A Fit Nurse: fitness goals

Showing posts with label fitness goals. Show all posts

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Sunday, July 19, 2015 / 1 Comment / A fit nurse , cardio , daily workouts , exercise , exercises for improving mood , fitness , fitness goals , fitness routine , fun workout , gym , leg workout

New Approach to Treadmill Incline Workouts

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwl6paIyL0EBKvZAeJ24yPrI3s8kdiu-ZvgZ4XyL9-Guxqxy-GuvlCe115CVYPncfCxHGbLPdXjuwY0jfGNW16-0-_H_o99UCDYL0Fl8t3HJMB-_B6H4FdIJ0ZtSuNaNM0i-fryZnM5016/s1600/treadmill+incline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="treadmill incline in a workout facility" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwl6paIyL0EBKvZAeJ24yPrI3s8kdiu-ZvgZ4XyL9-Guxqxy-GuvlCe115CVYPncfCxHGbLPdXjuwY0jfGNW16-0-_H_o99UCDYL0Fl8t3HJMB-_B6H4FdIJ0ZtSuNaNM0i-fryZnM5016/s1600/treadmill+incline.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Treadmill incline workouts are a great way to switch up your old routine at the gym! Walking or jogging on a treadmill incline causes less stress on your body than running. It targets muscles in your calves, thighs, and glutes, improves your cardiovascular strength, and is totally customizable for your fitness level! Try it out next time! You just might find you LOVE treadmill incline workouts. It is a great overall exercise.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b87918e3-97ef-cc19-cf22-7b72366ff864" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For people who suffer from joint pain, high-impact workouts like running may cause additional stress on joints. Fortunately, joint pain doesn’t have to hold you back! Speed walking on a treadmill incline can give you all the same benefits of running, but without any of the aches because it is putting less pressure on your joints.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only does treadmill incline training cause less impact on your body and joints, but it targets your glutes, thighs, and calves in a more efficient way than walking or running on a level surface. Don’t we all want a toned booty and thighs, and long, lean calves? Treadmill incline workouts are a great way to do it!</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our cardiovascular system can also benefit from treadmill incline workouts. When you are walking up an incline, you are pushing your body forward, but also upward, which causes your lungs to breathe deeper and increases blood flow to your heart. Cardiovascular strength is so important in overall health, so it’s awesome that treadmill incline workouts are such an easy way to improve it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, treadmill incline workouts are extremely customizable to your fitness level and fitness goals. You can modify the speed and the incline to keep you working toward your best you! Putting a treadmill at an incline between 10% and 15% is suggested, from there you can adjust your speed to wherever you feel comfortable! If you have to hold on to the bars, consider lowering your speed and your incline. Keeping your arms at your side in a normal walking formation will also help target your core muscles and improve the overall results from your treadmill incline workout!</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hope you give a treadmill incline workout a try next time you hit the gym! It’s a great way to mix things up from your normal routine, and it has so many benefits that it may become a staple in your fitness routine!</span></span>

A fit nurse, cardio, daily workouts, exercise, exercises for improving mood, fitness, fitness goals, fitness routine, fun workout, gym, leg workout

New Approach to Treadmill Incline Workouts

Treadmill incline workouts are a great way to switch up your old routine at the gym! Walking or jogging on a treadmill incline causes l...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Wednesday, July 1, 2015 / No comments / exercise and fitness , fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , fun workout , goal setting , health , healthier life , healthy lifestyle , Summer , Summer activities

Fun Exercise Ideas for Summer Fitness

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvyL7iPs9qOejnYzJPBfdqSpTMzkodDEqrPRwA0WDPgXlKaLuWN4DjheUzr4T-P8PO3_-KGQuNsoC2b1Y4Q1X6DX1bZ-Gs4v9wZk6Q87tMAs_DfUlRgPty_QeNRFFri9X87G6z8TnsLMw/s1600/FunExercise_BLOG+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="People playing volleyball on the beach as a fun exercise" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvyL7iPs9qOejnYzJPBfdqSpTMzkodDEqrPRwA0WDPgXlKaLuWN4DjheUzr4T-P8PO3_-KGQuNsoC2b1Y4Q1X6DX1bZ-Gs4v9wZk6Q87tMAs_DfUlRgPty_QeNRFFri9X87G6z8TnsLMw/s1600/FunExercise_BLOG+%25281%2529.jpeg" title="" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Need some fun exercise ideas to keep you moving this summer? I’ve got some tips to get you started! It’s so important to make sure that your exercise is also fun; it makes it that much easier to be active every day. </span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-38254af2-25df-f0d2-cec1-7fe11cb18fee" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Team Up.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you enjoy a little bit of friendly competition? A team sport might be right up your alley! Team sports might remind you of being on the playground as a child, but playing sports with a team can also provide fun exercise for adults! Start up a team with a group of friends or look for adult leagues in your area. Sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball might seem like child’s play when they’re not at a professional level, but they’re great workouts for everyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Set a Goal.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Running is a great exercise and an easy way to get outdoors. Sign up for a 5k with some friends, and you’ll have a goal to work toward as well as some peers to train with! Making the commitment of registering for the event makes it easier to stick with your training, and teaming up with others can give you some extra motivation to achieve your goal. You can even beat the summer heat by running in the morning before the sun gets too hot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Keep Cool.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Swimming is another fun exercise, and it gives you a nice break from the summer heat. Swimming laps around the pool will get your heart pumping and work all of your muscle groups. Did you know you can also do strength training in the pool? Try using resistance bands or weights in the water for a intense strength workout. Pool workouts are a great option for those hot summer days because they allow you to get a full workout while you stay cool in the water.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>A Day at the Beach.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you’re lucky enough to be hitting the beach this summer, spend some time moving around on the sandy shores. Walking and running on sand is a great workout. The sand shifts beneath your feet as you move, so your muscles have to work a little harder. Get a group together for some sand volleyball to ramp it up.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try these fun exercise ideas this summer! You might just discover a new activity that you love. If you’re passionate about fitness and want to share that passion with others, you should consider becoming a Beachbody Coach! Simply complete this </span><a href="http://www.afitnurse.com/p/become-a.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">short survey</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and feel free to message me with any questions you might have.</span></span>

exercise and fitness, fitness, fitness goals, Fitness motivation, fun workout, goal setting, health, healthier life, healthy lifestyle, Summer, Summer activities

Fun Exercise Ideas for Summer Fitness

Need some fun exercise ideas to keep you moving this summer? I’ve got some tips to get you started! It’s so important to make sure that y...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Wednesday, June 24, 2015 / No comments / abs , daily workouts , diet , fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , fitness routine , goal setting , health and fitness , healthier life , inspiration , Motivation , workout , workout tips

Workout Log Tips To Get You Started

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVSZlCew7XcQBWH9rrNo_9Dr73WbCfldrlVZqVkG5DtjDQkYmsJHRgO4m-39PKOcCN1sIA15CkQ_Z6iNOVvQ6DMotMT1R0TjMvwvZWR5awUBp8hRR5FQ9Qoaz5nuA9MkTUpbqRvaFiTFD/s1600/WorkoutLog_BLOG+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Workout log next to a bowl of strawberries" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVSZlCew7XcQBWH9rrNo_9Dr73WbCfldrlVZqVkG5DtjDQkYmsJHRgO4m-39PKOcCN1sIA15CkQ_Z6iNOVvQ6DMotMT1R0TjMvwvZWR5awUBp8hRR5FQ9Qoaz5nuA9MkTUpbqRvaFiTFD/s1600/WorkoutLog_BLOG+%25281%2529.jpeg" title="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A workout log is a great way to help you track your fitness and stay motivated. No matter what your fitness goals may be, a workout log can be a valuable tool to help you reach them. If you’re interested in adding a workout log to your fitness routine, here are a few things to consider before you get started:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Benefits of Keeping a Workout Log</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the best things about using a workout log is that it provides you with a realistic picture of your workouts and results. You might not always be aware of how much you are progressing, but keeping a log can make it easier to see how far you’ve come. Your workout log can help you see what is working well for you, and also spot areas where you can improve.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tips for Getting Started</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have spreadsheet software on your computer, you can create a chart to track your workouts. Set aside some room for each type of workout you do, and a spot to track how much time you spent along with any other details. If you want, you can also include a spot in your workout log to describe how you felt after each exercise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are also tons of free printable workout log templates online. A quick internet search will likely turn up a version that can work well for you. You can also find apps for your tablet or smartphone to log your workouts, or keep it simple and use a regular notebook. All that matters is that you find something that works for you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tips for Sticking With It</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don’t let your busy routine keep you from starting a workout log. Keeping it up to date is less time-consuming than you might think. Jotting down a few simple notes as you go is all it takes to maintain your workout log. If you prefer to keep more detailed notes, you certainly can! Make filling out your workout log part of your routine, and you’ll discover how easy it is to stick with it. You can also treat it more like a workout diary, and use it as an opportunity to reflect on your day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you think using a workout log would be a good option for you, give it a try! Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and formats until you find one that works well for you. Your workout log should support your goals, not distract you from them. Remember: this is all about your needs and your success. </span></span></div>

abs, daily workouts, diet, fitness, fitness goals, Fitness motivation, fitness routine, goal setting, health and fitness, healthier life, inspiration, Motivation, workout, workout tips

Workout Log Tips To Get You Started

A workout log is a great way to help you track your fitness and stay motivated. No matter what your fitness goals may be, a workout log ca...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Tuesday, June 16, 2015 / No comments / daily workouts , dance , fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , friends , fun workout , goals , gym , healthier life , healthy , lifestyle , marathon , partners , workouts

Partner Workouts for Friends or Couples

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVvBkijXacq7W2pC_nysEtixD_34WOiYm1lI3CUDh_jqOoiaklAWSUvUV9eOLSnYGVreRgOgPyHeSoF68AtH0jE1jUPMo4mynekgRpXshIHE8wNFyRVR8wfKL6HA-2sSDymCWyhdATM0r/s1600/PartnerWorkoutsBLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Partner workouts with two people running together" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVvBkijXacq7W2pC_nysEtixD_34WOiYm1lI3CUDh_jqOoiaklAWSUvUV9eOLSnYGVreRgOgPyHeSoF68AtH0jE1jUPMo4mynekgRpXshIHE8wNFyRVR8wfKL6HA-2sSDymCWyhdATM0r/s1600/PartnerWorkoutsBLOG.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Partner workouts are the perfect way to make your workout into a fun social activity. Having a workout buddy can help you stay motivated because you’re much less likely to skip your workout if someone else is expecting you to be there. </span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-0711907c-e8b1-492b-be46-ed9a6968841f" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to try some partner workouts, it’s important that both partners commit to the plan. It can be discouraging if one partner isn’t as dedicated as the other. Before you register for a class or join a gym together, make sure you’re both on the same page. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Set goals for your partner workouts that are important to both of you, and in line with your current fitness levels. If you’re hoping to run a marathon by the end of the summer and your partner just wants to get out and have fun, they may not be a great match for you as a fitness buddy. A little bit of friendly competition can be a great motivator, but don’t get discouraged if your partner does a little better than you in some areas. Stick with it and you’ll get there, too! Make sure you’re having fun together, but don’t get so caught up in conversation that you forget to exercise! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time to find a workout buddy and get going! Here are some fun partner workouts you can try together:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Dance classes.</b> Dancing is a fun activity, but, surprisingly it can be one of the more challenging partner workouts, too! Instead of a traditional dinner and a movie date night, why not sign up for a dance class instead? You’ll both get a full-body workout while you have a blast spending time together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Bodyweight exercises.</b> You might be familiar with doing bodyweight exercises (such as push-ups) on your own, but having a partner opens up new possibilities for you. Try doing some partner squats. Facing your partner, hold on to each other’s forearms. Slowly lower your bodies as though you are sitting in a chair, stopping when your thighs are parallel with the floor. Move back into a standing position, and repeat. It’s that easy! If you and your partner enjoy that, try doing a few other kinds of bodyweight partner workouts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sign up for a 5k.</b> Setting goals is an incredibly important part of successful partner workouts. Signing up for an event gives you a specific goal to work toward together, and you’ll both be more likely to stick to it. Be each other’s cheerleader, and celebrate together after you’ve crossed the finish line. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Partner workouts help you get fit while strengthening your bond with your workout buddy. If you’re looking for new ways to shake up your routine, I suggest trying one of these partner workouts. Are you trying to find a fitness and nutrition plan that works for you? I’m here to help. </span><a href="http://www.afitnurse.com/p/schedule-appointment-to-chat-with-me.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contact me</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> today, and I can help you find a healthy routine that will put you on track to reach your fitness goals!</span></span>

daily workouts, dance, fitness, fitness goals, Fitness motivation, friends, fun workout, goals, gym, healthier life, healthy, lifestyle, marathon, partners, workouts

Partner Workouts for Friends or Couples

Partner workouts are the perfect way to make your workout into a fun social activity. Having a workout buddy can help you stay motivated ...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Tuesday, August 19, 2014 / 1 Comment / fitness goals , goal setting , good advice , health and fitness , lifestyle , mental health , mental toughness , visualize

How To Use Visualization To Get What You Want

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<a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14660/20-ways-to-get-in-touch-with-your-body.html?utm_campaign=recommendation&utm_medium=interfeaturetop&utm_source=feature" style="color: #5ac7e1; font-family: Asap; line-height: 1.3em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img class="perspective-img" src="http://res.mindbodygreen.com/img/crp/WomanDancingOnTheBeachWithArmsUp-70x70.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 0px 8px 3px 0px; max-width: 70px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a><a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14660/20-ways-to-get-in-touch-with-your-body.html?utm_campaign=recommendation&utm_medium=interfeaturetop&utm_source=feature" style="color: #5ac7e1; font-family: Asap; line-height: 1.3em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">20 Ways To Get In Touch With Your Body</a></div>
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Getting in touch with our bodies can be challenging sometimes, especially if we have spent years being out of touch with them, and are now leading a stressful life that is dominated by competition  <span style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14660/20-ways-to-get-in-touch-with-your-body.html?utm_campaign=recommendation&utm_medium=interfeaturetop&utm_source=feature" style="color: #5ac7e1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Read <span class="icon-double-angle-right" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-image: none; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; display: inline; font-family: FontAwesome; height: auto; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"></span></a></span></div>
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We have two minds — the conscious and the subconscious. According to <a href="https://www.brucelipton.com/store/the-biology-of-belief" style="color: #5ac7e1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dr. Bruce Lipton</a><span style="line-height: 1.5rem;">, a former professor of medicine at Stanford University, "the subconscious mind operates at 40 million bits of data per second, whereas the conscious mind processes at only 40 bits per second."</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5rem;">Without our even knowing, our subconscious mind is processing things at an astronomical rate. So how can we harness this power and use it to our advantage?</span></div>
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Well, the subconscious mind <em>thinks</em> in images and feelings. This could mean that if you set a goal of earning a certain amount of money or finding your soul mate, you are much more likely to obtain these future goals if you try focusing on the images and feelings associated with them.</div>
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It’s important to visualize your goals with images that trigger you in the most physical way possible. You can tell when you’ve found a great image, because you'll feel the sensation of that excitement in your body.</div>
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Whether it's a tingling feeling like champagne bubbles in your stomach, or the hairs on your arms stand up a bit —  try taking notice of how different images trigger you physiologically when you visualize your goals.</div>
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For example, my business partner and I want to write a best-selling book. So I tried to visualize our book at the top of <em>The New York Times</em> bestseller list, but that image didn't seem quite right. I didn't feel any sensations of excitement in my body.</div>
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Instead, I started to imagine that I already had a best-selling book. I visualized the situations that could come with this scenario that made me feel excited.</div>
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This was the scenario that came to my mind:</div>
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<em>I’m walking through the airport, traveling for business. I’m running a bit late (as I often do), frantically looking up at the monitor and searching for my gate, when out of the corner of my eye, I see my own face looking back at me from the airport bookstore. It’s very surreal, completely unexpected and a bit unsettling. Then I realize it’s my bestselling book and a huge smile spreads across my face!</em></div>
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As bizarre as it may sound to you, it was this series of images that created a happy, tingling and excited feeling in my body.</div>
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Another woman I know from my MBA program experienced similar success through her own visualizations. She was single, and wanted to find her soul mate. She said that she could picture clearly, the toasts at her wedding — tears would fill her eyes. And just less than three months later, she met this wonderful man! They just decided to move in together and while she isn’t engaged yet, she’s incredibly happy and feels confident that the relationship is here to stay.</div>
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Think of one of your goals right now. Close your eyes and try to imagine different scenarios that could occur if this goal were a reality. Find the images that most excite you in your body and focus on those. If you’re feeling stuck, a great way to get started is to <a href="http://akoyapower.com/resources/goal-board/" style="color: #5ac7e1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">create a Goal Board</a>.</div>
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Skeptical? Well, if you’re looking for scientific evidence before giving this visualization stuff a try, research shows that adding a visual element to our written goals may bring even stronger results.</div>
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In one <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-leaders-code/201401/why-picture-is-worth-1000-words-lessons-goal-setting" style="color: #5ac7e1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">1996 study at Michigan State University</a>, over 200 emergency room patients were given instructions on how to care for their wounds at home before being discharged. Half of the patients received text-only instructions. The rest received the same text accompanied with images.</div>
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The research team followed up with the patients three days later to see which individuals were more successful in following their home-care plan.</div>
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The results were intriguing:</div>
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<em>While almost half (46%) of the people who received the images along with the instructions were able to answer each of the wound-care questions correctly, only 6% of the text-only group did so successfully. And, those in the image group were less than half (43%) better in terms of their adherence to the instructions than the text-only crowd.</em></div>
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So what does this mean for you?</div>
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Adding pictures that represent what you want to come to fruition in your life can make attaining those goals easier than just writing them down. You can make a Goal board or even give hypnotherapy a try, by adding the element of guided relaxation to help tune in to your subconscious mind. I find that it helps to try visualizing your ideal life five years from now.</div>
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Once you’ve gotten clear on the images that excite you and represent your goals, it’s important to visualize them often in your mind's eye, to continuously trigger the power of your subconscious.</div>
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Every night when you go to sleep, spend about two minutes picturing the images of your future success. If you made a Goal Board, look at it right before bed and again first thing in the morning.</div>
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According to <a href="http://www.drwaynedyer.com/blog/how-do-you-sleep" style="color: #5ac7e1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dr. Wayne Dyer</a>, the last two minutes before fall asleep at night stay in your subconscious mind for up to four hours while you’re sleeping! So this is the best time to do your visualization.</div>
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When you imagine your future success, your subconscious mind will draw in people and opportunities to make that future success a reality. So give visualization a try and create the future of your dreams!</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">shared from mindbodygreen.com BY VANESSA LODER </span></div>
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fitness goals, goal setting, good advice, health and fitness, lifestyle, mental health, mental toughness, visualize

How To Use Visualization To Get What You Want

You May Also Enjoy 20 Ways To Get In Touch With Your Body Getting in touch with our bodies can be challenging sometimes, especia...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Tuesday, July 22, 2014 / No comments / compassion , Determination , fitness goals , good advice , good habits , health and fitness , mental health , mental toughness , positive thinking

Mistakes, Losses & Disappointments

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Mistakes, losses, disappointments, setbacks and failures. I really don’t like any of those words and don’t use them much at all.</div>
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Here’s why.</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: 0.05em; word-wrap: break-word;">Many people think about losses or failures as very negative events, and that can be very damaging to self-confidence.</span></li>
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But, when you view these experiences as valuable, helpful and necessary to your growth…then they don’t seem so damaging after all.</div>
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I love this quote</div>
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“I have not failed seven hundred times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those seven hundred ways will not work. When I have eliminated all the ways that will not work, I will find that way that will work.” -Thomas Edison</div>
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You can make every experience work for you in a positive way.</div>
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Here’s how</div>
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1. After a loss, mistake or setback, think about reframing that event as a “stepping stone” to get you to where you want to go. You need that experience to make you better.</div>
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2. Write down at least 2 things you can learn from that experience that you can help you improve for next time.</div>

compassion, Determination, fitness goals, good advice, good habits, health and fitness, mental health, mental toughness, positive thinking

Mistakes, Losses & Disappointments

Mistakes, losses, disappointments, setbacks and failures. I really don’t like any of those words and don’t use them much at all. Here’s...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Thursday, July 10, 2014 / No comments / Determination , exercise and fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , health , mental health , Motivation , workouts

It's All in Their Heads: The Mental Edge of Athletes Who Win

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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is one way to say it. Or, as one sports psychologist put it,</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.thesportinmind.com/articles/mental-toughness/" sl-processed="1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">mental toughness</a><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is “the ability to consistently perform toward the upper range of your talent and skill regardless of competitive circumstances.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In other words, being mentally tough means that no matter how brutal the circumstances—whether it’s your 14th hour running through a desert in temperatures well over 100F or you’re halfway through a 400-rep workout that includes pull-ups and single-leg squats—you’re able to withstand the pain and suffering and perform to the best of your skills and talents, with a good time, high place, or even a win.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As psychologists debate the roles of genetics, environment, and learned skills in determining mental toughness, they do agree (along with athletes and coaches) that high levels of mental toughness <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20391082" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">are associated with athletic prowess and success</a>. In fact, mental toughness (or “grit”) may be the defining factor between finishing at the front of the pack and not finishing at all.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To better understand how mental toughness can help someone run through a desert for seven days straight, complete 400 grueling reps in a mere 25 minutes, or win a half-Ironman triathlon with a broken foot (yes, really), we spoke to some of the toughest athletes on the planet and asked them to reflect on how they conceptualize, cultivate, and strategize for their mental game. Here's how they manage to withstand the most grueling circumstances—and win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Andy Scott, Ultra-Endurance Mountain Biker and Ski Mountaineer</span><img class="" height="128" src="http://greatist.com/sites/default/files/AS_Stats_0.png" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; height: auto !important; width: 100% !important;" width="200" /></div>
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Though Andy Scott is not a professional athlete (no big deal; endurance mountain bike racing and ski mountaineering are hobbies for the California-based businessman), he's competed in the <a href="http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/mtb/leadvilletrail100mtb/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Leadville Trail MTB 100</a>—a high-altitude, 100-mile race that takes mountain bikers through the Colorado Rockies across extremely technical terrain. Despite being <a href="http://marcpro-strava.com/blog/2011/08/16/leadville-100-race-report-thank-god-for-magic-pixie-dust-2/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">crashed</a> into by another rider during the race and getting thrown off his bike and into a rock garden, Scott finished in eight hours and 24 minutes, (32nd in his division and fast enough with a earn him a gold trophy <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/IMG_3308_2.jpg" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">belt buckle</a> for the prestigious sub-nine hour finish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a ski mountaineer, he’s climbed up and skied down some of the largest, most remote, and challenging mountains in the western United States (like the time he climbed California’s 14,000-foot Mt. Tyndall just after a snowstorm that brought with it high-speed winds and an intimidating wind chill).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mental toughness is…</span></b><br /><span style="color: #999999;">…when you, your body, the competition, nature, or the environment has the best of you so that you’re physically tapped out and need to figure out how to pull something out of yourself… not in a robotic way—in a way that’s mentally aware and engaged. It’s not just the ability to keep moving but to keep doing it in a way that’s engaged and competitive in the environment you’re in, whether that’s competing against the clock or other human beings. It’s easy when you feel good physically. It’s when that physicality leaves you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why you're stronger than you think you are</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">What you’re physically capable of in an endurance environment is more determined by your mental strength than your physical capabilities… your body can go beyond what your physical perceptions of tiredness or fatigue are. Your brain will be telling you “You’re tired. Stop.” It’s trying to stop you from killing yourself. The mental limitations kick in before the physical limitations.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">On training for mental toughness</span></b><br /><span style="color: #999999;">Visualization is a piece of the training that is incredibly important. You don’t have to do anything physically—you can be meditating or walking, anything where you’re in your mind, playing it out in advance. You’re imagining the start, the route, the competition, those points that your body is saying, ”stop,” or that you’re suffering. You’re mentally training yourself to push through those barriers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The most challenging thing for me… was the solo climb and ski of Mount Tyndall. There was a storm; the conditions just became overwhelming. Something about the winds at high altitude is just intimidating and mentally draining. The second piece of that is that I was alone; there are no external sources of support. I realized, “Whoa, there are no people cheering.” There’s a degree of self-sufficiency required. And then there’s the remoteness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How he got through it</span></b><br /><span style="color: #999999;">It’s probably cliché, but it comes back to core faith, and for me, that’s my family and the people that are closest to me. They are actually sitting in my head, and that’s helping bring a degree of mental clarity to the situation to ensure I don’t do anything stupid. The second thing is my training and experience. I mean, in many ways the training is harder than the event itself in terms of the hours you’re putting in. No one is cheering for you. You’re mentally training for those moments and that’s giving you the reserve to be able to say, “I’ve seen this. I’ve done this; I know I can do it because I’ve been there before.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On Leadville MTB 100</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">This event is about redlining yourself over the course of eight hours. I started out physically and mentally fresh but I had mechanical problems with my bike, and crash mishaps and those things gradually took some physical and mental strength out of me. By the last couple of hours, you’re basically spanked, running on physical and mental empty. What that then results in—you climb inside of yourself. Endurance athletes have this term: “the pain cave.” You have to get comfortable in the pain cave. It’s a place of prolonged suffering. You know you’re going to experience it but you find a way to know that it’s not going to last forever.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Samantha Gash, Ultra-Endurance Runner</span><img alt="Athletes and Mental Toughness: Samantha Gash" class="media-element file-default" height="388" src="http://greatist.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-content-732/public/SG_Stats_V2.png?itok=ETvpmu5U" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; height: auto !important; width: 100% !important;" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="604" /></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In 2010, when she was 25 years old and had one marathon under her belt, Australia native Samantha Gash took a semester off from law school to race 155 miles through the Chilean desert in the <a href="http://www.4deserts.com/atacamacrossing/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Atacama Crossing</a>—a self-supported race in which participants carry between 15 and 30 pounds of supplies—whatever they’ll need over the course of the seven-day event—on their backs. She then went on to complete in multi-day ultra-marathons across three other deserts, making her the first woman—and youngest person ever—to complete a <a href="http://www.4deserts.com/4_deserts_grand_slam" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Four Desert Grand Slam</a>. In other words, she completed self-supported multi-day ultra-marathons through deserts in China, Chile, Egypt, and Antarctica in one calendar year.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Having run through some of the toughest conditions imaginable (race organizers describe the <a href="http://www.4deserts.com/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">deserts</a> as some of the “driest, hottest, coldest, and windiest places on earth,”) Gash has continued her endurance racing career in events that are physically and mentally grueling, like her 235-mile solo race across Australia’s Simpson Desert, for which she ran nonstop for three days, 14 hours, and 28 minutes. To learn more about Gash, check out <a href="http://buy.desertrunnersmovie.com/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Desert Runners</a>, the documentary that follows four runners (including Gash) as they compete in Racing the Planet’s 4 Desert Ultra-marathon Series. (Just use the code "GREATIST" for 10 percent off a digital download of the movie.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mental toughness is…</span></b><br /><span style="color: #999999;">For me, mental toughness is acknowledging that very challenging moments can occur in all sports—and also in life in general—but having the capacity in a quick time frame to turn a negative experience into a positive one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The hardest thing she’s ever done physically</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">In 2012 I ran nonstop for 379 km (235 miles) across the Simpson Desert in Australia. I did take 30-minute stops to change into warm clothes, lay down, and eat dinner. That was so physically demanding that I was delirious. The last 40 km was the most painful place I’ve taken my body and mind to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The most mentally grueling moment she's experienced while racing</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">I think China (the </span><a href="http://www.4deserts.com/gobimarch/" sl-processed="1" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gobi March</a><span style="color: #999999;">, a 250-mile race through the Gobi Desert) was the most mentally grueling—that long stage I ran with </span><a href="http://www.lisatamati.co.nz/home/runner" sl-processed="1" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lisa</a><span style="color: #999999;"> [Tamati, an ultra endurance athlete from New Zealand]. I felt so many things. The night was coming, we’d been going for 12 hours, it was really hot, and I was pretty injured. But I wanted to stick with Lisa so I was dragging myself and didn’t want to let go of Lisa.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I try to focus my mind on the positive of completing. When I’m in immense physical pain, I try to dull the pain as much as possible. Once the pain enters your head (as opposed to just your body), you start to legitimize ways of pulling out. I distract myself by thinking about why I’m doing it. My body and mind is stronger than I’d ever think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mark Pattinson, Endurance Racing Cyclist</span><img src="http://greatist.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-content-732/public/MP_Stats.png?itok=ir230Dk1" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; height: auto !important; width: 100% !important;" /></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mark Pattinson, 44, has been an endurance racing cyclist since 2006. He rides about 70 hours per week to stay in shape for events like <a href="http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Race Across America</a> (also known as “the World’s Toughest Bike Race”) during which he will ride from California to Maryland, covering 3,000 miles—which includes 170,000 feet of hill climbs—over the course of eight to 12 days, stopping only to sleep for about two hours per night. Pattinson has completed the race twice, earning second place in 2011 and 4th place in 2013, and will take it on again in June 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mental toughness is…</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">It means being able to keep on performing whilst in extreme discomfort. It’s the ability to mentally overcome the brain, which is telling you to stop, and keep pushing yourself forward, even if things aren’t going well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">On training for mental toughness</span></b><br /><span style="color: #999999;">I prepare myself through my own experience—I’ve been in these positions before. I know that when things are bad, it will get better. It could take hours, it could take minutes, it could take days, but it will. It’s naturally in me. I’ve made it my mantra: “At times it’s so bad but it will get better.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>His strategy for getting through several days of competition</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">I have a distinct strategy. I break the race up by the day. I know I’m going to get up, I’m going to ride my bike, and then I’m going to do it again. When I get off my bike and go to sleep for one-and-a-half or two hours, I get up the next day to do it again. I know I am going to sleep in the dark at nighttime. I think that really helps me break the event down into pieces instead of seeing it as one 3,000-mile race.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stuff does go wrong—you can get a little lost or you might get a flat tire and it’s very easy to get down. But if you spend too much time being down about it, it can throw your race completely. I tell myself, “Get on with it. We’ll talk about that later. We’ll worry about that later.” There’s no point in worrying about things you can’t change. Every moment you’re not moving is time wasted. You just keep moving and talk it through with the crew. We’ve had lots of things go wrong. You have to keep yourself in a place that’s not a panic.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesse Thomas, Long Course Triathlete</span><img src="http://greatist.com/sites/default/files/JT_Stats_0.png" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; height: auto !important; width: 100% !important;" /></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After an accomplished and successful college running career (he was an NCAA All-American in the 3000m <a href="http://greatist.com/fitness/15-things-you-didn%E2%80%99t-know-about-olympic-steeplechase" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steeplechase</a>, a unique event that combines running, hurdling, and long jumping), Jesse Thomas took a break from racing to start a tech company. Four years later, he returned to running to give triathlons a try—and he turned out to be pretty darn good at it, even winning the USA Triathlon National Championship title for his age group in 2007. Four years later, in his first full year as a professional athlete, Jesse won his third <a href="http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2014-main.htm" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Wildflower Long Course</a>, making him the first male to win the event three years in a row. Thomas’ event is the triathlon long course, in which competitors complete a 1.2-mile swim followed by a 56-mile bike race, and finish with 13.1-mile run.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mental toughness is…</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">I think of mental toughness as your ability to deal with pain and to process it. It’s your body’s ability and your mind’s ability—mostly your mind’s. Mental toughness could be the ability to get out of your body what your body is capable of that day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The difference between “bonking” and hitting the wall mentally</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">You actually can hit the physical limits of what you can do, nutritionally and hydration-wise. But when you hit a nutritional or hydration wall, you bonk—you have to stop. Those physical things are kind of impossible to get through, to be honest. But I’ve hit mental walls where I’ve felt like my race is in the shit can and then somehow—through mantras, or if I pass somebody, maybe—I get this positive signal and I gain momentum, and it feels like it has some physical effect. Realistically, it’s probably a mental thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On the mantras and mental tricks that give physical kicks<br />In a Half Ironman, I’m out there for four hours. I can have a bad 20 or 30 minutes, come out of it, and still have a pretty awesome race. I have go-to mantras. It’s really dorky. “You’re kicking ass!” “You’re killin’ it!” I say them out loud, almost yelling them. I’ve found that the more physical you can make them, [the better]—you’re not only saying them, you’re hearing them, too, which makes a difference. Also, a mental kick that always gives me a physical kick is interacting with the crowd in some way. When I say “Thank you!” [to someone cheering on the sidelines] or give someone a high five, I feel like I can literally feel tangible energy connecting from those people to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>On training for mental toughness</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">I definitely visualize before every race. I try to divide it up into as many key points as I can. I set goals and trigger points and I try to tie as little of it to external factors as possible. So, I’ll say, “At halfway through I want to feel like </span><em style="color: #999999;">this</em><span style="color: #999999;"> and I want to make a move that increases my output by 10 percent.” Those kinds of things make me feel like I am on a race plan regardless of where I am in my overall goal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing I’ll say is that deep tissue massage has become my mental training. In order for it to be effective you can’t block it out or keep it from penetrating. You have to relax as much as possible and accept the pain. I tried the same thing with my track workouts—instead of pretending the pain wasn’t there, I’d accept as much of the pain as I could and make a conscious decision that my body can handle the pain. I can make my body hurt more than it hurts right now and that’s okay. That approach has made me a tougher athlete and [made me] capable of dealing with more pain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The most physically grueling event he's ever done</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">At </span><a href="http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/WildFlower2014-main.htm" sl-processed="1" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Wildflower Triathlon</a><span style="color: #999999;"> last year, I broke my foot. It started to hurt three miles into the race. I’d won the last two years in a row and no one had won three in a row, so it was a big deal for me to be there. I was battling head-to-head for the win. As soon as I crossed the finish line I was limping and could barely walk. I definitely think the adrenaline helped. Endurance athletes will be able to do that. My job is to basically process and deal with pain and I’ve spent however many hours a day for however many years dealing with pain so your tolerance goes up like crazy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lindsey Valenzuela, Elite CrossFit Athlete</span><img src="http://greatist.com/sites/default/files/LV_Stats.png" style="border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; height: auto !important; width: 100% !important;" /><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Photo by</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://instagram.com/hannahhayworth#" sl-processed="1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hannah Hayworth</a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Though it’s not an endurance sport per se, elite <a href="http://greatist.com/fitness/look-inside-world-crossfit" sl-processed="1" style="line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">CrossFit athletes</a> push their bodies and minds to extreme limits in order to qualify for and then compete in the <a href="http://greatist.com/fitness/crossfit-games-start-072413" sl-processed="1" style="line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">CrossFit Games</a>, the sport’s annual competition in which the top 51 athletes from all over the world compete in a series of workouts that take place over three days. The two winners are named the Fittest Man and Woman on Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lindsey Valenzuela has climbed to the top of the sport, finishing the Games in 34th place in 2011, ninth place in 2012, and second in 2013. This means that as CrossFit and the Games have grown in popularity—drawing athletes who are increasingly strong, fast, and tireless—and workouts have gotten more grueling each year, Valenzuela continues to not just keep up, but to improve, dominating competition in her region (southern California) as well as in the Games. CrossFit fans know her for embodying her one-word motto, “Believe,” and for her infectious and spirited</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://games.crossfit.com/media-gallery/detail/280/565" sl-processed="1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">whoops</a><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awTjHHwVPRQ" sl-processed="1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">war cries</a><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mental toughness is…</span></b><br /><span style="color: #999999;">It basically means being able to overcome outside circumstances—negativity and whatever obstacles you have going on in your life at the moment—to focus on the task at hand. It’s easier said than done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The toughest workout she's ever done</b></span><br /><span style="color: #999999;">Physically, the </span><a href="http://games.crossfit.com/article/major-announcement-individuals" sl-processed="1" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Camp Pendleton</a><span style="color: #999999;"> workout at the 2012 CrossFit Games (700-meter ocean swim, an 8-km bike ride across technical terrain and soft sand, and an 11.3-km run up and down steep hills). I was in pretty good shape, but not as good as I’m in now. The workout felt never-ending.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Photo by</span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://instagram.com/hannahhayworth#" sl-processed="1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hannah Hayworth</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And the most mentally grueling workout...</b></span><br /><a href="http://games.crossfit.com/video/event-summary-womens-row-1-and-row-2" sl-processed="1" style="color: #999999; line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Row</a><span style="color: #999999;"> from last year’s CrossFit Games. [Athletes rowed a half-marathon—that’s right, 13.1 miles—on stationary erg machines. Valenzuela earned a 5th place finish in the event, after one-and-a-half hours of rowing]. I had tunnel vision. I took one water break and you know the game </span><a href="http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/performance-monitors/games" sl-processed="1" style="color: #999999; line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Fish</a><span style="color: #999999;">? I played that in my head and kept thinking “I’ve been through way worse.” I’d look at the screen [giant scoreboards showed each athlete’s progress as they rowed] to see how much I had done and I'd think, “I’ve already done this much, I can do this much more.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On completing SEALFIT <a href="http://www.sealfit.com/camps-academies/kokoro-camp/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kokoro Camp</a>, a three-day mental toughness training that simulates US Navy SEAL <a href="http://navyseals.com/nsw/hell-week-0/" sl-processed="1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hell Week</a><br />I tried to find the right mixture of what’s driving me—the “why.” It’s sometimes a struggle. I wanted to honor my grandfathers who were in the service, and most importantly, I wanted to prove myself wrong. I wanted to prove I was capable of more than I thought I was capable of. I wasn’t going to give up on it. I was going to keep going no matter how hard it got.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A part of what they wanted us to understand [at Kokoro Camp] is that we can do more than we think our bodies are willing to do. The body is going to be the first thing to go. At SEALFit, you’re going to hurt, your feet are going to be raw, you’re going to be tired and hungry, but if your mind can keep you going, you can do incredible things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On her mantra, “Believe,” which is tattooed on her wrist<br />It just means: What is your goal? What do you want to accomplish? You have to earn it. You have to get it. I say that to myself. I say, “Feed your courage dog.” Don’t feed into your fears or worries or concerns. You have to feed into your positive thoughts—those are the ones that are going to get you through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>article shared from greatist.com by Sally Tamarkin</i></span></div>
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Determination, exercise and fitness, fitness goals, Fitness motivation, health, mental health, Motivation, workouts

It's All in Their Heads: The Mental Edge of Athletes Who Win

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is one way to say it. Or, as one sports psychologist put it, mental to...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Monday, June 23, 2014 / No comments / attitude , Determination , exercise and fitness , fitness , fitness goals , good habits , healthy lifestyle , Motivation , strategy , strength , weightloss , workouts

Do Your Workouts Feel Like a Chore?

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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 11px;">by Mark Sisson @ marksdailyappple.com</span></span></h1>
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<img alt="todolist2" class="alignright" height="260" src="http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/MDA2008/MDA%202012/todolist2.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 2px 7px; max-width: 100%; padding: 4px;" title="Do Your Workouts Feel Like a Chore?" width="320" />Evolution tends to reinforce healthy, beneficial behaviors that improve the survival of members of a species by making them enjoyable. <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sex-health-benefits/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="8 Health Reasons to Have Sex (As If You Needed Them)">Sex</a>, <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-manufacture-the-best-night-of-sleep-in-your-life/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="How to Manufacture the Best Night of Sleep in Your Life">sleep</a>, socializing, and <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/yet-another-primal-primer-animal-fats/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="A Primal Primer: Animal Fats">animal fat</a> either feel good, taste good, and sometimes feel <em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">and </em>taste good at the same time not “just because” but because they are necessary components of a healthy, (re)productive lifestyle. And it’s not just the act that feels good. Evolution has also reinforced the anticipation of the behavior. At the prospect of <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-guide-to-maintaining-a-healthy-sex-drive/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="A Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Sex Drive">sex</a>, we become aroused, horny, randy, or whatever you want to call the pleasure of anticipation. Those long, delicious yawns that herald the surge of melatonin and promise excellent sleep as we slip beneath the cool covers with a good book? Nothing better. And I still get happy stomach butterflies when friends are coming for dinner and the scent of crackling <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/pork-belly-croutons-with-kale-salad/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Pork Belly Croutons with Kale Salad">pork skins</a> fills the kitchen.</div>
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Okay, but what about exercise? There’s the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-get-high-naturally/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="How to Get High on Life: 10 Natural Ways to Feel on Top of the World">endorphin and endocannabinoid high</a> from exercising intensely, but that exists to keep us moving during an activity as we near the physiological breaking point. It doesn’t get us off our butts in the first place. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">If exercise is so good for us – and it is – why doesn’t everyone crave it? Why does it feel like a chore?</strong> Why do many people dread it so much?</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Here’s the thing: exercise wasn’t always optional.</strong> If we didn’t chase down the antelope, we wouldn’t have dinner. If we didn’t climb that forty foot acacia tree, our glycogen-starved muscles wouldn’t get the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-honey-a-safer-sweetener/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Is Honey a Safe(r) Sweetener?">honey</a>. If we didn’t make the six mile walk to the spring, we wouldn’t have water to drink. We <em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">had</em> to do these “exercises” if we wanted to survive on a day-to-day basis. There was no “Oh, I’ll just sit on this couch and eat microwaved pot pies and go to the gym some other time.” <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">There was no selective pressure to evolve a love of exercise because we were gonna do it anyway</strong>.</div>
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Today, exercise is in a weird place. Exercise is optional, but it’s also not. Though being sedentary remains disastrous to our health, circumstance no longer compels us to move. There’s no trench-coated goon pointing a gun at us and nodding toward the treadmill, but plenty of “authorities” point their fingers and strongly recommend exercise on pain of disease. We’re buried in studies proclaiming the essentiality of exercise for good health. The message is clear and overwhelming: we’d better work out if we want to be healthy and live long. Just like they tell us we need to work the crappy soul-sucking job to pay the bills, they tell us we need to exercise for thirty minutes a day to stave off disease. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">For most people living in the first world…</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Exercise is something you do to lose weight. It’s a mechanistic way to churn through the calories you’ve eaten and make room for the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-maximum-4000-calories-a-week-of-exercise/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Dear Mark: Maximum 4,000 Calories a Week of Exercise?">calories</a> you want to eat.</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Exercise is something you do even though it’s unpleasant. It’s like brushing your <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/nutritional-cures-for-damaged-teeth/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Beyond Sugar and Soda: Nutritional Cures for Damaged Teeth">teeth</a>, taking out the trash, and emptying the cat litter.</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Exercise is about attaining a far-off goal.</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Meanwhile, the journey – the actual experience of exercising, of moving your body through space and time, of challenging your physical capabilities – is forgotten.</strong> It’s not just forgotten, it’s willfully ignored. We actually try to shut it out, because the act of exercising is all pain and suffering and drudgery. It’s the goal that matters to us, the weight lost, the<a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/gain-weight-build-muscle/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle">weight lifted</a>, the miles logged, the calories burned, the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-vanity/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Mirror, Mirror on the Wall">beach body attained</a>, the tickets to the gun show redeemed.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">The evidence suggests that this paradigm doesn’t work all that well.</strong> A <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-014-9301-6" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank" title="Is it fun or exercise? The framing of physical activity biases subsequent snacking">series of three recent studies</a> illustrates this. In the first, researchers gave healthy adult women (most of them overweight) a map of a mile-long outdoor walking course and told them to walk it for half an hour. Half were told to treat the walk as exercise and monitor their exertion, half were told to enjoy the walk and listen to music. Both groups spent the same 30 minutes <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-walking/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="The Definitive Guide to Walking">walking</a> the same course, but only the exercising group felt grumpy and fatigued. And when they had lunch, the group who’d “exercised” consistently chose soda over water, pudding over applesauce, and ate far more calories than the “fun” group.</div>
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The second study placed a group of men on the same mile loop. Half “exercised,” half walked for fun. After the walk, they were given plastic baggies, access to an unlimited bowl of M&Ms, and instructions to fill the bags with as many as they desired. The exercise group filled their bags with twice as much candy as the fun group.</div>
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Finally, the researchers approached runners as they finished a relay marathon race and offered them a choice of snacks: a gooey chocolate bar or a “healthy” granola bar. Those who said the race had been difficult and unpleasant were more likely to choose the chocolate, while those who’d enjoyed the race usually chose the granola bar.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">When working out feels like a chore, we demand compensation upon completion, often in the form of junk food.</strong> This can derail weight loss efforts, but it also perpetuates an abusive relationship with physical activity. There’s also evidence, at least in non-human animals, that <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0016643" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank" title="The Effects of Voluntary, Involuntary, and Forced Exercises on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Motor Function Recovery: A Rat Brain Ischemia Model">voluntary exercise is less stressful than involuntary or forced exercise</a>. If that’s the case, workouts that feel like chores heap additional systemic <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/rethinking-stress-it-could-save-your-life/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Rethinking Stress: It Could Save Your Life">stress</a> on top of the local stress the exercise already applies to the muscles. This could make it harder to <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/7-things-impair-workout-recovery/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="7 Things You May Be Doing That Impair Workout Recovery">recover from exercise</a> and easier to recover from <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/15-concrete-ways-to-play/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="15 Concrete Ways to Play">play</a> – even if the total work done for each was identical.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">How do we change our relationship with physical activity?</strong> How can we reframe exercise to make it less unpleasant and more effective? How can we train ourselves to appreciate the journey of movement?</div>
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Reframing our own activities and appreciating movement for movement’s sake can be tough. You won’t have a guy in a white coat wielding a clipboard and considerable amounts of authority telling you to “enjoy the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/17-reasons-to-walk-more-this-year/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="17 Reasons to Walk More This Year">walk</a>” you’re about to take like the people in the studies.</div>
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You can’t expect to make everything fun and games. Few people think of hill sprints as “fun.” I can’t ever recall seeing a powerlifter rock a Cheshire grin in the power cage. But it has to be rewarding. You have to get something from it immediately. The activity must be its own compensation. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">The key, I think, is finding immediate value in the activity rather than relying on some far off goal, like weight loss, to motivate you.</strong> The weight loss, the hypertrophy, the fitness gains, all those “bigger” goals will happen anyway, but they’re not enough of a primary motivator for most people. I mean, everyone has those goals. They’re the reason most people decide they need to start exercising and why there are <a href="http://www.ihrsa.org/media-center/2011/4/5/us-health-club-membership-exceeds-50-million-up-108-industry.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank" title="U.S. Health Club Membership Exceeds 50 Million, Up 10.8%; Industry Revenue Up 4% as New Members Fuel Growth ">over 50 million gym memberships</a> in this country. But by and large, <a href="http://greatist.com/health/exercise-weight-loss-071213" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" target="_blank" title="Americans Are Working Out More Than Ever. Why Aren’t We Losing Weight?">they’re not reaching those goals</a>. Something’s gotta give.</div>
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That’s easier said than done. Undoing a lifetime of acculturation isn’t easy. You have to willingly appreciate the flowers along the sidewalk, the birds in the trees above, the sunlight shining down, the refreshing sensations of unused muscles finally used. You have to realize that our bodies are built to move and need to move. We’ve got these shoulders that rotate almost 360 degrees. We can draw our knees up to our chins and touch our toes with straight legs and do the splits (in theory). It’s a crime not to use them – and you have to <em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">feel </em>that. You have to find something of worth in the exercise as you’re doing it.</div>
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That could be a PR in the squat, or discovering that <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/15-reasons-to-sprint-more-this-year/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="15 Reasons to Sprint More This Year">sprinting</a> up the steep hill outside your place is getting a lot easier. It could be the the perfect high-five shared with a <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/p90x-and-crossfit/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="P90X and CrossFit">CrossFit</a> bro after Fran that seems to make time stop and the universe shudder for a moment. Or maybe it’s the meditative <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/flow/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Total Immersion: How to Recognize and Tap Into the Power of Flow">flow state</a> you reach when training, the peace of <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/hiking-around-the-world-what-to-eat/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Dear Mark: Hiking Around the World">hiking</a> through an ancient redwood forest, or chatting with your power-walking partner. It can also be the sheer joy we feel doing something we love to do, like play <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ultimate-frisbee/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #668318; line-height: inherit; outline: none;" title="Ultimate Frisbee">Ultimate Frisbee</a> (winning doesn’t hurt).</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">It took me a long time to reach that place, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I suggest you try to do the same</strong></div>
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />link to article: <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/do-your-workouts-feel-like-a-chore/#ixzz35RZbS3zh" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #003399; line-height: inherit; outline: none;">http://www.marksdailyapple.com/do-your-workouts-feel-like-a-chore/#ixzz35RZbS3zh</a></span>

attitude, Determination, exercise and fitness, fitness, fitness goals, good habits, healthy lifestyle, Motivation, strategy, strength, weightloss, workouts

Do Your Workouts Feel Like a Chore?

by Mark Sisson @ marksdailyappple.com Evolution tends to reinforce healthy, beneficial behaviors that improve the survival of members of ...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Monday, April 7, 2014 / No comments / cant have mindset , fitness goals , mindset , Motivation

Get rid of the you CAN' T HAVE THAT mindset

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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking back on my mindset years ago when it came to nutrition, there’s no wonder I would binge on Starbursts and Hershey Kisses (like. a whole bag.) every weekend. When someone (or myself) said, “you can’t have that!” it just made me want it 10x more. I wasn’t happy and definitely not fun to be around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thankfully, my mindset is completely different. I look at healthier food as fuel to keep my body happy and energetic for work, nights out with friends, future children, etc. But, that doesn’t mean I look at “not so healthy food” as the enemy. We are super cool with each other and hang out a good bit still.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To explain how my mindset has transitioned over the years, I <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">needed</em> to explain it in gifs. Obviously.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14px;">I use to have the mindset of, “I <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">CAN’T</span> have that!” which resulted in…</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking at people like this every time they ate. anything.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_inline_n1aaiuCBFM1r3n8kh.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="tumblr_inline_n1aaiuCBFM1r3n8kh" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1531" height="212" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_inline_n1aaiuCBFM1r3n8kh.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="375" /></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Feeling like this every time I went out to eat with friends</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/flipping-bird-jennifer-a.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="flipping bird jennifer a" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1532" height="203" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/flipping-bird-jennifer-a.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="500" /></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and acting like this on the weekends</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/healthy-eating-gif.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="healthy-eating-gif" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1533" height="215" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/healthy-eating-gif.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="500" /></span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was super fun to be around. My boyfriend at the time (who is now my husband) thought I was super sweet and I never complained or had emotional breakdowns around him. ever. lol</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After learning the proper way to eat for my body and fitness goals (which we teach you in the<a href="http://www.afitnurse.com/p/the-fit-nurse-challenge.html" target="_blank">Fit nurse challenge group</a>), I slowly began changing my mindset.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Let me tell you. Life is so much fun having a mindset of, <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">“I CAN have that if I want it, but today I choose not to have it. Maybe tomorrow. If I feel like it.” </span>Which resulted in…</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Having more energy to get things done at work and life in general</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_mqs2gt17Qk1rjcfxro1_400.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="tumblr_mqs2gt17Qk1rjcfxro1_400" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1536" height="285" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_mqs2gt17Qk1rjcfxro1_400.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="275" /></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Not going into a mini depression every time there was a Super Bowl party, girls night, or date night with the hubby.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_inline_mok400Fv1O1qz4rgp.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="tumblr_inline_mok400Fv1O1qz4rgp" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1537" height="281" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_inline_mok400Fv1O1qz4rgp.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="500" /></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dominating the grocery store and actually <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">wanting</em> to try new things</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/url-151.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="url-151" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1538" height="194" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/url-151.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Learning how to cook <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">like a boss…</em> for me, myself, and I. (and your loved ones of course).</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Beyonce-Gif-beyonce-29034924-490-276.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Beyonce-Gif-beyonce-29034924-490-276" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1539" height="276" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Beyonce-Gif-beyonce-29034924-490-276.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="490" /></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And most importantly. Gaining confidence the healthy and BALANCED way and wanting everyone around you to feel the exact same way.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_ms4ad8ZbeE1sfwvego1_500.gif" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #9ec000; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="tumblr_ms4ad8ZbeE1sfwvego1_500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1541" height="208" scale="0" src="http://www.amandaadams.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_ms4ad8ZbeE1sfwvego1_500.gif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 2.4rem; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" width="500" /></span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pizza nights shouldn’t leave you filled with guilt. Fruits and Veggies shouldn’t feel like a “checklist” of things you have to eat. Finding a way to balance all of those choices will result in so much happiness and energy that the inner Beyonce in you will start to come out. Seriously. I want this for you more than you know. Here’s to feeling like the last picture above and dancing our way through life and dressing rooms.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #e5e6eb; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 2.6rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Want to feel that way but still confused on nutrition and workouts? My <a href="http://www.afitnurse.com/p/the-fit-nurse-challenge.html" target="_blank">A FIT NURSE Challenge group</a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> goes over all that and more. Don’t miss the April 14th launch!</span></span></div>

cant have mindset, fitness goals, mindset, Motivation

Get rid of the you CAN' T HAVE THAT mindset

Looking back on my mindset years ago when it came to nutrition, there’s no wonder I would binge on Starbursts and Hershey Kisses (like. a ...

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Sunday, July 19, 2015 / 1 Comment / A fit nurse , cardio , daily workouts , exercise , exercises for improving mood , fitness , fitness goals , fitness routine , fun workout , gym , leg workout

New Approach to Treadmill Incline Workouts

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Wednesday, July 1, 2015 / No comments / exercise and fitness , fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , fun workout , goal setting , health , healthier life , healthy lifestyle , Summer , Summer activities

Fun Exercise Ideas for Summer Fitness

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Wednesday, June 24, 2015 / No comments / abs , daily workouts , diet , fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , fitness routine , goal setting , health and fitness , healthier life , inspiration , Motivation , workout , workout tips

Workout Log Tips To Get You Started

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Tuesday, June 16, 2015 / No comments / daily workouts , dance , fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , friends , fun workout , goals , gym , healthier life , healthy , lifestyle , marathon , partners , workouts

Partner Workouts for Friends or Couples

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Tuesday, August 19, 2014 / 1 Comment / fitness goals , goal setting , good advice , health and fitness , lifestyle , mental health , mental toughness , visualize

How To Use Visualization To Get What You Want

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Tuesday, July 22, 2014 / No comments / compassion , Determination , fitness goals , good advice , good habits , health and fitness , mental health , mental toughness , positive thinking

Mistakes, Losses & Disappointments

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Thursday, July 10, 2014 / No comments / Determination , exercise and fitness , fitness goals , Fitness motivation , health , mental health , Motivation , workouts

It's All in Their Heads: The Mental Edge of Athletes Who Win

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Monday, June 23, 2014 / No comments / attitude , Determination , exercise and fitness , fitness , fitness goals , good habits , healthy lifestyle , Motivation , strategy , strength , weightloss , workouts

Do Your Workouts Feel Like a Chore?

Posted by Alyssa Schomaker / Monday, April 7, 2014 / No comments / cant have mindset , fitness goals , mindset , Motivation

Get rid of the you CAN' T HAVE THAT mindset

Morning Meltdown 100 test Group

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