Since starting this blog, I have been sought out by multiple family members and friends about ideas, suggestions and advice on what to do to START SMALL. Depending on the person and my own, non-professional, but experienced in the home workouts knowledge, I usually recommend starting with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I like it because it covers a lot of muscle groups in a shorter amount of time. Perfect to START SMALL. Moreover, it is inexpensive and there are three different levels, so you can work your way up.
For most people, it isn't WHAT to do, but HOW to do it and KEEP doing it. I would like to think that all the people that have asked for my advice are serious about starting something up because they see me as someone more like them and can see me achieving goals and making it work with my busy schedule. Some may need someone to just show them something they might like to get them going. I wouldn't have found TurboFire if my old friend hadn't suggested it. (Thank you, again!!!)
I have one particular family member that quite a few years ago was working TWO full-time jobs. Wow. That is serious dedication and drive right there. This person hardly slept and when this person did, she was out. This person was known to be so deep in sleep and carry on a conversation where you couldn't tell that she really wasn't awake. You would tell her to go back to sleep and minutes later, she would be frantic trying to remember if she had done what she was supposed to do before she fell asleep the first time. Did you catch all that? Good.
This brings me to my first point. Sleep. Sleep is so incredibly important to staying motivated. Think about it. When you get less and less sleep every night, do you find it harder and harder to concentrate and stay on task? Eventually, I give up and give in to resting up. With plenty of rest, you already have one excuse to NOT use. With plenty of rest, you are probably more likely to get up and do something for yourself. With plenty of rest, you are able to execute workouts better and avoid injuries. With plenty of rest, you are less likely to become ill. With plenty of rest, you are more likely to stay motivated and focused. Keep the sleeping part in the back of your mind while you read the next part.
Okay, back to my sleep-deprived family member. Alright, so after doing this working two jobs thing for quite some time, I visited this family member one day. I happened to notice that the latest Windor Pilates set was sitting on her counter, unopened. Me, being a junkie on infomercials even back then, asked about it with a certain sense of jealousy. This is how the conversation went:
Me: You got Windsor Pilates?!?!?!?!
Family Member: Oh, boy, did I.
M: You have tried it already???
F: Umm, no. Here's what happened. You know how I fall asleep on the couch after work and stay there sometimes until 3 or 4 in the morning with the TV on?
M: Uh-huh...
F: So, about a week ago, I was asleep on the couch. I woke up and the TV was on and just couldn't shake Windsor Pilates out of my mind. I kept thinking how great it was for my body and how wonderful of a workout it was, so I turned off the TV and went to bed.
M: Uh-huh...
F: The next morning, I get up only to find my purse with my credit card out sitting by the phone. I was thinking that there is no way I actually ordered that! Today, there was a package on the front steps and it was confirmation that I had ordered it in my sleep.
M: (uncontrolled laughter)
Remember what I said about sleep? Put that in your back pocket. I want to also mention that before this family member quit her second job, she also ordered the Ab Roller in her sleep. I actually got to try this one out for a while, not bad, but not stellar, either.
Anyway, this family member has asked me about what she should do to START SMALL. No, I did NOT tell her to bust out the Windsor Pilates or the Ab Roller. I think she has the drive to get herself into the workout mode, just doesn't know where to begin. Hello?! She ordered workout stuff in her sleep! If she could have gotten herself to actually workout in her sleep, you can color me jealous as hell. I have always said I would love it if someone would come and move my arms and legs while I slept. Sounds perfect to me. She may have the drive, but she just needs the motivation and discipline to get it done. I believe she does have it and can do it, if she just gets herself into the habit of doing it. If she does like Chalene says and makes her workouts non-negotiable, she will be just fine!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?! I know you do. :)
I recommended Jillian to this family member to do. It might be a little bit of a challenge, but I am confident in her ability to do it because she is pretty active already and I really think she could handle it since she is in good physical shape. Again, DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU CAN DO THIS?!
As a side note, if you do start a workout that is on DVD, I strongly recommend watching it and go through the motions at least once before jumping in. This should help you to know what to expect and to avoid injury. TurboFire has a "New To Class" feature that pauses the actual workout to show the breakdown. Most DVDs do not have this feature.
START SMALL. Plan your workout. Sleep well. Execute your plan. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wondering if this is a true story, yes, my friends, it is indeed a true story and until next time...
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