Veggie Bee

Do you have a bad habit you need to break? Take a look at Margarita’s Breakup Letter to her bad habit…  and then write your own!

Phit-N-Phat asks What Motivates You to Be Healthy and Fit? There’s a nice quote on getting to your goals: “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Ryun.

Need even more to help you get motivated? Read the article Get Motivated (pdf) from Body + Soul magazine and then take Tamara Lowe’s Motivational DNA test.

Need a workout you can do in 7 minutes?! Check out Lean & Fit in 7 Minutes at Women’s Health Magazine. You can even download it to your iPod!

This weekend, I’m planning to try some version of Shape Magazine’s Eggplant-Ricotta Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I’m not sure I’ll use ricotta cheese, but I like the idea of the rolls.  Let me know if you try it and any changes you might make to it.

Win FREE Reebok SmoothFit SelectRide Shoes at Active.com. Ends March 31, 09.

• Go to the Active.com Reebok Crosstraining page.
• Click on one of the links to enter the giveaway.
• While you’re there, take a look at the Free Cross-training plans that are available.
• Five winners will be selected after the giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 31, 09.

Enter to Win daily prizes at Fitness Magazine’s Daily Sweepstakes!

• Today’s prize is a pair of women’s ASICS GEL-Nimbus 10 running shoes.
• Tomorrow’s prize is a women’s RRS 3-layer jacket.
• Enter to win daily at Fitness Magazine online!

Have you planned your fitness for the day or already accomplished it?  Let me know how you’ve done or if you need help or suggestions!

If you haven’t fit exercise into your day yet, remember it only take 10 minutes to build or maintain your exercise momentum. Start problem-solving right now how to get in that 10 minutes today!

I’m off for a 4 mile run and 20 minutes of my Women’s Health DVD… David again got up at 5 a.m. and got to the gym!

What’s your fitness plan for the day?!

Have you planned your fitness for the day or already accomplished it?  Let me know how you’ve done or if you need help or suggestions!

If you haven’t fit exercise into your day yet, remember it only take 10 minutes to build or maintain your exercise momentum. Start problem-solving right now how to get in that 10 minutes today!

Update: I ran 3 miles this morning and I’m going to do an abs DVD with the stability ball tonight. David got up at 5 a.m. (!!) this morning and hit the gym like he’s been doing regularly… that is so early! I’m still dreaming when he gets back, go honey!!

Something is better than nothing

Whether you’re just starting an exercise program to lose weight or you’ve been on an exercise hiatus from your regular routine, many times it’s best to start small and build your exercise momentum by making it a minimum daily commitment. Using a minimum daily effort of 10 minutes may seem like an insignificant impact on your overall health or weight loss, but often this small amount of time serves as the impetus to your entire future exercise program.

When to use the “10 minute” strategy

• You’re just starting an exercise program and seem overwhelmed by the effort you think you should be devoting to it.
• You use the excuse that you “don’t have time” to exercise.
• You had previously been on a regular exercise program, but something changed in your routine and you’ve been out of the habit (sometimes for as little as a week!)
• You work out sporadically because you only want to do “real” workouts that require more time or energy than you have.
• You only workout when you can devote a large block of time to it.

It’s easier to talk yourself out of an hour long run than a 10 minute walk, but even a little bit is better than nothing. Oftentimes, that 10 minute walk will turn into a longer session of exercise since getting started is sometimes the hardest part. But even if it doesn’t, it gives you a chance at keeping your momentum going for the next day so that you have a chance at building consistency into your weekly routine.

5 simple ideas for adding 10 minutes of exercise

• Put your walking shoes & clothes on as soon as you get out of bed. Walk 5 minutes away from your front door and 5 minutes back. Commit to 7 days in a row and if you miss a day, recommit to 7 straight days.
• Put your walking shoes in your car and walk instead of waiting at appointments.
• Park an extra 10 minutes away from your appointments. You’re guaranteed 2 bouts of 10 minutes of exercise.
• Find a DVD (or “on demand” cable channel) with 10 minute segments on it and commit to doing 1 segment each day for 7 days.
• Set a timer for 10 minutes and do jumping jacks, lunges, pushups and crunches while you watch television.

Has incorporating small bouts of exercise into your day ever helped to keep you on track with your program? Which suggestion above would you be willing to try to get your momentum going?