Read It & Weep!

A few weeks back, on the day of my run club's "Santa Hat" casual group run, I was asked to write an article for the local paper.  Of course, I was honored and thrilled for the opportunity to be in print (regardless of how small the circulation).

Oh, I never shared the photos from that run!  Here they are:

 

(Note: the LED lights that I added prior to the run are not featured in either photo, boo!)

Oh, you like those sparkle leggings?  Micksmakings over at Etsy can help you out with those!

Anyway, as of this week, the below is available in the Late January 2014 edition of the Chaska Herald.

Enjoy!

---

New Years Resolutions: No Pain, No Gain?
Actually, If It's Not Fun, It Won't Be Done!

With New Years resolution time in full swing, I’m sure you are already a few weeks into working on the “new you”. 

How are you doing at working towards your goal?  Are you feeling confident that you’ll achieve your resolution this year? 

If you do achieve your goal, you will be part of a very elite few.  Statistics show that less than 10% of people actually achieve their New Years Resolution.  And in the era of go big or go home, that’s no surprise.  Just look at examples on TV like “Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Weight Loss”, or to fitness trends like “Cross Fit” and “Insanity”.  It’s easy to see how a person’s average expectations for improving their fitness may be inflated with an unrealistic goal of working crazy hard and seeing extreme results.

Achieving a new you doesn’t have to be as difficult or extreme as the media has portrayed.  Not to mention, for most people, these results are not realistic.  Pushing yourself so hard that your daily mantra becomes “No Pain, No Gain” will at the very least result in burn out, and at the very worst result in injury.  Either of those results is not going to get you into that elite group of New Years resolution achievers.

Instead of a “No Pain, No Gain” mentality, try to change your approach.  I suggest repeating the mantra “If it’s not fun, it won’t be done.” 

Try to make your workouts fun.  Ask yourself - what would make me WANT to get in a workout?  For example - do you look forward to a girl’s night out dancing?  Then why spend hours on an elliptical when you could enroll in a fun Zumba class?  Or, want to spend more time with your children?  Register for a local fun run and make training for it a family event. 

Studies have shown that people who exercise for the pure joy of working out actually stick with workouts longer and reap better results.  And if you’re sticking with your workouts, you have a very high chance of achieving your resolution once and for all!

Challenge yourself to make your workouts fun, and become part of that elite 10%! 

 

Natalie Cobb began making fitness fun in 2009, starting her journey from 240 pounds to Group Fitness Instructor at the Chaska Community Center.  She invites you to join her for a fun workout every Tuesday evening at 5:30 pm.  Drop in class is $5.25 / $4.25 (members).