My New Year Resolution and Lent Sacrifices
How is everyone doing with their New Year’s Resolutions? I have to brag, I’m still going strong and the real reason is because of how I set my goals. Here is what they were and how I approached them.
1. To commit myself more to writing
I set a goal to write every day. I set my alarm clock to 4:30 in the morning; I get up and make myself a cup of coffee and sit still to write for one uninterrupted hour. I knew doing this every day would be hard and a little unrealistic so I decided that I had to write at least 4 days a week. That plan has worked out. I learned to pull from my strengths instead of stressing from my weaknesses.
2. To work out at the gym and train like I once used to
To be realistic, training like I did when I competed is near impossible. I’m not planning to compete this year so there’s no reason for me to hit the weights hard six days a week; or for that matter, twice a day. I decided to train hard but I set my schedule to train no less than three (3) days a week. I also decided that if I do not go to the gym, I would run outside. When summer comes along, I’ll have to readjust my schedule and try a new routine.
So the real reason why I’m still on top of my New Year’s Resolution is because I focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t do. Sure, I can’t wake up every single day at 4:30 to write but at least I do it five days a week and heck, I also find time to write at night. On weekends, I write when I can. Same for my workouts, I tell myself that I need to work out at least every other day, that way if I do miss a work out , I go the next day, it works for me.
Lent Sacrifices
To clarify some confusion about my Lent Sacrifice, I’d like to say that my goal isn’t too complicated. I decided to stop making small personal expenses that are unnecessary. The real reason why I did this is to save my money so I can travel for NASCAR events that are relatively close to my place such as Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville, New Hampshire and possibly Telladega. Okay, so NH isn’t close to Charlotte, but, it’s my childhood home track and I want to go there. Telladega is six hours south and is the track I hope to travel to sometime in the near future. So here are the sacrifices I need to focus on the most.
1. Coffee: I drink coffee every single day. By the time I leave for work, I’ve already had 2 cups, so by the time I do get to work, there is no reason for me to stop in to Starbucks or Port City Java or Panera for anything. I am in control and I have no excuses to show up for work without having had a cup of java or a good breakfast. So, no need to spend my money at a coffee shop UNLESS I’m buying a pound of coffee or a bucket of 12 bagels.
2. Drinks: Aside coffee, I’ve decided that there is no reason for me to go out and spend my money on drinks like a single bottle of water or to buy a protein shake at the gym. There’s also no reason for me to spend my money on a single glass of wine or beer. If I want a few of these drinks, I’ll buy a bottle of wine or a 6 pack of beer and invite a few friends over.
3. Other small expenses such as a dollar here, a dollar there. None of that. I’ve never been one to rely on the vending machine nor do I spend at the check-out . If I’m desprete for water or a snack, I’ll buy enough to bring home and have for the next few days, instead of 1.
These goals are not hard to achieve. What’s hard is the negative attitudes people have about setting their own goals. If you want something in life, go get it.
Making these New Year’s Resolutions and keeping them is your responsibility and you can make them last; stop following the ones that can’t and stop saying you can’t. You create your own success as much as you create your own failures.
Making them work is something that you need to do by paying attention what works and what doesn’t. If your resolution was to work out every day at the gym and you never led an active lifestyle in the gym, maybe your resolution is unrealistic and you should consider switching it up to, ‘going to the gym as much as possible until I find my niche and drive, until I figure out what motivation techniques work for me and how I can make it work so that next year, I can say I’ll work out five days a week.’
See how easy it really can be? It’s up to you.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, March 06, 2011
The truth about feminism
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about woman’s rights and the feminist movement because of planned parenthood and other social issues and I’ve been storing away all that I’ve been hearing in the back of my mind. Nothing gets under my skin more than watching young girls living like feminist and they turn around to say they are not feminists. Ladies, do you know what a real feminist is? Sometime in my twenties, I didn't understand it's true meaning but I learned quickly that I was feminist.
For those of you who think it’s about bra burning and the right to stop shaving; or if it is about being a lesbian and protesting against Eminen and Britney Spears; if it’s about not getting married and not having babies, think again.
The feminist movement was started so that women had the right to live her life as she chooses. To wear make-up, to wear heels; to wear jeans or to wear hoodies and a pair if mans work boots - what ever you choose, it's your choice and not another persons.
If you have a job; a college degree or not; if you own your own car and bought it without a man's help; if you buy your own clothes; if you decide when to hang out with your friends and what you want to do on the weekends; if you chose to be a mom or not - you are feminist. Accept it.
If you are locked up in a closet and do nothing for yourself or your family - you are not feminist.
If you read Stephanie Meyers books Twilight and watched the movie, you are feminist. Why? Because if it wasn't for the feminist movement, Ms. Meyer wouldn't have had the right to sell the book and become as famous as she did.
If you vote, you are feminist.
If you watch Jersey Shore, you're feminist. Why? If it wasn't for the feminist movement, Snookie and JWOW wouldn't be doing what they are doing. As a matter of fact, a lot of reality shows on MTV have helped the feminist movement along like The Hills and Lauren Conrad.
If you are married and you have a job, you are feminist.
I really wish young women would understand what it really means to be feminist and I wish men would not be so threatened by it.
To educate a man is to educate a man; but to educate a woman is to educate a family.
Women bring their talents, smarts and livelihood to the forefront and the reason why we are who we are is because of a woman's influence.
Ladies, if we lived like our grandmothers did, society would have a better appreciation for the rights women have today. We think living lives like families did in the 1950s, live like they did in Leave it to Beaver is easier but trust me, it is not. Did you know that back in the day, before the 50s that women did not have a right to initiate sex with their own husbands and if her husband wanted to have sex when she clearly did not, she had to do it and wasn't allowed to say no? That saying no was disobeying and dishonoring her husband? All jokes aside, that's pretty pathetic and I'm glad that men today have a hell of a whole lot more respect for women; they appreciate their wives and girlfriends more and allow them to be more domineering in the bedroom - that's the way it should be. Both engaged and involved, not just one sided. I can't imagine today's women not being able to express their own sexual needs and desires with their own boyfriends and husbands; heck today's women are more open about casual and random sex than I was when I was 24.
Something happened yesterday that deserves a mention.
Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Go Daddy car and driver for JR Motorsports finished 4th place in the Nationwide Series race in Las Vegas, NV. She didn’t win 4th out of luck. She started in the back, fell two laps behind and managed to catch up. She moved forward at full speed, passing drivers one by one until she made it in the top five. Had there been a few more laps to go, she may have actually won.
She is the first woman in NASCAR to make it into the top five.
The year is 2011 people.
I know right now I'm most focused on NASCAR. JR Motorsports is co-owned, co-managed by Dale Earnhardt's sister Kelley Earnhardt and there is no denying she is the backbone of his success.
Lots of people may think of Dale Jr. as a playboy but who care's? I like that he loves women and what he does for us. He's bringing women to his company to not only have jobs but to do what they do best; even bikini contests at his bar. He has always been the one to introduce NASCAR to new places, to MTV, to Rolling Stone and he brought NASCAR to places no one else has, it's no wonder his company is the first to have a winning female driver. Danica Patrick may very well be the first women in NASCAR to win a Championship and I hope she does it while driving for JR Motorsports; they are the team that deserves that win.
I could go on and on about this topic; there are many other places women succeed in beside auto-racing: Politics, Religion, bodybuilding, football, baseball, science and engineering.
We are a better society because of the feminist movement.
In conclusion, if the day does come that I do end up married with children running around and I do cook for my husband, at least I'll do it while holding a meaningful, intellectual conversation with him. My future children and family will benefit from the experiences and education I have given to myself as I lived the life of a single woman as long as I did.
For those of you who think it’s about bra burning and the right to stop shaving; or if it is about being a lesbian and protesting against Eminen and Britney Spears; if it’s about not getting married and not having babies, think again.
The feminist movement was started so that women had the right to live her life as she chooses. To wear make-up, to wear heels; to wear jeans or to wear hoodies and a pair if mans work boots - what ever you choose, it's your choice and not another persons.
If you have a job; a college degree or not; if you own your own car and bought it without a man's help; if you buy your own clothes; if you decide when to hang out with your friends and what you want to do on the weekends; if you chose to be a mom or not - you are feminist. Accept it.
If you are locked up in a closet and do nothing for yourself or your family - you are not feminist.
If you read Stephanie Meyers books Twilight and watched the movie, you are feminist. Why? Because if it wasn't for the feminist movement, Ms. Meyer wouldn't have had the right to sell the book and become as famous as she did.
If you vote, you are feminist.
If you watch Jersey Shore, you're feminist. Why? If it wasn't for the feminist movement, Snookie and JWOW wouldn't be doing what they are doing. As a matter of fact, a lot of reality shows on MTV have helped the feminist movement along like The Hills and Lauren Conrad.
If you are married and you have a job, you are feminist.
I really wish young women would understand what it really means to be feminist and I wish men would not be so threatened by it.
To educate a man is to educate a man; but to educate a woman is to educate a family.
Women bring their talents, smarts and livelihood to the forefront and the reason why we are who we are is because of a woman's influence.
Ladies, if we lived like our grandmothers did, society would have a better appreciation for the rights women have today. We think living lives like families did in the 1950s, live like they did in Leave it to Beaver is easier but trust me, it is not. Did you know that back in the day, before the 50s that women did not have a right to initiate sex with their own husbands and if her husband wanted to have sex when she clearly did not, she had to do it and wasn't allowed to say no? That saying no was disobeying and dishonoring her husband? All jokes aside, that's pretty pathetic and I'm glad that men today have a hell of a whole lot more respect for women; they appreciate their wives and girlfriends more and allow them to be more domineering in the bedroom - that's the way it should be. Both engaged and involved, not just one sided. I can't imagine today's women not being able to express their own sexual needs and desires with their own boyfriends and husbands; heck today's women are more open about casual and random sex than I was when I was 24.
Something happened yesterday that deserves a mention.
Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Go Daddy car and driver for JR Motorsports finished 4th place in the Nationwide Series race in Las Vegas, NV. She didn’t win 4th out of luck. She started in the back, fell two laps behind and managed to catch up. She moved forward at full speed, passing drivers one by one until she made it in the top five. Had there been a few more laps to go, she may have actually won.
She is the first woman in NASCAR to make it into the top five.
The year is 2011 people.
I know right now I'm most focused on NASCAR. JR Motorsports is co-owned, co-managed by Dale Earnhardt's sister Kelley Earnhardt and there is no denying she is the backbone of his success.
Lots of people may think of Dale Jr. as a playboy but who care's? I like that he loves women and what he does for us. He's bringing women to his company to not only have jobs but to do what they do best; even bikini contests at his bar. He has always been the one to introduce NASCAR to new places, to MTV, to Rolling Stone and he brought NASCAR to places no one else has, it's no wonder his company is the first to have a winning female driver. Danica Patrick may very well be the first women in NASCAR to win a Championship and I hope she does it while driving for JR Motorsports; they are the team that deserves that win.
I could go on and on about this topic; there are many other places women succeed in beside auto-racing: Politics, Religion, bodybuilding, football, baseball, science and engineering.
We are a better society because of the feminist movement.
In conclusion, if the day does come that I do end up married with children running around and I do cook for my husband, at least I'll do it while holding a meaningful, intellectual conversation with him. My future children and family will benefit from the experiences and education I have given to myself as I lived the life of a single woman as long as I did.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
35 Chapters
Welcome to the newest Chapter of My Life: Chapter 35
In two weeks, I'll be 35 years old. Or should I say, 35 years young!
Today, I'm not where I thought I would be; nor am I probably where I should be but thankfully, I'm not where I was.
I have a bright future ahead of me. I'm not so sure of that but I'm sure I'll be okay - it couldn't possibly be worse then it once was. I survived the worse of the economy and managed to find my way out of a horrible economy ...that's all behind me now.
Through thick - thin and in between I'm still who I am; there's a lot of me and it's all so luscious!
I'm not one to wait until my actual birthday, or New Years to start a new resolution or goal, so Chapter 35 starts now. Besides, my mom told me I was born late, funny because I hate to be late, it's something I've learned throughout the years.
In my new blog, I'll talk about whatever is on my mind; much like before. In the next few weeks, I may just post fun blogs such as this one: Top 35 things you should know about me - here they are in no specific order.
35. I love horses and dogs; I think all animals are adorable and I'd consider it a miracle if I could own a pet on my own.
34. I hope to own a convertible one day; and a nice every day kind of car like a Chevy - at the same time.
33. I once tried out to be a professional NFL Patriots cheerleader; it was an awesome day even though I didn't make the team.
32. When I was 13, I was on a local news show about being a teen candy striper, or as they now say, Hospital Volunteer. I volunteered for 3 years after that day.
31. I once canoed 43 miles of the Saco River in New Hampshire to Maine with a group of Girl Scouts; GS camping was my favorite part of my teen life.
30. Meeting Brett Michaels of Poison was the best part of my 15th birthday. I can't count the amount of celebrities I've met or encountered in person (since that day) on both hands.
29. Graduating from college was one the best accomplishments of my life. The other is actually passing math classes.
28. The summer of 1999 and working as a Girl Scout Camp councilor was fun and the teens taught me something important about myself. I still remember them as well as the women I worked with. That summer has a permanent place in my heart and mind.
27. Working as a nurse's aide, even for a short time was a life changing and life humbling experience.
26. Moving to Boston when I was 26, to live with two other 26 year olds, on 26 Lockland was an awesome year. We were the real life FRIENDS...kind of, sort of, not really.
25. I'm not ashamed to admit that I campaigned for Hilary Clinton when she ran for President; I am ashamed to admit that I didn't walk up to her husband, former President Clinton, to shake his hand when he stood about 10 feet away from me.
24. I am shy and it's the real reason why I never pursued a journalism career; moved to Cali after high school and became a famous person on some hit reality TV show.
23. I did major in Communications and Paralegal studies in college; I thought I'd find a job that allowed me to combine the two. FCC, anyone? JUST KIDDING.
22. Sure, I had wanted to be Political journalist - had there not been so much politics involved (sorry, dumb ass joke for you).
21. I didn't go out to party like a rock star when I turned 21 years old. It took me a few months to actually go out for drinks with friends; it took me about 4 years to actually get out to the clubs and party like a rock star, believe it or not.
20. I'd like to visit Prague one day; as a means to forgive myself for passing up a semester abroad in college.
19. Other countries I'd like to visit for pure pleasure would be Paris, Amsterdam, Australia and England.
18. I learned to speak English when I was six years-old; I still speak French; I can barely read it and I can't write it.
17. I do like go to Church and I pray often.
16. I failed my written drivers test the first time I took it.
15. I took gymnastics, ballet and dance class for ten years before I quit at the age of 15.
14. I hate winter sports and yes I have tried skiing, snowboarding and snow mobiling before coming to that conclusion.
13. The summer of 1989 was the best summer of my teen life.
12. I took my first modeling classes when I was 12 years old and decided I was going to be famous one day; and promised my mom I'd never pose for Playboy. Trust me, I do remember having that conversation with her while we drove home from Cinderella Modeling school and agency.
11. I've lived in 2 different countries, Canada and United States. I've been a resident of 4 different states (NH, MA, NY and NC); spent a summer in Vermont and a winter in South Carolina once.
10. I can't wait to have enough cash to buy a nice camper/RV and travel across America.
9. I like jazz music and coffee shops.
8. I like country music especially Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney.
7. My favorite sports to watch live or on TV are: football, NASCAR, Red Sox, gymnastics, cheer-leading, swimming, volleyball and surfing.
6. I love summer and water sports; I hope to surf and swim with dolphins sometime soon, very soon.
5. I plan to continue running in a few short distance marathons; my first 5K with Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano was a good day and look forward to more.
4. I'd like to own charitable foundation someday; for now, I just donate and get involved to gain as much experience as possible before taking the expensive plunge.
3. I agree with Cyndi Lauper, "Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world; I want to be the one to walk in the sun." If a man wants to have my heart and keep me forever, he must never stop me from reaching for the stars or stand in my spotlight.
2. Competing in Fitness Atlantic and World Natural Sports Organization as a fitness model was the best, the greatest accomplishment in my life. I'm a better person because of the training. I learned to be self motivated; disciplined and focused.
1. Being an aunt to my niece Kami is the best relationship I've ever had; she's my light, my joy and my life.
In two weeks, I'll be 35 years old. Or should I say, 35 years young!
Today, I'm not where I thought I would be; nor am I probably where I should be but thankfully, I'm not where I was.
I have a bright future ahead of me. I'm not so sure of that but I'm sure I'll be okay - it couldn't possibly be worse then it once was. I survived the worse of the economy and managed to find my way out of a horrible economy ...that's all behind me now.
Through thick - thin and in between I'm still who I am; there's a lot of me and it's all so luscious!
I'm not one to wait until my actual birthday, or New Years to start a new resolution or goal, so Chapter 35 starts now. Besides, my mom told me I was born late, funny because I hate to be late, it's something I've learned throughout the years.
In my new blog, I'll talk about whatever is on my mind; much like before. In the next few weeks, I may just post fun blogs such as this one: Top 35 things you should know about me - here they are in no specific order.
35. I love horses and dogs; I think all animals are adorable and I'd consider it a miracle if I could own a pet on my own.
34. I hope to own a convertible one day; and a nice every day kind of car like a Chevy - at the same time.
33. I once tried out to be a professional NFL Patriots cheerleader; it was an awesome day even though I didn't make the team.
32. When I was 13, I was on a local news show about being a teen candy striper, or as they now say, Hospital Volunteer. I volunteered for 3 years after that day.
31. I once canoed 43 miles of the Saco River in New Hampshire to Maine with a group of Girl Scouts; GS camping was my favorite part of my teen life.
30. Meeting Brett Michaels of Poison was the best part of my 15th birthday. I can't count the amount of celebrities I've met or encountered in person (since that day) on both hands.
29. Graduating from college was one the best accomplishments of my life. The other is actually passing math classes.
28. The summer of 1999 and working as a Girl Scout Camp councilor was fun and the teens taught me something important about myself. I still remember them as well as the women I worked with. That summer has a permanent place in my heart and mind.
27. Working as a nurse's aide, even for a short time was a life changing and life humbling experience.
26. Moving to Boston when I was 26, to live with two other 26 year olds, on 26 Lockland was an awesome year. We were the real life FRIENDS...kind of, sort of, not really.
25. I'm not ashamed to admit that I campaigned for Hilary Clinton when she ran for President; I am ashamed to admit that I didn't walk up to her husband, former President Clinton, to shake his hand when he stood about 10 feet away from me.
24. I am shy and it's the real reason why I never pursued a journalism career; moved to Cali after high school and became a famous person on some hit reality TV show.
23. I did major in Communications and Paralegal studies in college; I thought I'd find a job that allowed me to combine the two. FCC, anyone? JUST KIDDING.
22. Sure, I had wanted to be Political journalist - had there not been so much politics involved (sorry, dumb ass joke for you).
21. I didn't go out to party like a rock star when I turned 21 years old. It took me a few months to actually go out for drinks with friends; it took me about 4 years to actually get out to the clubs and party like a rock star, believe it or not.
20. I'd like to visit Prague one day; as a means to forgive myself for passing up a semester abroad in college.
19. Other countries I'd like to visit for pure pleasure would be Paris, Amsterdam, Australia and England.
18. I learned to speak English when I was six years-old; I still speak French; I can barely read it and I can't write it.
17. I do like go to Church and I pray often.
16. I failed my written drivers test the first time I took it.
15. I took gymnastics, ballet and dance class for ten years before I quit at the age of 15.
14. I hate winter sports and yes I have tried skiing, snowboarding and snow mobiling before coming to that conclusion.
13. The summer of 1989 was the best summer of my teen life.
12. I took my first modeling classes when I was 12 years old and decided I was going to be famous one day; and promised my mom I'd never pose for Playboy. Trust me, I do remember having that conversation with her while we drove home from Cinderella Modeling school and agency.
11. I've lived in 2 different countries, Canada and United States. I've been a resident of 4 different states (NH, MA, NY and NC); spent a summer in Vermont and a winter in South Carolina once.
10. I can't wait to have enough cash to buy a nice camper/RV and travel across America.
9. I like jazz music and coffee shops.
8. I like country music especially Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney.
7. My favorite sports to watch live or on TV are: football, NASCAR, Red Sox, gymnastics, cheer-leading, swimming, volleyball and surfing.
6. I love summer and water sports; I hope to surf and swim with dolphins sometime soon, very soon.
5. I plan to continue running in a few short distance marathons; my first 5K with Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano was a good day and look forward to more.
4. I'd like to own charitable foundation someday; for now, I just donate and get involved to gain as much experience as possible before taking the expensive plunge.
3. I agree with Cyndi Lauper, "Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world; I want to be the one to walk in the sun." If a man wants to have my heart and keep me forever, he must never stop me from reaching for the stars or stand in my spotlight.
2. Competing in Fitness Atlantic and World Natural Sports Organization as a fitness model was the best, the greatest accomplishment in my life. I'm a better person because of the training. I learned to be self motivated; disciplined and focused.
1. Being an aunt to my niece Kami is the best relationship I've ever had; she's my light, my joy and my life.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Options to Consider when choosing a gym
New Year's is that one time of year when everyone gets ahead of themselves making New Years Resolutions and the most popular resolution that does fail often is:
Joining a gym and sticking to work out plan.
Make 2011 the year that you break that cycle and stick to your work out plan without quitting before the end of January.
This time of year, all gyms have awesome offers for new members but don't be persuaded by their offers. Take the time to really think things through; make the decision that's most realistic for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself before joining a gym. Remember, there are so many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
1. WHY?
Why do want to join a gym? Are you advanced, intermediate or a beginner? Write down your answers in a workout journal and think them through carefully. How active have you been in your past? If you're a beginner, you may want to pay the most attention to all of your options as you shop for a gym.
2. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Do you want to lose weight; gain muscle mass or live a healthier life style? This is a very important question to ask because as I mentioned above, there are many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
All gyms have more or less to offer and here's a great tip: the less the membership fee is, the less the gym has to offer you; sometimes there are a few options, but that means extra fees and higher start up rates. Here are a few things gyms have to offer:
A. WEIGHT LIFTING
Lifting weights is a great exercise. It helps build muscle mass and bone strength. A lot of woman believe if they lift weights, they'll grow big muscles and look like men. The truth is, that is false! The muscle that grows depends on many things, genetics mostly but also depends on how heavy and how often you lift. It takes years for 'big' muscles to grow on half of us; so don't fear weight lifting; there are ways to maintain a decent size muscle. As a matter of fact, most of you only need to lift twice a week if you think about it. Most importantly, know your genetic make up. Lifting weights is good for you, helps burn fat and build strength, lift for those two reasons.
B. CARDIO EQUIPMENT
Treadmills, spin bikes and other elliptical equipment is available at all gyms. These are good for many reasons, losing fat and building endurance.
C. CARDIO CLASSES (spin, aerobics, yoga, pilates, dance, etc.).
Classes are awesome in that they help burn fat and give your entire body a full work out. You also have a chance to work out with friends; make new friends and to be honest, it's a great way to score free training from someone else.
D. OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THEIR 'SISTER' GYMS
Most gyms are franchises. Gyms such as the YMCA and Golds Gym can be found in many cities. Often times, there's a plan for you to visit their gyms a few times a month at no extra cost; but keep in mind, your monthly membership fee's could be more expensive.
E. POOLS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
The more your gym has to offer you, the more expensive your monthly fee's will be.
Gyms with pools are the most expensive (hands down). Ask yourself, how important is swimming in your life? How often do you get to go swimming outside in the summer months and where?
I've been working out for more than 10 years and I've been faced with many different scenario's. A popular question I hear often is, "is it better to join a gym near work or near home?"
In my experience, it's better to join a gym near your home. There are times when you'll forget your gym bag and if you work out near home, well, discipline yourself to the point where you can run in the house, change and leave for a work out. After awhile, that will be easy to do and you'll appreciate working out near home more; I find myself most motivated when I've had a chance to come home, unwind from crazy traffic and work and change in the privacy of my bedroom. It's also cleaner that way!
Do you want to work out in the morning or evening? Well, that's a good question. If you're fortunate, you can come home to shower after a morning workout then you have the rest of the day to do what you want to do; but some people don't mind showering in their gym - that's a personal question for you to consider. I don't like to change in a gym, let alone shower in one!
As for the pool question. I spent a lot of money joining a gym with a pool for two reasons. One was because I lived in the big city of Boston and in the summer I didn't have the chance to go swimming outside often. The second reason was because I moved to a deserted town in a tiny apartment and there was no pool around me except for the gym. It was a reasonable fee and I got a lot of work out options for me in both gyms in the city and in the deserted country side.
Right now, I have a pool in my apartment complex that's opened from April to October. Do I spend that extra money to have an inside pool at a gym for the entire year?
CONSIDER AT HOME WORK OUTS
To be honest, when I made the decision to leave behind the gym to work out at home (a year ago), I lost at the gym motivation for starters especially because I was moving to a new state and my personal life wasn't settled. I was fortunate in that I had at home equipment; plus I have my own personal motivation.
At home work outs can be beneficial for a few reasons. For starters, you can work out anytime you want; you can do laundry in between sets; you can play any song you want at the volume you choose; you can work out during a football game, a NASCAR race or during your favorite TV show or movie; you have privacy and if you are motivated, you can concentrate better because you do find your zone.
Negatives about working out at home is that it's easy to skip a work out; you have less options and maybe less room to spread out; it's easy to train less vigorously and it can test your motivation. If you do laundry in between sets, you can be distracted; if you exercise during a sporting event you can start to focus on the sport (or movie) more and slow your work out down.
I learned a lot while working out at home. I did have a television station called, "Fit TV," there were a few work out shows that I loved such as NAMASTE YOGA and Belly Dancing.
I even got involved with a few training websites.
Joining a gym and sticking to work out plan.
Make 2011 the year that you break that cycle and stick to your work out plan without quitting before the end of January.
This time of year, all gyms have awesome offers for new members but don't be persuaded by their offers. Take the time to really think things through; make the decision that's most realistic for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself before joining a gym. Remember, there are so many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
1. WHY?
Why do want to join a gym? Are you advanced, intermediate or a beginner? Write down your answers in a workout journal and think them through carefully. How active have you been in your past? If you're a beginner, you may want to pay the most attention to all of your options as you shop for a gym.
2. WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Do you want to lose weight; gain muscle mass or live a healthier life style? This is a very important question to ask because as I mentioned above, there are many ways to get into shape without having to break your bank account.
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?
All gyms have more or less to offer and here's a great tip: the less the membership fee is, the less the gym has to offer you; sometimes there are a few options, but that means extra fees and higher start up rates. Here are a few things gyms have to offer:
A. WEIGHT LIFTING
Lifting weights is a great exercise. It helps build muscle mass and bone strength. A lot of woman believe if they lift weights, they'll grow big muscles and look like men. The truth is, that is false! The muscle that grows depends on many things, genetics mostly but also depends on how heavy and how often you lift. It takes years for 'big' muscles to grow on half of us; so don't fear weight lifting; there are ways to maintain a decent size muscle. As a matter of fact, most of you only need to lift twice a week if you think about it. Most importantly, know your genetic make up. Lifting weights is good for you, helps burn fat and build strength, lift for those two reasons.
B. CARDIO EQUIPMENT
Treadmills, spin bikes and other elliptical equipment is available at all gyms. These are good for many reasons, losing fat and building endurance.
C. CARDIO CLASSES (spin, aerobics, yoga, pilates, dance, etc.).
Classes are awesome in that they help burn fat and give your entire body a full work out. You also have a chance to work out with friends; make new friends and to be honest, it's a great way to score free training from someone else.
D. OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THEIR 'SISTER' GYMS
Most gyms are franchises. Gyms such as the YMCA and Golds Gym can be found in many cities. Often times, there's a plan for you to visit their gyms a few times a month at no extra cost; but keep in mind, your monthly membership fee's could be more expensive.
E. POOLS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
The more your gym has to offer you, the more expensive your monthly fee's will be.
Gyms with pools are the most expensive (hands down). Ask yourself, how important is swimming in your life? How often do you get to go swimming outside in the summer months and where?
I've been working out for more than 10 years and I've been faced with many different scenario's. A popular question I hear often is, "is it better to join a gym near work or near home?"
In my experience, it's better to join a gym near your home. There are times when you'll forget your gym bag and if you work out near home, well, discipline yourself to the point where you can run in the house, change and leave for a work out. After awhile, that will be easy to do and you'll appreciate working out near home more; I find myself most motivated when I've had a chance to come home, unwind from crazy traffic and work and change in the privacy of my bedroom. It's also cleaner that way!
Do you want to work out in the morning or evening? Well, that's a good question. If you're fortunate, you can come home to shower after a morning workout then you have the rest of the day to do what you want to do; but some people don't mind showering in their gym - that's a personal question for you to consider. I don't like to change in a gym, let alone shower in one!
As for the pool question. I spent a lot of money joining a gym with a pool for two reasons. One was because I lived in the big city of Boston and in the summer I didn't have the chance to go swimming outside often. The second reason was because I moved to a deserted town in a tiny apartment and there was no pool around me except for the gym. It was a reasonable fee and I got a lot of work out options for me in both gyms in the city and in the deserted country side.
Right now, I have a pool in my apartment complex that's opened from April to October. Do I spend that extra money to have an inside pool at a gym for the entire year?
CONSIDER AT HOME WORK OUTS
To be honest, when I made the decision to leave behind the gym to work out at home (a year ago), I lost at the gym motivation for starters especially because I was moving to a new state and my personal life wasn't settled. I was fortunate in that I had at home equipment; plus I have my own personal motivation.
At home work outs can be beneficial for a few reasons. For starters, you can work out anytime you want; you can do laundry in between sets; you can play any song you want at the volume you choose; you can work out during a football game, a NASCAR race or during your favorite TV show or movie; you have privacy and if you are motivated, you can concentrate better because you do find your zone.
Negatives about working out at home is that it's easy to skip a work out; you have less options and maybe less room to spread out; it's easy to train less vigorously and it can test your motivation. If you do laundry in between sets, you can be distracted; if you exercise during a sporting event you can start to focus on the sport (or movie) more and slow your work out down.
I learned a lot while working out at home. I did have a television station called, "Fit TV," there were a few work out shows that I loved such as NAMASTE YOGA and Belly Dancing.
I even got involved with a few training websites.
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