1. Commit to 1 Minute of Exercise.

Tell yourself you will do squats for 1 minute, no more, no less.  Now, here’s the magic, more times then not, that 1 minute creates momentum to get you to do a second minute, then a third, then ten.  Mentally committing to 1 minute of exercise may trick you to physically commit to more.

2.  Reward Your Kids.

We let ourselves “Off the Hook” way too easy when we lose our motivation.  Yet, committing to another person creates a higher level of accountability because we don’t let those people down.  If you are a parent, imagine making a promise to your kids that you will take them to the park on Saturday only if YOU stick to your exercise plan this week.  And if you don’t, then you will have to break the news that you can’t take them to the park; making for very disappointed kids.  As a matter of fact, those kids will become your biggest alley.  The same tactic can be modified and applied to your friends.

3.  Have a Dedicated Exercise Spot.

Creating a dedicated exercise spot at home or the office that is convenient could be the solution to tricking you into exercising.  Post a workout routine on the wall so you know exactly what to do when you step into your “gym”.  Another possibility is to hire a personal trainer to stop by and take you through a workout.

4.  Change Your Clothes.

Go ahead and dress up in the clothes you would workout in.  Having your workout wear already on will get you one step closer to jumping into the workout.  If this is not an option because of where you work, then bring a change of clothes with you to the office so you can go straight to the workout without going home.

5.  Happy Hour.

Instead of checking out the bar scene with your friends during happy hour, tell the group to meet you for a hike or exercise class.  Think of this as just being more efficient with your time, getting in your workout and socializing, all at the same time.

6.  Set an End Date.

Create a date to begin and complete your fitness journey.  I suggest you do not go beyond 30 days.  Yes, taking care of yourself should be a lifestyle and not end after 30 days, but we are talking about tricks to get you to commit.  Having a set time and end will create a greater commitment from you to take action during that time.  And when the 30 days have come to an end, you can always re-commit to another 30 days.

Now what?

You know the tip and the tricks, but its just as important to have a plan to support you to execute.  Check out my 3 Minute Body Toner Program to get you set up with success.

http://3minutebodytoner.com/programs/

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But do you believe you can get what you want?

Creating goals is a slippery slope. We can overwhelm ourselves by having too many things that we want and don’t know where to start.  Or maybe we really don’t know what we want and before we know it, we get swept into the hustle of life and never start.  Lastly, there are those people who do start on their goals and get side tracked along the way.  So I am going to give you the 3 fundamentals of creating goals.  The 3 tips will get your creativity juices stirred up, your motivation fired up, and you in action today. So, lets get started.

STEP 1 – Brainstorm

Brainstorm and come up with a list of things that you want. Set your stop watch to 2 minutes and don’t let your pencil drop until you hear that buzzer go off. Get all of those thoughts out onto paper, wether you think they are good thoughts, weak thoughts, are just plain outrageous, doesn’t matter, just write it down. Go ahead and do this now.

STEP 2 – Clarity is Power

This step is very, very important. What you may not realize is WHY you want these goals. To have these goals is important but to realize WHY having these goals is important to you will create the motivation to get you into action day after day until you achieve them.  Let me demonstrate, imagine your goal is to have $1 million; but realize the fact of literally having $1 million is not where the motivation lies.  The motivation comes in what you will use the $1 million for; paying off debt, buying a home, financial freedom, etc…  What you will use the $1 million for is the WHY you will be motivated to go after making this happen day after day.  You get it?  Good.  So, here is what I want you to do next; take the list you created in step 1, circle the 3 most important goals that you feel you can accomplish in 1 year, now write a short reason WHY accomplishing this goal is important to you.  In doing so, you will have created CLARITY towards taking action towards your goal.

STEP 3 – Pick 1 Goal and Act Now

I believe that when you have that moment of CLARITY, that million dollar idea, or perhaps the motivation to take action on something; this is divine intervention. This is God, the Universe, or something bigger then you giving you access into something great, and it is your responsibility to act on it.  Having said that, it is also human that if we don’t act, to some degree, immediately then the chances of acting on this idea at all drastically decrease.  For example, the alarm clock buzzes at 5am, you intent is to get to the gym, and you hit snooze. Maybe you get up on the second buzzer, but my point is, it was probably more difficult to get up the second time; maybe you began thinking about all the reasons you don’t need to go, you realize how tired you are, you start thinking about how busy a day you have, etc.. My point is you would have avoided all the ‘little voice in the back of your head” talk if you would have just rolled out of bed the first time. Mel Robbins speaks about this in her book, “The 5 Second Rule”.  Highly recommend you to check it out at melrobbins.com.  So, the third step, your final mission, is to take one of the 3 goals you selected in step 2, and ACT on it RIGHT NOW.  If your goal is to learn how to speak Spanish, then get on your computer, look up a school that offers the class and register NOW.  If your goal is to lose weight, then contact the gym, schedule a free consultation session with a trainer NOW.  Before you read on, take the time NOW to act on your goal.

Congratulations!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              You have taken the steps that will separate you from the 95% of people who don’t finish what they started.  Having taken these steps, you have begun the process of manifesting what you want in this life.  You want this because where you are right now is not where you want to be; and if you remain in this position, you fire in life will begin to dim a little.  Don’t let that happen, there is too much in life for you to have.  So go it … starting NOW!

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Most of us think to jump into cardio first thing, get a good sweat, burn some calories, then we are ready to hit the weights.  But is this the best idea to lose weight or even gain muscle?  Well, like most things, it’s not as simple as a YES or NO answer.  There are a couple key factors that play a role in whether cardio at the beginning or end is best for you.

What Factors Make the Difference

1. Body types. There are 3 body types, ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph; depending on your body type will determine when to add cardio into your workout.
2. Muscle Gain.  If you are building muscle mass, you want to conserve as much glycogen, muscle fuel, as you can for the resistant training to allow yourself to push through each set.
3. Weight Loss.  If you are on a weight loss program, you would want to emphasize increasing your heart rate more then the amount of weight you can push.

What Does The Science Tell Us

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning 2008 tells us that integrating cardio and resistant training through out the workout showed much higher levels of both fat burning and muscle increase.  An example would be performing 3 sets x 12 reps of chest press then follow that with 60 seconds of intense cardio on the treadmill.  High Intense Interval Training is the modality of workout I am referring to, also know as H.I.I.T.
Fluctuating the heart rate up and down throughout the duration of the workout puts the body into ‘FAT BURNING’ mode; which is what we want to accomplish.  Intense cardio for a long duration of time will release cortisol, the stress hormone, which will prevent the body from burning fat; which we want to avoid.

Bottom Line

The good news is we don’t have to spend hours on the cardio machine to accomplish our goals.  Integrating the cardio throughout the workout, thus fluctuating the heart rate, will create a more efficient way of burning fat and increase muscle.  I want to add, I still believe that body type plays a role.  If you are an endomorph, looking to lose weight, then you are a prime candidate for high interval training.  If you are an ectomorph, then keep your cardio to the end.  A mesomorph can play it both ways, so listen to your body and see which method brings the best results.

Finally, with all this said, the #1 take away is JUST BE CONSISTENT with your exercises.  Cardio before, after, or during won’t make much of a difference if you exercise every once in a while.

Be healthy, my friends!
-Scott Elliott
Kool Body Personal Training

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This month we are doing a joint blog post with Scott Elliott with Kool Body Personal Training. We are each sharing our perspective on 5 Ways Healthy Habits Save You Money from a health and wealth standpoint. Here are the five habits:

Eat Your Breakfast

Scott: Most of us are in such a rush to get out the door and to the office, that we often neglect breakfast. Instead of eating breakfast, we opt for coffee and perhaps add a carb to that. Eating breakfast will bring you a sustained boost of mental and physical energy. Skipping breakfast leads to adrenal crash; which we then artificially support with caffeine. The saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” has a lot of truth to it. As you sleep, the cortisol hormone increases, which put us into REM (deep) sleep. When we wake up, the cortisol levels continue to rise and will eventually begin to put stress onto our adrenals. The only way to level out this increase in cortisol levels is to eat a balanced breakfast. This simple act will increase our mental and physical energy throughout the morning, with no mental crash.

Daniel: Breakfast in the morning can be something as simple and inexpensive as eggs and whole grain toast, yogurt with granola, or a smoothie (my wife makes amazing smoothies in the morning!). This daily “breakfast ritual” can save you thousands of dollars over time compared to stopping at Starbucks for “coffee and a carb.” If you still need the caffeine fix, you could brew your own coffee at home (which is often better than Starbucks anyway) and enjoy it on your way to work.

Schedule Your Workouts

Scott: Studies show that regular exercise will help reduce the number of sick days you take by stimulating and strengthening your immune system. Regular exercise also reduces the risk of illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The quote “Failing to plan is planning to fail” by Alan Lakein, highlights the importance of scheduling your workouts. Once scheduled, make sure they are a priority, like meetings for work. Make your workout time a non-negotiable appointment on your calendar.

Daniel: Consistent exercise will actually make you money because of the fewer sick days you will need to take. Depending on where you work, you could then use those unused sick days for something fun like a vacation or cash them out at some point. If you are self-employed, then that means less time away from your business, which means more money. Looking at it from a long-term perspective, if regular exercise prevents diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease for you, then that will save you thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of dollars in medical bills. Additionally, a monthly gym membership is only a waste of money if you don’t use it! If you schedule your workouts, whether at the gym or with a personal trainer, you’re making the most of the money you’re spending for those services.

5-Minute Meditation

Scott: Daily meditation will calm our brain, bring inner peace, and therefore, more focus and productivity to your job. Due dates, unexpected problems, or even mental fog all strip away the clarity and focus that we need to succeed in our daily tasks. Set aside 5 minutes each day to sit upright, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Each time your thoughts drift, bring yourself back to your breath, training your mind in the art of self-control, focus, and peace.

Daniel: Consistent meditation can lead to reduced stress, which can save you money in countless ways. If stress leads you to overeat, then meditation can save you money on food expenses. If stress leads you to shop to make yourself feel better, then meditation can save you money by preventing you from buying unnecessary things. If stress causes you to drive fast which leads to a speeding ticket… you get the point ?

3-Minute Workout

Scott: According to a 2014 Stanford Study, you can boost your creativity up to 60% by adding short bursts of activity throughout the day. Step away from the computer for a minimum of 3 minutes at a time and walk up a flight of stairs or take a walk outside. In addition, you will curb your levels of anxiety and depression allowing you to handle stress much better; stimulating your mood so you can get along with your co-workers and boss much easier.

Daniel: An increase in creativity can definitely make you money in the long-run. If you work for somebody, that could mean a faster promotion or a pay raise sooner. If you work for yourself, then an increase in creativity can lead to increased income ever more rapidly if you apply it in a way that makes you better or more efficient at what you do.

Surround Yourself with Like-Minded Motivated Fitness People

Scott: Working out with someone (or a group of people) will not only increase your level of accountability, but there is also a strong possibility of making new business connections, as you sweat it out with like-minded fitness people. You are all there putting in a strong effort to stay healthy, which will lead to a mutual level of respect for one another. Those are definitely people worth getting to know.

Daniel: Anytime you connect with like-minded people there is a good chance you will each benefit from that relationship. If you own a business, maybe one of those people becomes a client, which would lead to more revenue for your business. If you are an employee, maybe one of those people connects you to a job opportunity when you need it. Connecting with people who share similar goals and interests with you can lead to many rewards beyond money as well.

We hope you enjoyed our post on 5 Ways Healthy Habits Save You Money! If you want to learn more about Kool Body Personal Training, you can contact Scott at selliott@koolbody.com. If you want to learn more about Dr. Budgets, visit their home page or contact us.

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