- My new workout – Boxing
When was the last time you got inspired to exercise harder? When was the last time you felt like you wanted to give your body some love and get it moving? Whether you are a fitness fanatic or one that hasn’t worked out in years, you will be inspired by a woman named Jacqui McCoy. She has inspired me so much that my entire body has gotten goose bumps watching her and listening to what she has to say. I have never met Jacqui in person, but I watched her transform her body on the popular show called, Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition and I have read her blog.
The show features trainer and transformation expert Chris Powell as he guides and supports obese individuals into an amazing transformation. I watched Jacqui on the show and her spirit and determination has kept her in my mind for weeks. With the help of Chris Powell she took charge of her life and her body. She transformed her body from an extremely unhealthy weight of 355 pounds to 148 pounds in one year. Her dedication was beyond empowering and I encourage you to check out the full episode online. In fact, she has become a trainer herself and will be a featured trainer in season 3 of the show.
We all know that working out and getting physical activity helps to keep us healthy; however when our lives get busy exercising seems to be one of the first things we stop doing. We have to take charge of our life and our bodies and stop putting our health on the bottom of the priority list.
Johan Ratey, Harvard Medical School psychiatrist states that, “Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory and learning.” Who doesn’t want a healthy brain? Who doesn’t want to be in a good mood? Who doesn’t want to have a good memory? And who doesn’t want to be able to learn new things? In addition, exercise can also:
- Decrease depression
- Increase confidence
- Control weight
- Boost energy
- Fight many diseases
- Help us sleep better
We can get bored and complacent with our exercise programs. It is important to continue to challenge ourselves with new ways to get physical activity. In fact, I got complacent with my exercise program. I was starting to just go through the motions and check it off my list of things to do. I wasn’t pushing myself and sometimes I wasn’t even breaking a sweat. I realized I needed to change things up and took up boxing. For now, I love it! It is challenging and it is fun.
If you are just going through the motions with your exercise then it is probably time to switch it up and try something new. If you haven’t been working out then get off the couch and get started either way here are some things to try:
- Boxing
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Dancing
- Running
- Zumba
- Jumping rope
- Swimming
- Jumping Jacks
- Riding a bike
- Surfing
- Walking
Decide to try something and get your body moving. There is no excuse! You can even get free workouts online. My daugther came home from dance practice and shared a great workout online that you can do in 12 minutes! Her dance coach shared it, and it’s called Body Rock TV. You get 12 minutes of fast paced workouts and your body will sweat. Come on, you only need 12 minutes!
You do not need to work out for 2 hours to get a good work out in. Start with 12 minutes and work your way up to what works for you, but get started and get your body moving. Once you start moving your body and getting exercise you will change your body, mind and spirit for the better.
Let the excuses go and honor your body. Start today, start small, and move that body of yours so you can enjoy all the benefits that go along with it!
“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states. ” ~Carol Welch
