Our Story (85 Percent): Exercise to be FIT, Not Skinny.

It is difficult to make a life habit of exercising. I have exercised regularly without any long-term break for about 15 years. Prior to that, I would work out regularly for a few weeks/months but then I would stop. It was sporadic. I could never do it consistently for a long period of time. So what changed? For me, it boiled down to the question of ‘why’? Why am I in the gym? Why am I working out? If you exercise for the main purpose of looking good, it is going to be a short-term habit, but if you work out for health reasons and overall well-being then that is when it becomes a life habit.

In my late 20s, I noticed some lumps on the back of my neck. I performed a self-diagnosis with the aid of the Internet which led me to suspect I had some type of cancer. The Internet could be a wealth of information, but it could also increase the anxiety and concern in an already worried individual. Ultimately, it was discovered that the lumps were a result of an infection; I was prescribed antibiotics and it went away. Thank goodness! The fear I felt though changed my attitude. I really wanted to do what I could to be as healthy as possible. I started to work out, and I have not stopped since then.

Everyone reads about my running passion, but I am more than a runner. I am a gym rat. I love being in a gym. I love the feeling I get from pumping iron. I love making my body stronger. I love seeing the physiological changes. I love results. I am not even close to being a muscular fitness fanatic (my diet is the result of that), but I think for someone who is almost 42, I’m healthy and fit. I have recently made some positive dietary changes, and I feel even more alive.

Treadmill is my favorite equipment for cardio followed by the elliptical. I am not a big fan of the stair climber or bike, but I do use these machines.

Bosu Ball

Athleticism is part genetics. My dad was a star athlete; my siblings are very athletic. As a child, I was always the shortest in class. I wore glasses, and I looked like a nerd. Because of my dad’s military career, we moved constantly, and I was often the new kid in class. I always remembered during the first few weeks of P.E. class, I was the last selected when teams were made. I get it. I didn’t look the part, but I quickly surprised them, and before long, I was always the first choice. With this being said, it is easy and natural for me to take up exercise. I like sports. I am a natural athlete. I dont have to train much to see the transformation begin.

Push ups on a bosu ball. I have never counted how many male push ups I can do in one set. I normally do 20 reps of 3 sets.

Exercise is important to me for so many reasons. I need it to live. Life is stressful, but when I feel strong, I am capable of handling any type of challenge that comes my way. Exercise gives me strength. It gives me confidence that I can conquer any obstacle in my path. It is truly the best anti-depressant natural drug out there. When I was going through my divorce or dealing with the painful grief of my mother’s death, I never stopped working out. There were times, and I remember this very clearly, that I would be working out with tears streaming down my face. At that time in my life, I just wanted to crawl into bed and not face the world, but I forced myselt to work out and not because I wanted to but because I needed too. Exercise makes me feel invincible. Of course, not every time I hit the gym do I leave feeling like I am superwoman. There are days I feel “blah” but then there are those days that I feel like I am a superhero. Exercise gives me a natural high—a high that the world is wonderful…that I’m strong…that I can overcome anything or anyone….it is my “Don’t f**k with me because I invincible!”

I am a champion. Here me "roar"!!

I am a mother who works full time. Not only do I work full time, I have a stressful, high-visibility job with many responsibilities. I am also raising three children. I help them with their academics. I attend as many school functions as possible. I volunteer at the school. I have them involved in many extracurricular activities that leave my nights and weekends with conflicting obligations. It is constant activities and demands for my time. There is no way I would be able to succeed with all these obligations if it were not for the energy that exercise gives to me. I CAN do all of this. It may be difficult at times, but I can and I do succeed. I don’t think I would last a week with this schedule if I was not exercising. I also think my concern for health transcends to my kids. They are exposed to fitness at a young age, and they know how important it is to take care of the mind and the body. When you work out, it is important to remember it is not just your body you are exercising but your mind too. Your mind benefits from exercise.

Life is busy, but in order to effectively manage all of this, you must make the time to work out. Working out MUST be a priority because if you don’t, everything else will suffer. You will not have the energy to be at four places at once. You will not have the confidence to overcome any defeatist attitude. You will become overwhelmed with the stress, and your health will deteriorate.

You have to exercise for your health. You have to exercise because of the way it makes you feel…..a side effect (the cherry on top) is that you look good in a pair of jeans….

One of the best investments I ever made was to purchase lifetime membership at 24 Hour Fitness. When I am on vacation, I always look for the nearest 24 Hour. I don’t spend hours in the gym. I work out about 5-6 days a week. Four of those days are short 30-min work outs and 2 of those days are my long training periods in the gym. I know this sounds odd, but I can easily spend three hours in the gym. I can work out for 2+ hours following by a stint in the sauna and a shower etc. I have a dresser that is also exclusively for my work out clothes, and I have an obsession with Nike and Adidas. I am so not into name brand, but I am a Nike and Adidas whore.