By Vivienne Okafor
I know its been a minute, but this month has to be the most consistent I’ve been all year, and that has reflected in my blog views. As I inch closer towards 1-million blog views, I have upped my content strategy, which will involve guest writers on the blog to fit the needs of my readers.
Today, I am excited to have Vivienne Okafor, who will be a constant guest writer for the lifestyle segment of the blog. At the end of today’s post a short-bio of her work will be added, including her email address, for follow-up questions.
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It’s a new week and you’ve made a decision to start exercising and drop some unwanted pounds. To aid in your quest for that toned body, you google something along the lines of “how do I become fit” or “how to loose 20lbs in 30 days” when all of a sudden, you’re bombarded with a ton of videos, images and GIFs of different exercises, HITT training, LISS training, fad diets, keto diet, paleo diet, cardio vs weight, body mass index and it just becomes too overwhelming. Like where do you start? Been there, felt that!
Getting fit and losing weight doesn’t have to be overwhelming and complex. Here are 5 ways you can start living your best fit life on your terms:
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| Credit know your meme |
Just Move: People don’t realize this but just simply taking the stairs at you job, your home, taking walks around your neighborhood or even walking your dog in the park counts as exercise. Mayo Clinic suggests getting about 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week which translates to an average of 21 minutes of some type of movement every day. Start today with a 10-minute walk, park an extra block from work so it takes a bit longer to walk to work or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Just start moving more because any movement is better than none.
Set goals for yourself: You’ve started moving for 10-30 minutes a day, but you want a reason to keep going. Research shows that goal setting helps individuals stay motivated to keep working hard at that task. So, walk for 10 minutes on Monday and then go for 15minutes on Tuesday and before you know it, you’ll be walking for 30 minutes/day by the end of the month. What works is small incremental goals you set for yourself that you will be able to accomplish.
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| Credit: Health Maven |
Make it fun: Did you know that you can burn calories and stay fit by just dancing? Turn up the volume of your favorite playlist and just dance the time away. That is exercise. Make your exercise fun for yourself and I guarantee, you will continue to drop those pounds while having fun. Not only are you increasing your cardiovascular fitness, you’re working your muscles from your arms to your thighs to your core. So, make it fun for yourself, for your health. And if dancing on your own is just not your thing then try Zumba classes at your local gym, you’re burning calories and torching fat and having fun.
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| Credit: Pinterest |
Get an Accountability buddy: Going to the gym can seem scary and intimidating, staring at all those machines and weights and not knowing where to start. Is there someone that you know that goes to the gym daily and can serve as your accountability buddy? Reach out to them for some support, accompany them to the gym for a few weeks so they can give you some tips on what machines/weights to use until you find your stride. Other ways for accountability are through group fitness workouts. Boutique fitness workouts have become the wave for beginner fitness enthusiasts and if you don’t know which one to pick and you can afford it, Classpass or the MindBody app are great ways to find workouts in your city and join for a fee.
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| credit: beach body on demand |
Workout at home: You want more out of this fit life but cannot afford a class pass membership and you don’t have an accountability buddy; home workouts may just be for you. There are a ton of apps and videos online, free and paid that take you through a 20-30-minute body-weight workout at home. My favorite resources are Youtube and the Nike training app, which are free99. Others that I have used in the past that follow a more structured formula are the Fit Body app by Anna Victoria and the Bikini Body guide app by Kayla Itsines.
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| credit: darebee |
At the end of the day, the goals, the aesthetics are for you and as long as you focus on what works for you and approach this as a lifestyle you will be living your best fit life in no time.
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Vivienne Okafor is a runner and boutique fitness coach for Solidcore in Philadelphia.
You can find her on her daily 5am runs with her running crew that keeps her accountable and coaching or taking the Michelle Obama praised Solidcore workout. Send her an email
