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In a Fitness Rut? Here are 5 Simple Guidelines to Help Get You Out

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I hear it all the time: “I know I should workout, but I’m too far gone and the thought of getting started is terrifying”, or “I have no idea what to do” or, my favorite – “I just don’t have time”.

I get it. I truly do. But, I’m always of the mindset that nothing can be too terrifying, overwhelming or time-consuming if we break it down into bite-size pieces.

Getting active and taking care of the body that carries you around is critical to your health. Cri-ti-cal. Your heart, lungs, blood, muscles, joints , brain- basically, your entire body – need you to get active and at least on the path towards being fit.

It know it’s scary. I know it’s terrifying. And, I absolutely know that it is confusing out there. So, I’m going to make it simple for you and give you five guidelines to working out that you can tackle, one-by-one.

My 5 Workout Guidelines:

#1 – Sweat, on purpose, at least 3 times per week.
This means I want you to dedicate three, 15-minute sessions to cardio – minimally. Ideally, you’d complete over 20 minutes of cardio, but if you’re just starting again or getting out of a rut, start with 15 minutes and build on that.

What you do for cardio is up to you. But, at the end of the session, you should be breathless, sweaty and feeling accomplished (or exhausted…LOL…depends where you’re at!).

Yup…tip #1 – get sweaty…and don’t be scared to show it!

#2 – For weight loss, weight-bearing exercises are best.
Cardio sessions are always best if you complete a weight-bearing exercise. Treadmills, steppers, going for a walk – those are all weight-bearing exercises. This means that you are responsible for holding your own weight and moving your own body, unassisted through space.

Things like biking or swimming are not weight-bearing. Here’s a caveat: if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can start with non-weight-bearing exercises for ease on your joints. But, once the weight starts coming off, get off your buns and move your own body.

#3 – Lift weights at least 2 times per week.
Weight training is one of the most overlooked, and wicked (IMO) tools in a fitness plan for newbies or re-starters. Everyone always focuses on cardio, cardio, cardio, but holy smokes – weight training is the bomb.

Not only does weight training help you get stronger so you can get through your days easier and with less fatigue, it also build muscle that protects your body AND helps it burn more calories than fat does. Strength training also helps prevent the loss of lean body mass that occurs with age and/or dieting.

If you’re unsure of what to do for a strength training program, get help. And that leads me to #4 on my my workout guidelines.

#4 – Get educated help.
Listen, there’s a lot, and I mean A LOT of shitty information out there on fitness. People can literally take a weekend course and be “trained” to help you with your fitness goals. This boggles my mind. BOGGLES IT.

If you’re unsure what to do and you need more help than the 3 sessions of weight-bearing cardio and 2 days of strength training recommended above, find someone you trust and you know is educated to help you.

I’m not saying they need a Ph.D. in exercise physiology at all. I mean, I know that’s what I have, BUT…there are many good trainers out there without the Ph.D. but with loads of smart courses under their belt and loads of experience. Choose those people!

Please, please, please research someone before you decide to go for them for advice OR go to them for a program and/or personal training.

If you’d like to chat with me, I do one-on-one consults where we review your goals, your current program (if you have one) and get you started on a plan that will work for you. It’s fun, I promise. CLICK HERE to set up a time to chat!

CK HERE to set up a time to chat!

Muwahahahahahaha. Just kidding. Kind of.

#5 – Remember that health is more than just fitness. You need to take care of your body, mind and soul.
People always equate health to working out. Sometimes they’ll throw in a carrot or a salad because they remember that nutrition is also important, but please remember you need to take care of yourself in more ways than just getting sweaty.

Think nutrition to nourish that body of yours. Think hydration to keep joints and blood moving easily. Think self-care to take care of your brain. Think kindness towards others to take care of your soul. There are so many aspects to your health and fitness, it’s important to address them all.

If you need a starting point, check out my Choose Your Own Fitventure membership. You get five new challenges every week that cover fitness, nutrition, kindness, self-care. Every week is different. You choose what day to get each challenge done and you have a week to get them all done. Five new challenges are released every Sunday.

Choose Your Own Fitventure. A health and fitness challenge membership like you've never seen before!

It’s super fun and it’s a GREAT way to get started or re-started on your health and fitness journey.

Just a thought.

Quick summary: Cardio 3 times per week with weight-bearing movements, weights twice a week, get help to ensure you’re doing things correctly and take care of your body, mind AND soul.

See? Not too overwhelming. Not so terrifying. And, lots of ways to help get you started. You CAN do this, you know. Please let me know if I can help you in any way, shape or form. You can always email me at lindsay@lindsaygee.ca with any and all of your questions.

Now go on…GET YOUR BUTT MOVING!

What Should You Do Next for Your Health & Fitness? I Have an Idea…

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Here’s the thing: fitness is ridiculously confusing.

Finding a fitness challenge? Well, that’s easy, there are millions of them available online. BUT…how do you know they’re any good?

Honestly, any shmo can throw together a challenge, put it into a pretty graphic and wham-o…they’re an expert and you’re about to hurt yourself.

It drives me bonkers. Your body is important. Your health is important. Your safety is important.

So, I’ve created a new health and fitness challenge group that not only keeps you accountable (hello rewards system), but also helps you focus on more aspects of your life than just cardio or strength.

Welcome to Choose Your Own Fitventure!

Here’s how it works:

  1. Register (starts May 30 – but you should get on the waitlist) – monthly or annual plans available.
  2. Get access to a super easy-to-use app.
  3. Receive 5 new challenges every Sunday.
  4. YOU plan your week and decide what day you’re going to tackle what challenge.
  5. Receive points for every challenge you complete.
  6. Talk with other participants in the group and stay accountable.
  7. Receive prizes and discounts as you unlock your points.
  8. Have fun and keep your health and fitness on your mind all week long!
  9. Finish all 5 challenges.
  10. Celebrate! And then start again the next Sunday…and so on…

I created this challenge group because I felt people needed a reminder to take care of themselves in other ways than just working out.

And, one of the best parts of the challenge? YOU decide what days you do the different challenges on. I mean, who the heck am I to tell YOU that on Thursday you need to fit in a 45-minute workout? Maybe Thursday sucks for you, maybe you’re super busy that day and adding a workout in just isn’t feasible. Valid point. I hear you.

You want to feel better, have more energy, take care of yourself., stay accountable and be rewarded for your hard work.

Consider that all done with Choose Your Own Fitventure.

Here are a few examples of the challenges you’ll receive:

Meal prep: Cut up all of your vegetables for the week and have them in easy-to-grab containers for quick and nutritious snacks.

Workout: Every hour on the hour, complete 10 pushups. Set your alarm and every time you hear that buzzer/ding/fun song, get your 10 pushups done.

Self-care: Plan 60 minutes of calm, just for you. Decide what you want to do that makes your heart happy, calms and relaxes you and schedule it for next week.

See? They’re not overwhelming challenges, but they are important. Every week you’ll receive a variety of five challenges. Some weeks will be solely fitness. Other weeks I will throw in a variety of challenges to hit all aspects of health and fitness. I promise to keep it spicy and fun.

Here’s an example of one of the cards for nutrition. This is the intro card to one of the challenges for the week:

You’ll click the card and the challenge is explained (there’s a little bit more text at the bottom, but screenshots can only do so much!).

Oh! And did I mention accountability? Yup, there’s that, too…and yes, you get points for that to to put towards your rewards!

Cool?

If you’re struggling with staying on track or find it difficult to get motivated to stay active and/or take care of yourself…the Choose Your Own Fitventure membership might be exactly what you’re looking for! Join monthly or annually, it’s totally up to you!

Registration opens on May 30 and you’re going to want to get on the waitlist…because…DISCOUNTS, baby!

If you already have a fitness class that you love, this is a great supplement to your current program! So yes, continue to go to your classes (hello, Hot Mama!) but add this to your plan…you won’t regret it!

Click here for more information and to GET ON THE WAITLIST!

Pop-Up Challenge!

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I love health and fitness challenges! In fact, I’m making the creation of challenges a major part of what I do to inspire and motivate you to get your buns moving. There are SO MANY challenges out there for you to try, how do you know which ones are actually safe? How do you know which ones are effective?

Erm. You follow me.

Cuz baby, I have a PhD in Exercise Physiology and over 22 years in the industry. I know what I’m doing and I absolutely want you to be successful AND have fun doing it!

So, today I created this fun little one-day challenge. You’ll need to plan for it, because yes…there is planning and dedication involved.

10,000 steps. Yup….you can do it. Meal planning? Yup, that’s in there, too. And what the what?? Hugs and physical contact?! YUP! Why? Because hugging is GOOD FOR YOU!

Here’s the challenge:

Now, before y’all go freaking out and laughing hysterically about the whole “8 hours of sleep” – remember, it’s a goal. This is so you are aware of the fact that maybe, just maybe, you shouldn’t watch Netflix until midnight that night. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll put yourself to bed and give yourself a fighting chance to meet that 8 hours.

*Moms with littles – good luck! I’m honestly wishing the best for you!*

This may seem a little daunting to some, but honestly, it’s doable. In fact, a lot of the members of my Fueled Life Facebook Group (click to join if you haven’t already!) tackled this challenge last week and mentioned how great they felt throughout the day! So…yay!

Save the image to your phone and cross them off as you get them done. You’re going to have to pre-plan some of this (e.g. Pro tip: Seriously, no Netflix for the night…GO TO BED!).

Et voila. Bicketty bam. You’re a rockstar!

You in? You’re in, right? OF COURSE you are. Now, get to work! Off you go!

New Challenge! Choose Your Own Fitventure: Week TWO!

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We had a BLAST with Week One of Choose Your Own Fitventure and this week will be even better! This week we’re focused a little more on self-care and kindness. But, don’t you worry, I’ve included some physical challenges in there for you, too.

If you didn’t participate in Week One, that’s A-OK! You can jump into this challenge for the week and join the fun! Just make sure that you’re part of the Fueled Life with Lindsay Gee Facebook Group for the accountability posts and support, fun and shenanigans.

Here’s how this challenge works:

Below you’ll see five challenges. Your goal is to complete all five challenges by the end of the week. They do not need to be done in order and you can tick them off your to-do list on days that work with your schedule.

One rule: One challenge per day. Why? Because one of the purposes of Fueled Life is to nudge you every day to remember to take care of yourself. If you pumped off all five challenges in a day, you’d have another 6 days to forget about fitness, nutrition, etc. So…one challenge per day, please. xo

Without further adieu:

For Challenge #4, you can make it into a full workout by repeating everything 3 times. That’s what I’m planning to do and I’m super cool (just ask my kids…*eye roll*), so you should, too.

Alright, my friends, it’s time to get cracking! Have a BLAST and again, be sure to join the group to help you stay accountable to this challenge (and many more to come!).

Comments, questions, concerns? No problem! Fire away! I’m here for you. Off you go!

New Challenge! Choose Your Own Fitventure: Week ONE!

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Welcome to the Fueled Life’s latest challenge! For this challenge, I really wanted you to have the flexibility to decide what task you want to tackle on whatever day works for you. I know that life is busy, so sometimes me dictating what the challenge will be each day just won’t work for you. So, with this challenge, you choose the challenge and the day you want to complete it.

Each week you’ll receive 5 challenges to complete within seven days. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to get all five challenges done by Sunday night.

One challenge per day. No double-dipping. The purpose is to help you maintain focus on your health and fitness for at least five days this week.

So, take a look at the daily challenges and schedule your week. What day are you going to tackle the 100’s challenge? Hydration? The workout? Ooh la laaaaaa…so many options!

Here are this week’s Choose Your Own Fitventures:

Get out your calendar and get to planning, my friends! Are you in? Will you join me on this two-week challenge! Above is Week One…next Monday you’ll receive the next week’s challenges!

If you haven’t already, please join my challenge group. Just CLICK HERE to join and you’ll become a member of my Fueled Life crew where we’ll motivate and encourage you to get these done. We also have a whole shwack of accountability to throw at you, too!

Thanks for being a part of this! I truly love creating these challenges for you…now…let’s GET TO WORK! Off you go!