serious illnesses. Think about these things the next time you want to put something off til later.

3. Start small
One reason people fail when it comes to fitness is because they start in the deep end. Instead of getting up 20 minutes early and going for a light walk they try to get up two hours early and do a full gym session. Not going to happen. If you want to overcome your lazy habits you need to reverse them slowly.

Start by changing small things with your diet and fitness program. Instead of going for a marathon run everyday try just doing a nice light walk for half an hour. Instead of cutting out all carbs cold turkey try cutting out a few items at a time; bread, then rice, then pasta, etc. When you do things gradually you are more likely to succeed.

Conclusion

As I said, laziness is a habit. And you don’t get rid of bad habits, you just replace them with better ones. Start slow, take a vow and think about the consequences of your lazy behavior. If you do these three things you will achieve your weight loss and fitness goals a lot faster.

photo credit: madaboutasia

Would you like to have sexier legs? Do you want to turn your soft and chunky legs in to smooth, firm and toned ones? Well it is possible. In this post I am going to show you how to use some simple exercises and diet tips to make your legs sexy.

Exercises for Sexy Legs

The first thing you need to do if you want to get some sexy legs is start a regular exercise program. This exercise program needs to be made up of:

• Basic weight training
• High intensity cardio; and
• Simple stretching

Now I am not talking about a lot of exercise. Four times a week should be enough. But, the more time you can devote to your training the better your results will be. Be careful not to over train, however, as this will lead to exhaustion and poor muscle recovery.

Basic weight training
First we will look at the weight training aspect of getting sexy legs. There are certain exercises you can do that shape and build the muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, thighs and calf muscles. It is vital to do weights. Weight training not only makes your legs stronger and firmer, it burns a hell of a lot of fat.

Do not buy in to the myth that weight training will make your bulky. It won’t. Women simply do not have enough testosterone in their body to cause excessive muscle growth. Weight training is used to burn fat, increase the metabolism and strengthen the muscles.

Here are the exercises you need to do:

• The weighted squat:
  This exercise is the best exercise you can do for your lower body. It uses every muscle below your waist and is a fantastic way to burn fat and develop your firmer muscles.
• The weighted step up:
  This exercise is done by taking some medium heavy dumb bells and stepping up on to a stable bench or table. It is especially good for the glutes and thighs and is an essential exercise for sexy legs.
• The jumping squat:
  This exercise is done by squatting down to the ground with one foot forward and then springing in to the air as high as you can. Whilst in the air, change your feet so the back one is now in the front and repeat. This exercise is tough but brings super fast results.

Beginners should start with a light weight and perform as many sets as they feel comfortable doing. As you master the technique and become stronger you should add more weight and/or more repetitions so that your muscle development does not stagnate.

High intensity cardio
I always choose high intensity cardio over low intensity cardio. Why? Because it is so much better!

High intensity cardio like sprinting, stair runs, martial arts, boxing, etc. burn more calories. They also cause your heart rate to stay elevated long after the exercise session has finished meaning you will be burning fat long after you leave the gym.

The main advantage of HIC is that you can do everything you need in under 30 minutes. No more jogging on the treadmill for an hour and a half – just bang out 25 minutes of boxing class and you will have achieved so much more!

If you want to get sexy legs it is a good idea to choose HIC that targets your legs. For example, stair sprinting, running up hills and kickboxing are all excellent choices. If you want more traditional gym exercises you could do fast paced exercise bike riding, stair master or sprinting on the treadmill.

Try and do three sessions like this per week in order to get the maximum benefit.

Simple stretching

photo credit: k4dordy

The last piece in the exercise part of our ‘sexy legs puzzle’ is some simple stretching. Stretching is extremely important to the health of your legs and will keep them limber and firm. Take a look at the legs of any gymnast, martial artist or yoga instructor!

Yoga is my favorite way of stretching my legs because it is also extremely good for your health and mind. It is relaxing at the same time as being challenging. Some of the best workouts I have ever had have been in a yoga class as we did deep stance poses and stretches. You legs always feel rejuvenated and healthy after a good yoga class.

For a real challenge I recommend Hatha or Bikram Yoga. If you don’t feel like a new person after a yoga class I will personally write you an apology.

Diet tips for sexy legs

photo credit: mela sogono

The best thing you can do if you want to have sexy legs is forget about whatever diet you are on. Forget about fad diets and milkshakes. Forget it all and start eating healthier.

Most diets either promote no fat or no carbs. Both of these are extreme. We need some fat to be healthy. We need some carbs to be healthy. The diet you need to be on is an all natural one.

If you want to get sexy legs (or just lose weight!) you should replace man made foods like chips, pasta, baked good, snack bars, candy, soda, etc. with natural foods like nuts, fruit, vegetables, water, milk, eggs, etc. When you do this you will find you get the perfect balance of proteins, carbs and fats and you will burn fat without even trying.

And you will become healthy. How many women do you know who have become sick, gaunt or moody when on a low carb diet? It happens for a reason – their body isn’t happy. Forget diets and go natural. This is the best thing you can do for your body.

You can get sexy and toned legs!

With a little bit of commitment, dedication and the right information you can have some extremely sexy and toned legs. Perform regular weights, cardio and stretching sessions and eat a natural diet. These are the secrets that you have always wanted.

Not as tough as you might have thought!