New Year New You Workout Ideas & More – What are you doing to get in shape after the holidays? Did you eat too many buttermilk and pecan pies this holiday season? How were those peppermint barks and eggnogs? Did you have one more indulgence on New Year’s Day before putting it all away? Every New Year people start off with good intentions and then it all falls away by February 15th. Suddenly it is the long President’s Day weekend and everyone feels like they need to take a long weekend diet break and eat pizza again. Here are a few ideas on what to do to stay on track.
- Workout Daily – Working out daily might sound like a lot of work, but one way to approach working out is to not put too much pressure on yourself. Think of working out as something that you can gradually build upon daily. If you take your dog for a walk in the am before work, make sure the walk is brisk and takes you 20 minutes. Do that same walk after dinner with the dog and you just did 40 minutes worth of working out that day. Put in another 20 minutes after dinner while watching television. Instead of just sitting there and watching television get on the floor and stretch or do some planks and a few burpees. Do 2 minutes of planks and burpees during each commercial break. That will add up to 10 minutes of planks and burpees while you wait for your show to come back on. Taking the stairs or walking to lunch instead of driving is another way to get in some extra steps daily. A little adds up to a lot.
- Don’t Diet – Instead of dieting, make your lifestyle about eating well. In the am drink a full glass of water with lemon first thing in the morning and make egg whites with whole grain whole seed bread like Dave’s Killer Bread . This protein and fiber packed start to your day will give you tons of energy and keep you full so you won’t want to indulge in donuts in the break room at work. At lunch, make a conscious decision to eat a salad. Choose to eat a salad with a protein that you like. Eating a salad will add more fiber to your daily diet and you won’t feel exhausted and need a nap by the time lunch is over. Bring some Skinny Pop Popcorn
 in a ziploc bag to work and munch on it as a snack in the afternoon. A healthy snack will keep you satiated so you don’t run to the vending machines for a candy bar. At home, always prepare chopped vegetables and have them ready to cook or make into salads for dinner. Defrost those proteins you want to use for the evening in the fridge so that a healthy meal is less than 15 minutes away. This way you won’t be starving by dinner time and grabbing something unhealthy while waiting for dinner.
- Fun Activewear – Get some fun workout activewear to add to your wardrobe so you are motivated to get moving before or after work and on the weekends. Fun printed camo leggings and printed tees with fun messages  and a warm down camo print vest will make you look and feel great and want to get moving. My moto is “when you look great you also feel great.”
- Make Exercise and Eating Healthy Fun – Don’t think about getting in shape and eating better as a chore. Make eating well and being healthy a fun activity. Chop up vegetables in lots of fun colors and display them on a platter. Eating healthy doesn’t mean eating boring foods. Colorful green celery, red peppers, orange carrots make a pretty display when cut up with some hummus. Working out is fun when you take a brisk walk through an area full of stores with pretty window displays. As you have fun doing these activities, you will find yourself getting in shape in the New Year without any of it feeling like a chore.
