Get Active & Stay Active

We all do it...every year: New Years Resolutions.

I would bet the majority of you who read my posts made at least one fitness/weight loss related goal for 2012.  That's great and good for you for having goals!

My question to you is this:
How many of you actually follow through the entire year of what you've promised yourself?

I'm just as guilty as most are for slacking off during certain parts of the year - cough...October through December...cough - but my goal this year is to keep my resolutions going year round.  I haven't quite listed them on here yet, but for this post I'm going to stick with the Fitness category.

I'm challenging YOU to take on 5 easy ways to
Get Active & Stay Active in 2012.

1. Take Classes

You don't have to have a gym membership to take group fitness classes.  Yoga, pilates, barre, and Dance Trance are all great examples of specialty studios that offer specific workouts.  When I had a gym membership, I usually preferred taking a challenging cardio or toning class over doing a workout by myself.

source: Esquire.com

Some of my personal favorites include:

Boot Camp

Kickboxing

Spinning

Group Power

Zumba

Awesome Abs

If you do have a gym membership, find out what classes they offer and take advantage of them!

2. Fun in Numbers

source: Sweaty Betties

Occasionally, I like to do my own thing, but most of the time I think working out is more fun with a friend.  I spent the last 3 years of dancing in the NBA working out with at least one if not more girls before every practice and we really killed that hour of time.

*TIP: if you're a group of 2 or 3, try super-setting exercises and switch back and forth.

Example:

Person 1: 1 min plank hold, 100 jump ropes, 25 jump squats.
Person 2: 100 jump ropes, 25 jump squats, 1 min plank hold.
Person 3: 25 jump squats, 1 min plank hold, 100 jump ropes.

Super-setting workouts is a great tool if your the type of person who only goes to the gym or takes a class if someone asks you to go with them.  Need some motivation? The Sweaty Betties are hysterical, inspirational and informative!

3. Healthy Food Motivates.

Maintaining a healthy diet doesn't mean you have to be ON a diet.  Just be sure to include foods that fuel your body pre and/or post-workout.  Eating healthy and exercising go hand in hand, so one usually motivates you to do the other.

Here I made "happy & healthy waffles" with Kashi Blueberry Whole Grain Waffles smeared with homemade apple butter (gift from a co-worker), topped with sliced banana and sprinkled chia seeds, with a side of Jennie-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon.

I make sure to eat a meal like this after each training or workout. When you're working hard to stay fit, you start to crave what's actually good for you and leave the fatty starches and sugars in the dust.

*For more post-workout meal ideas, check out my Half-Marathon Training Re-caps.

4. Sign up for a Race or Community Event.

source: Missoulian.com

I'm on Week 4 of training for my half-marathon in March and that program has me running my booty off four days a week.  Since this is my first half, it's has been a challenge for sure...but I'm doing it.  Having an end goal while training keeps me motivated to get out there every other day and push through it.

Not a runner?  There's TONS of events you can find out there. 

source: Texas Daily Photo

Try researching "race" or "events" in your area online.  Here's a list of a few events Scott and I are looking at around the Central Florida area:

Unfortunately, we thought we were going to be out of town for our first choice and missed the deadline to sign up by a DAY!
The Warrior Dash - January 22.



Excuse me while I pout... sigh.
Here are the other ones we are choosing from:

Monster Bash Dash - April 14th in Kissimmee
Monster Challenges - April 21-22 in Clermont
Mud Crusade - April 21-22 in Tampa
The Highlander - September 22

5. Tell People About It.

And by this I don't mean tweeting every time you step foot in a gym.  I encourage you to tell whoever is close to you you're mission to get active.  When going towards any goal, you can use whatever support you can get so don't be afraid to share the good news.

Writing this blog works wonders for me. 

Off to run! :)

Questions:
Are you up for the Get Active & Stay Active in 2012 challenge?
Any additional motivational advice?