Do's and Don'ts on Your Way to Fitness Glory
If you are all caught up to date on your Cityline episodes - you may have seen my segment on 'sustainable fitness'.
I went through how I built my home gym and with the help of my daughter Mimi, we showcased some of Canada's leading sustainable activewear brands.
If you watched the whole segment, you would have heard Tracy say "you are going to be a fitness model aka bodybuilder" - and you know what- that is my latest goal! I am going into a fitness model competition - there I said it!
If you know me, you know I need an end goal to be able to follow through and stay motivated. I love to run, but it wasn't until I registered for the Savana Marathon, that I really started to take running seriously. As we get older it is so important to do new things, new challenges we never have done before - it's what keeps you young and vibrant!
So over the next 12 weeks, I will be prepping for my first competition. CRAZY - but let me tell ya a few things I have already learned along the way:
DO’S
DO hire a trainer - It is so important to hire a trainer that really understands your current lifestyle, your goals, and one that you connect with. There is so much more involved than just working out and eating right - it is a mental journey and having a professional by your side makes it doable. I also joke that for me a personal trainer is better than a therapist - I can tell them all my problems, and not only do they listen, but they help sculpt your abs!
DO make your workouts a priority - This is a big one and not the easiest thing to do. You need to schedule your workouts, the way you schedule your work meetings, or your doctor appointments - it's in the calendar and can't be moved. It's 1.5 hours a day - I know it sounds like a lot, but if you can get in 1 hour before work and the other 1/2 mid-day or end of day - it is double.
DO get enough sleep - This one is actually the hardest for me - trying to get 6 days of workouts in during the week, means I have had to start working out some days at 4:30 am. Not a bad plan if you are not responsible for making sentences after 6:00pm, but getting sleep and taking the proper rest is what is necessary to survive and succeed.
OK the DONTs
DON’T carry other people's baggage - When you make big changes in your life this sometimes affects people negatively. It's like you're making changes and they are not, so they feel threatened - well don't carry their issues - it's about them NOT you.
DON’T do this alone - You don't need a partner to work out with you every day - but a friend, a husband, a sister, someone who is completely supportive/excited for you will help so much - someone to share recipes with, chat about your workouts, and someone who will understand when you say you can't join them for dinner cause you are too tired.
DON’T take yourself too seriously - This is my last one. This is a journey - but more importantly it's going to be your lifestyle - so there will be days when. you are not as motivated as others - it's OK. There will be days when Fireball shots are calling your name on the chairlift - and that's ok too!
I am going into my first competition, but I am not taking over the body-building world. I am just a mom of teenagers that is here to prove that strength has NO age - watch me do it!
Jules
xo
