GET BACK OUT THERE! and other ramblings

I have been away from my computer for what seems like days. . . and has been days!  Not that I’ve been sitting on the couch eating bon, bons either.  It’s been a full few days of May craziness.  End of the year recitals, luncheons, baseball games and lots of cooking for the past few days.  We had family over today following one of my son’s Confirmation service at our church.  So, thanks to Ina Garten’s recipes, we had some not so healthy fare AND also some lighter dishes to make everyone happy.  We finished it off with a decadent cake.  I’m totally not sharing the recipe on this site as I would be fired as a “healthy living” blogger!  If you want, though, just look up Ina Garten’s sheet cake recipe! It’s good for a special treat!  Unfortunately, I deleted my photo of the chocolate cake.  It was pretty – I decorated it with a cross outlined on top and I was pretty proud of it.  
We had so much food I had a little leftovers for dinner.  These were some of the Healthy stuff. 

Enough of the rambling.  The real reason I am posting is because I read a good little article in this month’s Men’s Journal.  Yes, I am such a geek I even read  my husbands men’s magazines.  Laird Hamilton had a piece that I thought had some good points, so I am pulling those out.  (By the way, if you don’t know who Laird Hamilton is that’s okay.  He’s just this really fit surfer who makes a living off of surfing, staying in shape and keeping a 6 pack.)

So, if you have fallen off the wagon, gotten discouraged or have been too busy for  your normal routine, here are a few tips:
1.  Make it fun. 
Doing something fun disguises the fact that you are actually exercising.  If you are feeling like a hamster on a wheel and watching the clock while on a stationary bike or treadmill you are not alone!  Who wants to spend a couple of hours on a stationary bike when you could be outside with a friend watching live scenery?  You’ll never notice the time.  Trying a new sport will keep you active and your mind occupied so you won’t even realize you are getting your heart rate up and breathing hard!  A  5 mile walk or run with a friend passes much more quickly than it does on a treadmill, even if you are watching The Bachalor.

2.  Think about what you CAN eat and not what  you can’t.
It is much harder to eat healthy than it is to work out.  Just ask me . . . I am the queen of this one!  We eat every single day, all day long.  That is why changing our diet is so hard.  So, instead of thinking of the things you cannot eat when trying to be healthy, focus on all the great vegetables, fruits, lean meats and proteins out there that you CAN eat without an ounce of guilt.  Also, the more variety the better.  Don’t get stuck in the rut of eating the exact thing every day.  You are bound to want something else!  The more foods you have in your diet, the healthier you will be!

3.  You are going to be sore.
That’s a good thing!  I have folks come up to me all the time to tell me how sore they are from one of my classes.  My response?  I’m so glad!  I love hearing that!  It means we worked hard and challenged some muscles!  Instead of sitting while sore, get out there and take a walk, move around, foam roll, get a massage.  Light cardio will get the blood going and help repair the muscle adhesions that cause the pain.  

4.  Get a buddy.
Don’t always think your workouts need to be solo.  When you workout with a buddy you can compare notes, chat, have someone that is also in misery the next day!  Join an exercise class or exercise around other folks in a gym, at a track or park.  Sign up for a road race or bike race.  You have someone else out there to share (and complain) with.

My advice is to Get Back Out There if you have taken time off or slacked off and to Stay Out There!

Have you been busy, crazy lately?  If you are in the South, are you getting used to the heat?  It’s brutal already for exercising!