Fitness Motivation: Be Strong. Be Beautiful. Be You
by Priti Kumar meditation techniquesFitness Experts
We are constantly exposed to images of toned
physiques, which
isn’t always a negative thing, but they can often be used in a misleading way.
I believe that there is a positive way to look at images of fit and healthy
people. In
the same way that seeing fast food ads makes you start craving unhealthy food,
seeing healthy body imagery can serve as a motivating force to get you off the
couch and moving. In my experience, this initial, externally-focused motivation
of wanting a perfect body, such as those we see in magazines or online, is
often quickly replaced by a true understanding of how living a healthy, active
lifestyle can make you feel and look better.
Quite often people feel guilty for
being motivated by vanity, but it doesn’t matter what your source of motivation
is. Whether you’re motivated by the health benefits of living a healthy
lifestyle, the idea of
Achieving your idea of perfect
physique, or by the really cute active wear that comes with living an active
lifestyle, it’s okay! You don’t need to feel guilt about your reasons for
wanting to improve.
So long as you are making positive steps
toward getting fit and healthy, it’s a positive thing. Whatever your overall
body goal is, just remember that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and true
beauty is what happens on the inside of your body. Maintaining an overall body
composition that is within a healthy range and feeling good is what I believe
is most important. Of course, matching your workout shoes to your outfit is a
great perk, too.
As
women, we should embrace our friends who are sharing their fitness progress,
feel happy for the fitness models on the cover of magazines and be inspired by
the women who like to wear fabulous outfits to the gym. Always remember that
your positive progress and enthusiasm can serve as inspiration for others. We
all have certain areas of the body that frustrate us and you should not feel
guilty if your motivation for fitness and healthy eating comes from trying to
correct your trouble areas. In fact, this is often a passing phase and
eventually the amazing feeling that a healthy lifestyle evokes will allow you
to forget about that specific area altogether.
Here
are some tips to help you with stubborn female trouble spots while keeping your
overall health as your priority by taking help of Fitness Experts:
Refine
your overall approach: Work
toward achieving an improved overall fitness level and incorporate your
body-specific or target goals into that plan. Working on your trouble spots a
few times a week will help you to feel a sense of control.
Boost
your cardio to burn fat: Cardiovascular
exercises, such as running, cycling, biking and swimming, burn calories and
often even stored body fat. If you are trying to burn some fat off your hips
and booty, making sure that you engage in cardio is essential. Remember that
you can’t decide where your body will burn fat from – there is no such thing as
spot reduction. However, adding 30-45 minutes of cardio, three days a week,
will help you to burn fat. To make your cardio lower body specific, try
running, climbing hills or give spinning a try.
Build
up your muscles: If
you want to improve the muscle tone in your lower body, you must do lower body
exercises as part of your routine. My favorites for toning hips and booty are
squats, lunges, step-ups and leg lifts. Even if your aim is to slim down,
building muscle is a perfect choice. Start out by performing the exercises,
using your body weight, then progress to adding resistance with dumbbells or a
bar. Three days a week for 30 minutes is a great start.
Make
small dietary changes: Having
good nutrition is one of the most important factors of improving your body. If
you want to increase your muscle mass, you must be consuming adequate protein.
If you increase the amount of exercise that you do, you must ensure that you
are staying well-hydrated and consuming good carbohydrates. My tip is to write
down your daily consumption in food diary so that you can see what you are
putting into your body. Make small changes to cut out any junk foods and
replace them with healthier options. If you focus on snack time to start with,
you may be surprised how many hidden calories you are consuming. A reduction of
just a few hundred calories a day can make a big impact on your body
composition over time.
Even
before you begin to see results, you’ll find that simply taking small steps to
improve your body will help you to boost your overall confidence and
self-image. Always remember, ridding yourself of any guilty feelings you have
about your health and fitness journey is critical.
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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.