The most important thing I’ve learned about being healthy is that I must plan for it if I want it to happen. Unfortunately, society doesn’t set us up to be healthy by living the standard American lifestyle. The epidemic of disease and obesity in America can attest to this.
So, what can you do to stack the deck in your favor? 2 things: schedule time to be healthy and prepare with the proper equipment to be healthy.
Every week my calendar has my workouts scheduled in it. I put a workout per day in my schedule, knowing that I might miss one or two of them per week with priority meetings that pop up. But, I absolutely make 5 or 6 of them.
If my workouts were not scheduled in my calendar, the majority of the time, the day would come and go, with good intentions of getting a workout in, but it likely would not happen. To avoid this, I make plans to meet friends at workout classes, training appointments that are non-refundable, bike riding groups with people who hold me accountable, I even teach fitness classes on occasion (a. because I LOVE it, but b. I can’t miss it).
Very similarly to scheduling in the time, is having the right equipment. I invest in padded biking shorts so long bike rides don’t hurt my bum. I invest in yoga/fitness clothes that stay put during an intense class, so I’m not constantly annoyed with sagging or revealing clothing. I invest in sport bras that make it comfortable to high intensity cardio. I invest in a good yoga/fitness mat that cushions my body well, so certain poses aren’t putting too much pressure on my joints. And, a quality hair band so my hair isn’t constantly falling in my face while upside down in yoga. I carry an enormous klean kanteen water bottle with me everywhere I go, often with my favorite electrolytes in it, so I am always hydrated and not spending a fortune on store bought toxic plastic water bottles. (And I buy the right cleaning brush, as they’re horrible to get clean without it.) I make sure to have a super cute, good pair of walking shoes if I want to run around town and get some extra steps in. I make sure to always have my favorite sports balm to relieve aches and pains from over doing it in the gym/yoga studio.
Basically, I am prepared. Just like going to the grocery store weekly and purchasing fresh produce is necessary to eat a healthy diet, having the right workout equipment is necessary to keep up a workout routine. If you don’t have all the proper equipment, get to the store and start shopping! You can find a few of my favorite things here, but I buy all kinds of brands and finding what works best for you and your body is key.
