Motivation to Workout

Ever have those days, or maybe even weeks, where you just can’t find the motivation to go from your desk, to your car, to the gym?  Or once you make it home from work you just can’t seem to muster the energy to lace up your running shoes to hit the pavement? Here are 5 tips to help you find the inspiration to get your workout in!

1. Visualize your Future Achievements

            Whether it’s crossing the finish line of your first triathlon, hitting a PR in a 5K, losing 30 pounds, or just fitting into your favorite pair of ‘skinny’ jeans, picture what that achievement will look like, how great you will feel, and the massive smile that will be on your face when you meet your goal.

2. Positive Self-Talk

            Ever tell yourself you are “too out of shape”, “too slow”, “too old”, or “this will never work” before a workout? Fight that negative self-talk with positive self-talk, focusing on your strengths, and remember, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  Remind yourself that fitness is a journey; take it one day at a time, putting one foot in front of the other.

3. Focus on the Why

            Write specific, attainable goals, and post in a place which you will see every day, to encourage you to get your workout in. If you are lacking motivation prior to a workout, spend 5 minutes writing down why you workout and why you won’t give up. Remember, the secret to success is not will-power, but rather “want-power”. Choose to be active because you want to be!

4. Choose Activities you Enjoy

            There a multitude of ways to incorporate fitness into your life. If you don’t currently love your routine, mix it up! To allow you to look forward to your workout choose activities which you enjoy. Use your workout time for catching up with friends if you are a social butterfly or reserve the time as ‘me-time’ if you prefer a quieter workout.  

5. Look Around and Within

            Look for others who are working towards similar fitness goals. If you don’t find any friends or colleagues who have similar training goals and workout routines, check the internet, because chances are there is someone out there working toward similar goals. There are thousands of fitness blogs, along with sites such as DailyMile, DailyBurn, SparkPeople, and numerous others which allow you to record and track your workouts, while interacting and allowing others to see what you are doing.

            If outside sources of inspiration don’t fuel you, then look internally. Remember back to your last workout and how great you felt afterwards, whether you felt refreshed after a yoga class, completely spent after a high-intensity interval session, or energized after a lifting workout. Chances are, thanks to the release of endorphins, you felt better about yourself after the workout, then when you started! So whether its personal improvements or that drenched in sweat feeling, focus on how great you will feel and you will be out the door in no time!

Terrieha Romer is co-owner of RYP Performance, a company specializing in outdoor bootcamps, small group training, one-on-one personal training, program design, and athlete performance training. Terrieha has a Bachelors in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, a Masters in Sports Medicine, and holds several nationally and internationally recognized fitness-related certifications. She is also a former Track & Field Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach at the High School, Division I, and Division II levels, in addition to working with elite athletes as a volunteer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

It's Official!!

Its Official....I have torn my right lateral meniscus, just as I had suspected. See, my Masters in Sports Medicine can come in handy at times. After a full history, x-rays, and several special tests, it was confirmed and a plan of attack was devised.

I took the 25gauge needle in the knee like a pro, while my ortho aspirated 43cc's of fluid off my knee and injected a steroid shot. I left the office with a script for anti-inflammatory, 3 weeks of PT, and an appointment to evaluate and discuss surgical removal in August. I also left with strict orders to do no activity which causes any discomfort either during or after activity. So unless the cortisone shot was a miracle drug, I will be sticking only to upper body workouts.

**As a side note, I cannot say enough good things about the orthos at Andrew's Sports Medicine Institute and Orthopedic Clinic. I knew they were truly the best, but the fact that they not only involved me and my wishes in the treatment plan as well as the fact that I felt as important as the NFL star in the other room left me with all smiles!

To celebrate the fact that I will not be doing any high-impact activities, here's a butt-kickin' lower-body circuit for you to do in my place!! Complete 15 reps per exercise, doing all 6 exercises in a row. Take a 2-minute break, then repeat two more times!! *For single-leg exercises, do 15 reps per leg*

Box Hop w/ Squat

Mountain Climbers

Lateral Box Lunge
Burpees
Partially Supported Single-Leg Squats
Squat Jumps
This workout requires no gym-membership and the only equipment you need is a step (a park bench also works great). Workout should take 15-20 minutes total!! 


Let me know your thoughts if you try out this workout, as I love to hear your feedback!!

Grocery Shopping....Not a Cheap Hobby

I have a love/hate relationship with grocery shopping. I truly love cooking and having a stocked fridge and pantry, but I hate spending so much money. My husband and I eat three meals plus snacks each day and only eat out maybe once a week, thus our grocery bill tends to run a little high. While my husband is a routine eater (he literally can eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday for months), I need variety in my life. Here is this week's dinner run down:

1. Stuffed Whole Wheat Shells with Pesto
(Stuffing: Spinach, Basil, Cottage Cheese, Apple & Maple Chicken Sausage & Mozzarella)
2. Black Bean Burgers w/ Avocado on Whole Wheat Buns w/ Kale Chips, Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad
(Burgers: Black Beans, Roasted Red Peppers, Corn, Garlic, Ground Flax Seeds, & Tomato Sauce)
3. California BLTs w/ Sweet Potato Fries
(Sandwich: Turkey Bacon, Avocado, Tomato, Whole Wheat Bread)
4. Grilled Chicken w/ Grilled Peaches stuffed with Goat Cheese & Honey, Steamed Broccoli
5. Homemade Whole Wheat White Pizza w/ Spinach & Caramelized Onions
6. Zucchini & Squash Pesto Pasta Bake
(Julienne Veggies w/ Artichoke Flour Pasta, Pesto & Mozzarella)
7. Salad Beast
(Loaded with fresh fruit & veggies, topped with roasted chickpeas and homemade balsamic vinaigrette)

This week I also made two batches of homemade granola and homemade dark chocolate almond butter, as well as homemade Larabars. I also have hopes of making macaroons. I also stocked up on our weekly essentials: fresh fruit, almond milk, greek yogurt, hummus, diet mountain dew, and beer :)

This week's total put us at $159 and I am sure we will need to buy a little more DMD and beer before the week is over!! I do buy a number of organic products and believe in humane treatment of animals, thus am a proponent of free-range, no antibiotics, etc. Also, this week had very little meat and our pantry was not too empty. Thus, my love/ hate relationship :)

If you are interested in any actual recipes, let me know and I will be happy to post in the comments. What is your average grocery bill?!?

Workout Mix-Up

This week’s article is for those who are looking to mix up their workouts, those who have hit a training or fitness plateau, those who don’t have a gym membership or can’t find time to hit the gym, and for those who think fitness has to be hour-long, grueling workouts. Below are three not-so novel ideas, but can lead to a new outlook on fitness and a newer, healthier you!

10-minute Blasts:

Find your inner kid, grab a jump rope, and incorporate 10minutes of fast jump rope three times per day to burn over 400 calories (based on 150 lb person and varies depending on conditioning level and metabolism). Another great way to throw in exercise throughout the day is adding in sets of cardio-burst exercises such as burpees, mountain climbers, or squat jumps to spike your heart rate. Try performing sets of 10reps during the commercials of your favorite TV shows or pull away from the computer throughout the day for a quick 30 second cardio-burst which will leave you feeling refreshed! If you’re looking for something less dynamic, hit some nearby stairs three times a day for 10minutes of stair walking to get the legs burning, heart pumping and burn an estimated 272 calories (based on criteria above).

Outdoor Adventure:

Hop off the treadmill or spin bike and take your running or cycling outside. Not only will you burn more calories, but you can enjoy the natural beauty of the ‘Loveliest Village on the Plains’, and meet runners and cyclists of all levels to help you stay motivated. Instead of traditional distance running, hit the track and take your body to a new level with an interval workout. For beginners try 4 sets of 400meter (1 lap) run followed by 400meter walk; more advanced runners try 6 sets of 600meter sprints, followed by 200meter walk/jog. For cyclist incorporate 30 second sprints or hill repeats into your workout. If running or cycling isn’t your thing, take advantage of local trails and spend some time hiking. An hour of hiking at Chewacla State Park can burn an estimated 400+ calories.

While you are outdoors for cardio, don’t forget you can do an amazing resistance training workout outdoors as well. Head to an area park and using only your body-weight and/or a park bench get in a full-body workout. If you don’t make it out of work before the sun goes down, body-weight workouts can easily be done at home with no equipment! Body-weight workouts can be designed for all fitness-levels, even leaving the iron-pumping gym-aholic out of breath and a little sore the next day.

Out of the Zone:

Finally, go outside your comfort-zone and try something new. Try a new class at your gym, get in the pool and start swimming laps, treading water or pool running. No worries if you don’t have a gym membership, look into area leagues for team sports or grab a friend/spouse and hit the tennis courts. Don’t worry if you don’t know the rules, running around the courts volleying the ball back and forth will provide a great workout, or take it up a notch by running suicides or doing a cardio-burst exercise between volleys.

Terrieha Romer is co-owner of RYP Performance, a company specializing in outdoor bootcamps, small group training, one-on-one personal training, program design, and athlete performance training. Terrieha has a Bachelors in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, a Masters in Sports Medicine, and holds several nationally and internationally recognized fitness-related certifications. She is also a former Track & Field Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach at the High School, Division I, and Division II levels, in addition to working with elite athletes as a volunteer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.