Hi guys,  Kris from Custom Fitness here, your personal trainer in Amarillo. Here today talking about the time of year most people dread: the spring time change.  Are you ready to spring forward?  Having an extra hour could very well help put your new years resolutions back on track. Having the right attitude could make it even better.   If you have any questions about making your goals a reality feel free to contact the studio: 806-322-3188.

The spring time change is on it’s way and with it a change in weather and attitude.

Sure, no one likes to get up an extra hour early and if it were up to me, well, we’d just keep the same time and adjust to the changes without stressing over who changed which of the 20 clocks in my house (hey, watches count too). But the other part of the time change seems to make it all worth it – that glorious extra hour of daylight. Where I can still take my kids to their activities and be home in time for them to play outside! Talk about an attitude adjustment!

The weather will be warming up soon and for those who rely on the “it’s too cold outside” excuse for exercise and better nutrition…well, you’d best prepare yourself. (Not by coming up with another excuse…yes, I can read your mind, being a personal trainer in Amarillo for 20 something years has taught me well.)

It’s time to take hold of those 2017 intentions and goals and make them happen!

Now, if you live in the Texas panhandle or somewhere similar, you won’t yet see a definite change in temperature. If you live here, you know that the days will often feel like summer and the nights like fall / winter until Easter when it will probably freeze and the children just “love” to look for Easter eggs while shivering away in their beautiful sleeveless dresses. This just means that we have to be armed and ready with options regardless of what mother nature throws at us; ready to hold strong to our intentions until we’ve reached every last goal and then some.

So rather than making excuses and finding “reasons”, let’s make a plan of action! I’ve got a list for you today of ways to stay active and eat well no matter the weather.

Remember when your mom told you that even if you didn’t like something you still had to try it? My mom was the master of this and because of her I learned to tolerate (not always like) a lot of different food and social things.  It’s time to apply that mentality to our fitness efforts and nutrition as well (I promise not to sic my mom on you). It seems to me that too many people decide that they LOVE to do x,y,z and if it’s not those specific, they won’t do it. A good friend of mine loves to run marathons and train for marathons but no matter how much I tell her about the benefits (to her and her beloved marathons) of cross training, she won’t do it. Not because she doesn’t believe there are benefits but rather because she says she only (believes she) loves to run.

Well my friends, it’s time to add in those things you don’t really love but can tolerate to your exercise plan. This isn’t a shameless promotion for you to nod your head and pretend you like them. I’m telling you this because you NEED them.

I’m not a fan of the black and white attitude when it comes to anything new: “Love or hate”, “succeed or fail”, “always or never”.  This kind of thinking will keep you stuck in the same attitude you’ve always had. Wouldn’t it be worth it to try something new?

When it comes to your health, think of it as a scale of 1-5. Using this spectrum of emotion, you’ll see new things can be much more attractive than viewing our habits with a binary of “love” or “hate”.  Let me show you:

1     Can’t stand this

2     Not sure I like this

3     Eeh, I don’t feel bothered by it

4     I kind of like this

5     This is what I love!

There are varying levels within the “like” and “dislike” attitude. If you can keep your activities or nutrition in the 3-5 categories most of the time and in the 2-5 categories the rest of the time, you’ll still be able to enjoy the sweet rewards of success.

Five to 10 minutes of exercise may not get you optimal results but it’s a start; it’s movement and it will help. Anything is better than nothing so take a 5-45 minute break and DO SOMETHING.

Okay, on to the list:

Cold Weather

Warm Weather

Walk Indoors (Anyone been to Walmart or Sam’s lately? They make great date nights.) Walk or run outdoors
Run inside on a track or treadmill Exercise outdoors – our clients need only take a mat/towel and the resistance of their choice
Walk or run the stairs in your home or office Go to a local football stadium and run or walk the bleachers
Experiment with short burst / sprint training on cardio machines Experiment with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and use the breeze to cool you off
Do some yoga or pilates at home Go swimming
Focus your meals on soups and stews Add some salads and green smoothies to your meals
Drink your water warmed with lemon or lime Drink your water room temp to cool (too cold will shock the body)

There are many more options, but that should get the ball rolling for you. Remember that it’s not about how good of an excuse you can come up with, but the how quickly you can change your attitude and make it happen!

If you have any questions about our personal training, nutrition counseling, or group classes and programs; or even want some advice how to make that extra hour of daylight work in your favor, please contact us at: info@customfitness.biz or 806-322-3188. At Custom Fitness we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. We will see you outside!