I get asked all the time:
“How do you stay so motivated?”
Fact: I don’t! …. So I work at it!
Motivation is like a muscle – the more you flex it, the stronger it becomes.
But what do you do to get your motivation “muscle” in shape in the first place?
You find ways to intentionally keep yourself motivated!
I’ve put together a list of proven ways to build motivation right into your healthy habits.
1. Make it fun! Try a new recipe. Do a new workout (working with a fitness pro is a no-brainer for this one!). Listen to your favorite music. Challenge yourself to try one new fruit or veg a week.
2. Set a goal that gets you psyched. Sign up for a fun run. Go for a weekend mountain biking getaway. Try a new recipe every week for three months. Sign up for a dance or take a pickleball lesson.
3. Make it part of your routine. Park farther away from your destination. Take the stairs. Go for a lunchtime walk outside. Work out as soon as you wake up in the morning. Hit the grocery store first thing on a weekend morning.
4. Create a journal. Document your progress: What did you do today that was great? What are you planning to do tomorrow? Write it down – and also write down how you feel about it.
5. Set up a reward system! Internal rewards: Be sure to tell yourself “good job” every time you follow through on your commitments to yourself. (It really does matter.)
External reward: Set milestones and then reward yourself (new shoes, new gear, massage, etc.) for reaching them.
6. Build a solid support and accountability circle. Find a supportive friend or group that will keep you moving forward. Working with a coach is invaluable here! (This is why most people hire me!)
7. Motivate somebody ELSE! Motivating others is incredibly motivating for YOU. How do I know? Well, let’s just say I am writing this email and it’s getting me psyched about my own [workout/meal prep/etc.]
7. Motivate somebody ELSE! Motivating others is incredibly motivating for YOU. How do I know? Well, let’s just say I am writing this email and it’s getting me psyched about my own [workout/meal prep/etc.]
8. Start the day off right. When you start your morning with a healthy meal or workout, it can set the tone for the entire day!
9. Work with a pro. There is nothing more motivating than seeing – and feeling – a noticeable difference in how you feel, move, and look!
My 28-Day Total Body Transformation program is a great place to start. Especially if you’re a woman over 40 dealing with stubborn belly fat and always putting everyone else's needs before your own and you want to see if my 28-Day program could help you get visible results in just 28 days, book a call to see exactly what the process looks like for you and if it’s the right fit for your goals.
Book today by responding to this message with the best time of day to connect for 15 minutes.
Book today by responding to this message with the best time of day to connect for 15 minutes.
Let’s do this!!
Here's your Monday morning giggle! (It's an instagram reel) Let me know if I made you smile!
Yours in health,
Colleen Riddle, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Young Living Gold Independent Distributor
Join my Facebook Group for more wellness info! Wellness With Colleen
850-598-7263
Sent on behalf of Colleen Riddle, 219 S. Zander Way, Santa Rosa Beach FL via GetOiling.
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!
This month I’m talking about simple things you can do to boost your results …
And this one is surprisingly effective.
It can help you “hack” your way to less stress, happier moods, and better workout results (plus less soreness).
Here it is: Don’t skip your post-workout cooldown or stretches!
Your cooldown has powerful implications for your health … right down to your central nervous system.
I know you’re busy and want to jet off when your workout is over, but it’s absolutely worth taking a few extra minutes to wind down after your workout.
I take a deeper dive into your cooldown in my latest ebook, The Ultimate Post-Workout & Recovery Guide. Get a FREE copy here: https://colleenriddle.com/landing/post-workout-recovery-guide
What you do during your cooldown will depend on your workout, but here are some basic guidelines:
COOLDOWN PHASE #1:
→ If you just did a cardio or high-intensity workout, spend at least 5 minutes gradually returning your heart rate to normal by slowly reducing the intensity of your movements (walking, cycling, etc.).
This can help stop blood from pooling in your extremities, which can make you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or even faint.
→ If it was a strength-training workout, hop on an exercise bike, treadmill, or elliptical for a short, moderate-intensity session to help avoid post-workout soreness. Be sure to bring your heart rate down gradually.
COOLDOWN PHASE #2: Where the real magic happens!
After exercising, your muscles are warm and pliable, which makes it a GREAT time to work on your flexibility.
Stretching helps:
- Prevent soreness
- Improve mobility
- Improve your posture
- Improve flexibility & your range of motion
- Cut your risk of injury
- Increase blood flow
- Relieve tension and stress
- Promote relaxation
Not to mention the fact that it just plain feels good to stretch after a workout!
If you normally skip your cooldown, try it for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference.
At Elite Physique Personal Training, I love helping people over 40 move better, feel better, gain more confidence, and get their energy back!
My 28-Day Total Body Transformation program can help you lose fat and build muscle with effective workouts and meal plans that work WITH your body, not against it. You can check out more info HERE.
I ran into a client last week at a community event. He did my 28-Day program earlier this year. He's continuing to lose weight because he learned how to create sustainable, healthy habits that stick (and he doesn't feel deprived). Nothing warms my heart more!!
Here's what he sent me when he completed the program......
"I participated in the 28-day total body transformation challenge. She was there for me 100% even when I wanted to give up. Her positive vibes and gift of motivation truly got me through the tough times. I would recommend this program for anyone! It helped me drop about 8lbs; I had to buy new belts, and I feel fantastic!-"Rob G.
Yours in health,
Colleen Riddle, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Young Living Gold Independent Distributor
Join my Facebook Group for more wellness info! Wellness With Colleen
850-598-7263
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!
Controversy alert! I’m going to say something you won’t hear from a lot of personal trainers.
I hope it gets you fired up – especially if you’ve been struggling.
I know you’re busy juggling a ton of day-to-day responsibilities …
And at the same time, your wellness goals are really important to you.
After a while, you can start to feel like a failure if you aren’t “crushing it” every day.
In our culture, we’re all about GO BIG or GO HOME … NO PAIN/NO GAIN … ALL-IN, 24/7.
Guess what?
That mindset doesn’t work over the long run. Or maybe ever.
It just leads to feeling burned out, exhausted, and like you have failed (again).
What if instead there was a SMARTER, more EFFICIENT way?
Well, I’m here to tell you there is.
It’s called the MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE.
In a nutshell, that’s doing as little as possible to get the most results.
It’s also the most sustainable way to create REAL CHANGE in your fitness and health!
(Note: this doesn’t mean you can’t go through short “go hard or go home” periods where you are super focused. But these periods should be balanced with less intense periods, too.)
Here’s a sample of what the least effective dose can look like:
- Fewer workouts, focused on what really moves you forward
- Shorter, more targeted workouts
- Or fewer AND shorter well-designed workouts
- Concentrating on the 3-4 healthy habits with the biggest payoffs
- Knowing what convenience foods are actually good for you vs trying to make every meal from scratch.
There are SO MANY REASONS and SEASONS to try the “minimum effective dose” method:
- When you’re feeling stressed
- When you have a lot of responsibilities
- When you don’t have a lot of time
- When you’re just starting out … or coming back after a layoff
- When you’ve just completed a big event (like a marathon)
- When you’re coming back after an illness or injury
What exactly the “minimum dose” looks like can depend on a lot of variables – your gender, age, health/fitness status, likes and dislikes, available time, and on and on.
—> The key is, it shouldn’t feel like a burden or a drain … and it should deliver real, quantifiable results.
It can take some experimentation, but it’s definitely worth it!
Working with a qualified professional can help you find that sweet spot – so you can still get everything you need done in a day … AND get amazing results in your fitness/wellness.
At Elite Physique, I help my clients rediscover wellness and create longterm, sustainable healthy lifestyles. Check out my 28-Day Program that will give you a blueprint to success. I also have a few personal training slots available if you are are interested, reach out.
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!
I have a riddle for you …
What’s an activity that:
- between 200-500 million people across the world engage in,
- has tripled in popularity over the past decade, and
- is believed to improve your wellness, focus, energy, and mood?
Plus, studies show it can help alleviate back pain … improve enzymes in your brain to help fight Alzheimer’s … and even make your sex life better.
Some athletes use it to improve their performance.
It can also be perfect for helping you to cope with that extra stress that pops up during the holiday season, which will soon be in full swing.
If you guessed meditation … you’re right!
Meditation is a GREAT tool to help you become more mindful – which we’re focusing on a lot this month.
That’s because when you’re MINDFUL it basically means you are PRESENT and AWARE – which plays a huge role in your results, motivation, and even your workouts.
Having a meditation practice is a lot more mainstream today than it was 10 years ago.
In fact, almost as many people in the US meditate as do yoga (a little over 14% each).
Researchers are still investigating exactly HOW it works, but we do know that besides slowing down brain waves …
meditation helps you grow more gray matter in your hippocampus (which is linked with improving your mood & focus and slowing down age-related decline in cognitive functioning).
It’s definitely worth considering adding meditation to your wellness/fitness toolkit!
It’s easy to get started – just sit quietly in a comfy chair for a few minutes with your eyes closed, focusing on your breath and feeling your belly and chest rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. That’s it.
Try doing that for a few days, gradually increasing your time as it feels right. I add essential oils to help me deepen my focus.
Or you can use an app – there are dozens out there! (10 Percent Happier, Insight Timer (free, this is the one I use), Calm, and Headspace.) Also, my team put together a text series using Deepak Chopra's guided meditation 21 day series. This is how I started meditating, and it's amazing! Just text: CALM to 801-405-9525 and you'll receive daily text to the guided meditations.
At Elite Physique, we believe fitness is a mind-body experience. We work with clients to develop strategies for living their best life.
Live today with intention! If you haven't download my latest free Ebook all about focusing on mindfulness, grab it here:Mindfulness Workbook
Yours in health,
Colleen
Join my Facebook Group for more wellness info! Wellness With Colleen
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!
Talk about an accidental discovery ...
I’ve got a client who went on a trip to Europe a few years ago.
She ate differently than she did here in the US – basically less processed foods and more whole foods (veggies, fruits, proteins, etc.).
Can you guess what happened?
After a few days, almost every one of her everyday aches and pains went away.
Pains she had gotten used to – a sore knee, a tight low back, etc. – were pretty much GONE.
And this happened even though she was MORE ACTIVE all day, walking and sightseeing. Not to mention sleeping on strange beds.
It made such a difference that when she came home, she decided to keep it up – staying away from all her favorite go-to’s for snacks and weeknight meals.
She learned a valuable lesson: Sometimes, making a slight change in your lifestyle or everyday diet can have a HUGE payoff.
There are a lot of foods out there that can increase inflammation in your body.
And as you probably already know, inflammation is linked with aches & pains (especially if you have arthritis), but also obesity, diabetes, and a long list of other diseases.
I’ve put together a list of foods that are directly tied to inflammation, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
- Sugar. Processed sugars can trigger the release of inflammatory messengers in your body called cytokines.
- Trans fats. These can cause systemic inflammation. Even though they’re banned, trans fats can still be found in fast foods and some processed items. Check ingredient labels and avoid items with partially hydrogenated oils.
- Omega 6 fatty acids. Your body needs a healthy balance of omega 3s and 6s, but most of us get way too much of the 6s, which can lead to inflammation.
They’re found in salad dressings, mayo, and many vegetable and seed oils like corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, soy, and peanut. - Refined carbs, aka “white” carbs. White flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers, cereal, etc. can spike your blood sugar and lead to inflammation.
- Alcohol. Moderate drinking (1 drink a day for women; 2 for men) may have some health benefits for many people. However, studies show the more alcohol people consume, the higher their level of inflammatory markers in their bodies.
- Processed meats. The methods used to prepare these meats create AGEs (advanced glycation end-products), which are linked to inflammation.
Some people also find they get aches and pains from foods they are sensitive to, like gluten, dairy, and even some vegetables.
I’m not suggesting that you go on a big kick and throw out all of those foods. That can be hard to sustain.
But sometimes making just one or two changes can start you on the road toward feeling your absolute best.
We can also assist our bodies through supplementation. I personally take these three everyday to support my body:
1. Ningxia Red: massive antioxidants to fight free radicals in our body.
1. Ningxia Red: massive antioxidants to fight free radicals in our body.
2. BLM (Bones, Ligaments & Muscles): helps joint mobility with collagen, glucosamine, and essential oils
Reach out if you have any questions!
REFERENCES:
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!
