A few months have passed and I'm not much better of than when I started... fitness wise.
Luckily my attitude has changed so I don't trudge about being depressed about the fact that a few flights of stairs make me winded. Maybe this is something everyone goes through after quitting competitive sports... a move to non-competitive sports and recreational fitness.
I have a new found respect for people who have never played sports, have never been forced to workout through practices or fitness sessions, and still keep active. For all those runners who just do it because they like to, or all those people who lift weights and go to spinning classes just to feel good, I salute you. Because it's hard motivating yourself to get active if no one is there to light a fire under your ass to do it.
I'm slowly working on becoming one of those people. I never thought I would want to BE like any of those athletes, the ones who aren't so great but love what they do and keep trying hard. Something in me always assumed I was above them, when in reality, they had more drive than I did within themselves, I just had a network pushing me and pushing me for years. I need to take those principles I learned from being on teams and working with a coaching and training staff and instill them within myself. I need to not see fitness as a chore or something I have to do, but as something I want to do because it's fun.
That being said, I might not become a distance runner. I still hate jogging. It's boring, and long, and I don't feel like I get much out of it.
But I'll join teams and go to classes and workout with friends. I'll build my own network of "training staff" around me to help keep me focused and not let me skid too far off the tracks before it's too late to get back on.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Why Twitter is the best for businesses
Despite my failure in looking on Twitter for workout buddies, it has emerged as one of the best business tools of all the social media outlets (including for those in the fitness industry). I think it is the most versatile medium and the one that allows for the proper balance of personal versus business communicating. Twitter trumps other social media outlets in the business world because:
• It can be used both for fans of your company, but also in a more interesting way through prominent people in the company.
• It is helpful for human resources.
• It has the capacity for both external and internal communications.
• It is good for companies who want to listen rather than just participate.
One of the best features of twitter is that consumers can get a more personal feel for what your business or organization is all about by following prominent people within the company. This way they feel they are not just getting generic messages about products or initiatives, but are truly connecting with the people that make your organization what it is.
Additionally, it is helpful to human resources and the hiring process. If you are looking for a candidate that has already shown an interest in your organization, and who is social media savvy, you can post a job via a tweet. This way, you will reach only those candidates who have what you are looking for in a new employee.
Because twitter can both be public and private (protected tweets) it can serve for both internal and external communications. For internal communications, tweets can be protected and only accessed by employees. It is a good and immediate way to get information out to a large group of people very quickly.
Many companies are more listeners on twitter rather than tweeters. There are many different ways a company can keep track of what is being said about them, through various search tools or applications like TweetDeck. This is a good way to get an early warning of conversations that consumers are having, including product deficiencies, or even to find out what consumers are looking for from the company that they don’t already offer.
What really made me realize how important Twitter is becoming was the day of the earthquake. The first place we looked online to see what had happened was not a news website but Twitter, and we were immediately shown results that confirmed what we thought. I think it is the best emerging social media tool because it is such a great mix of news with personal, internal communications. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to learn about its benefits.
• It can be used both for fans of your company, but also in a more interesting way through prominent people in the company.
• It is helpful for human resources.
• It has the capacity for both external and internal communications.
• It is good for companies who want to listen rather than just participate.
One of the best features of twitter is that consumers can get a more personal feel for what your business or organization is all about by following prominent people within the company. This way they feel they are not just getting generic messages about products or initiatives, but are truly connecting with the people that make your organization what it is.
Additionally, it is helpful to human resources and the hiring process. If you are looking for a candidate that has already shown an interest in your organization, and who is social media savvy, you can post a job via a tweet. This way, you will reach only those candidates who have what you are looking for in a new employee.
Because twitter can both be public and private (protected tweets) it can serve for both internal and external communications. For internal communications, tweets can be protected and only accessed by employees. It is a good and immediate way to get information out to a large group of people very quickly.
Many companies are more listeners on twitter rather than tweeters. There are many different ways a company can keep track of what is being said about them, through various search tools or applications like TweetDeck. This is a good way to get an early warning of conversations that consumers are having, including product deficiencies, or even to find out what consumers are looking for from the company that they don’t already offer.
What really made me realize how important Twitter is becoming was the day of the earthquake. The first place we looked online to see what had happened was not a news website but Twitter, and we were immediately shown results that confirmed what we thought. I think it is the best emerging social media tool because it is such a great mix of news with personal, internal communications. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to learn about its benefits.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Comotivate FAIL
My COMOTIVATE.COM experiment has officially failed. No one would accept my friend requests or join my “weight loss team.” I got completely rejected! So, fine, I’ll look to other social media outlets for some inspiration.
First, to twitter. Searching for #fat produced some hilarious results. The best ones?
• “Dear god, if I can’t be skinny, please let all my friends be #fat.”
• “#Fat girls in leggings, #NotMyThing.”
• “Poutine, so worth being #fat for.”
Okay, so not the most serious tweets. How about #fitness?
• “Fat fitness instructors are brutal, not motivated to look like you!#fitness#weightloss”
• “Workin’ out be for #virgins #fitness.” . . . ?
No luck. One thing I have found useful about social media is reviews of gyms and fitness programs. Chat rooms are full of “Extreme Fitness ripped me off” and “The Turbo Jam program really works!” The two pics below are from BlogTO’s article about Extreme fitness. The second photo is all the comments on the gym, there are 419 comments!
Google any fitness product and many of the top results will be answers generated by consumers of their personal opinion of the product, and they are quite useful. They will let you know which gyms have smelly yoga rooms, and which brand of medicine balls are cheapest.
First, to twitter. Searching for #fat produced some hilarious results. The best ones?
• “Dear god, if I can’t be skinny, please let all my friends be #fat.”
• “#Fat girls in leggings, #NotMyThing.”
• “Poutine, so worth being #fat for.”
Okay, so not the most serious tweets. How about #fitness?
• “Fat fitness instructors are brutal, not motivated to look like you!#fitness#weightloss”
• “Workin’ out be for #virgins #fitness.” . . . ?
No luck. One thing I have found useful about social media is reviews of gyms and fitness programs. Chat rooms are full of “Extreme Fitness ripped me off” and “The Turbo Jam program really works!” The two pics below are from BlogTO’s article about Extreme fitness. The second photo is all the comments on the gym, there are 419 comments!
Google any fitness product and many of the top results will be answers generated by consumers of their personal opinion of the product, and they are quite useful. They will let you know which gyms have smelly yoga rooms, and which brand of medicine balls are cheapest.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Stop comparing - start running
I'm sure you will be pleased to know this is the first post that isn't all doom and gloom. I've been running for the past few days relatively consecutively, and it's starting to feel... okay.
I had a realization a few days ago that helped me start working out on a regular basis. Comparing myself to where I used to be has been extremely harmful to my esteem and my motivation. I think things like, "you used to be able to go 10km, now you can't even make it 3km?"... and then I would stop. Because what is the use in a 3km run full of walking breaks, it couldn't possibly be helping my fitness levels - or my waistline.
But that simply isn't true. Last week, I ran twice, for about 3km, and it was hard. This week, I'm increasing my distance and starting to pick up my pace. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I've let myself go to a point where I pretty much have to start from scratch... which is okay. Accepting that right now I'm just not an athlete has helped me keep a more positive attitude about fitness.
Tonight, I tried yoga, and it hurt! Maybe even more than running. By the end of every pose my muscles were shaking. I did as much as I could, about three quarters of the class, then I quit... and there's nothing wrong with that. There is no shame in not being good at something you don't practice. In fact, I find pride in practicing something I'm not good at.
After this shift in attitude, I'm finally getting motivated. I've cut down on reality television (okay, mainly because most of the good shows have ended for the season...), and have started cooking all my food at home. Instead of coming home having a nap and ordering in, I'm getting things done, working out, and feeling good about it.
Lessons learned? If you can only run one mile, run it. Don't look at marathoners and compare. Realize that one mile run is better than no miles, and feel good about choosing to challenge yourself. Motivate yourself with the feeling you get from fitness, not from comparing yourself to your former fitness levels, or to other people. Fitness should make you happy and healthy, and perks like weight loss should just come as an extra bonus on the side.
Happy running!
I had a realization a few days ago that helped me start working out on a regular basis. Comparing myself to where I used to be has been extremely harmful to my esteem and my motivation. I think things like, "you used to be able to go 10km, now you can't even make it 3km?"... and then I would stop. Because what is the use in a 3km run full of walking breaks, it couldn't possibly be helping my fitness levels - or my waistline.
But that simply isn't true. Last week, I ran twice, for about 3km, and it was hard. This week, I'm increasing my distance and starting to pick up my pace. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I've let myself go to a point where I pretty much have to start from scratch... which is okay. Accepting that right now I'm just not an athlete has helped me keep a more positive attitude about fitness.
Tonight, I tried yoga, and it hurt! Maybe even more than running. By the end of every pose my muscles were shaking. I did as much as I could, about three quarters of the class, then I quit... and there's nothing wrong with that. There is no shame in not being good at something you don't practice. In fact, I find pride in practicing something I'm not good at.
After this shift in attitude, I'm finally getting motivated. I've cut down on reality television (okay, mainly because most of the good shows have ended for the season...), and have started cooking all my food at home. Instead of coming home having a nap and ordering in, I'm getting things done, working out, and feeling good about it.
Lessons learned? If you can only run one mile, run it. Don't look at marathoners and compare. Realize that one mile run is better than no miles, and feel good about choosing to challenge yourself. Motivate yourself with the feeling you get from fitness, not from comparing yourself to your former fitness levels, or to other people. Fitness should make you happy and healthy, and perks like weight loss should just come as an extra bonus on the side.
Happy running!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
I'll start.... tomorrow
I'm hoping that so far no one is following this blog for motivation, because you won't find much of that here.
After a typical weekend of drinking, staying up too late, eating McDonalds breakfast (sometimes getting two combos instead of one... for myself) I vowed that today I would run. Today I would get up, eat healthy, workout, and feel good.
As three of my classmates and I walked past fast food choices for lunch, I saw golden arches in the distance. While two of my smarter friends headed for Subway, myself and one other girl were drawn in by the arches. Like a magnet it pulled us toward it, posters of crisp fries and bubbly pop making it impossible to resist.
Before I walked inside, every ounce of rationality in my body must have seeped out of my pores as I ordered a Filet au Fish combo with an extra filet on the side. Necessary? No. Never. But as a member of the Clean Plate Club, I finished every last bite.
Okay. So I ate a terribly unhealthy lunch. I'll eat a good dinner and go for a nice run to balance it out. Right?
Wrong. As soon as it started raining I knew that tiny bit of motivation my grotesquely large lunch had helped me amass was gone, and I resigned to the computer, television, and couch for the night.
I know, you don't want to hear me whine about how much I miss being fit when the only thing I do involves some kind of fried seafood and an intense amount of gluttony. But this is harder than I thought! I feel so far from where I was that the finish line just seems too far away(I'm pretty sure that's what Mike, the winner of this year's Biggest Loser said... and he was 526lbs).
I promise that I will not write until I have gone for a run, eaten well all day, and released myself from the hypnosis of those damn arches.
For a little extra push, I'm looking to social media. Check out this link http://www.diet-blog.com/08/35_social_media_sites_for_the_health_conscious.php to find a list of social networking fitness sites.
I chose comotivate.com, where you register by typing in all of your health, fitness and weight loss goals, as well as personal information like height and weight. Each user has their own homepage and a news feed (like facebook). As you add friends to help motivate you, you can form teams with others with similar health and fitness goalsgoals. In the Team Area members can blog, share photos and videos, and track their weight loss together.
So far I have one friend, and she is smaller, lighter and fitter than I am...
Check back next time for the verdict on this site as social media takes over the fitness world!
After a typical weekend of drinking, staying up too late, eating McDonalds breakfast (sometimes getting two combos instead of one... for myself) I vowed that today I would run. Today I would get up, eat healthy, workout, and feel good.
As three of my classmates and I walked past fast food choices for lunch, I saw golden arches in the distance. While two of my smarter friends headed for Subway, myself and one other girl were drawn in by the arches. Like a magnet it pulled us toward it, posters of crisp fries and bubbly pop making it impossible to resist.
Before I walked inside, every ounce of rationality in my body must have seeped out of my pores as I ordered a Filet au Fish combo with an extra filet on the side. Necessary? No. Never. But as a member of the Clean Plate Club, I finished every last bite.
Okay. So I ate a terribly unhealthy lunch. I'll eat a good dinner and go for a nice run to balance it out. Right?
Wrong. As soon as it started raining I knew that tiny bit of motivation my grotesquely large lunch had helped me amass was gone, and I resigned to the computer, television, and couch for the night.
I know, you don't want to hear me whine about how much I miss being fit when the only thing I do involves some kind of fried seafood and an intense amount of gluttony. But this is harder than I thought! I feel so far from where I was that the finish line just seems too far away(I'm pretty sure that's what Mike, the winner of this year's Biggest Loser said... and he was 526lbs).
I promise that I will not write until I have gone for a run, eaten well all day, and released myself from the hypnosis of those damn arches.
For a little extra push, I'm looking to social media. Check out this link http://www.diet-blog.com/08/35_social_media_sites_for_the_health_conscious.php to find a list of social networking fitness sites.
I chose comotivate.com, where you register by typing in all of your health, fitness and weight loss goals, as well as personal information like height and weight. Each user has their own homepage and a news feed (like facebook). As you add friends to help motivate you, you can form teams with others with similar health and fitness goalsgoals. In the Team Area members can blog, share photos and videos, and track their weight loss together.
So far I have one friend, and she is smaller, lighter and fitter than I am...
Check back next time for the verdict on this site as social media takes over the fitness world!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Starting Line...
Rounding the final corner of my 5km running route has never been more painful. I remember when running was easy. It was competitive and challenging, but I was good at it. As I struggle up the last hill of my run at a next-to-snail's pace, I try not to think about how easy it used to be.
After almost 20 years of competitive soccer, last summer I decided to take some time off. One year and 20 pounds later, I'm determined to get back in shape.
But it's not going to be easy. Like anything, fitness is a habit, and once you drop a habit it's tough to get it back. In my life, two-hour fitness practices have been replaced by watching The Biggest Loser with a pack of m&ms and take-out Chinese food (extra fried noodles, of course). Weekend tournaments have been replaced by too many beers, excessive brunches, and marathons of trashy reality TV like The Girls Next Door and The Hills. My body, formerly a well-oiled machine, has been replaced with a larger, softer, inferior version of its former self.
Slowly but surely, I've developed symptoms of the "has been" syndrome at the early age of 22. I'm a believer in fitness as an integral aspect of personal success, and I won't be satisfied until I get it back.
My run today was okay. About 5km, one walking break (what, it was a big hill!)and only about six glares from patio-diners for sounding like a 70-year-old, 500lb woman with serious asthma as I trudged by.
My goals, for the next six weeks, are to:
- Run at least 4x per week
- Lose 10lbs
- Stop eating crap
- Cut down on my reality TV addiction (but not completely...)
Follow along and help me change my lazy life!
After almost 20 years of competitive soccer, last summer I decided to take some time off. One year and 20 pounds later, I'm determined to get back in shape.
But it's not going to be easy. Like anything, fitness is a habit, and once you drop a habit it's tough to get it back. In my life, two-hour fitness practices have been replaced by watching The Biggest Loser with a pack of m&ms and take-out Chinese food (extra fried noodles, of course). Weekend tournaments have been replaced by too many beers, excessive brunches, and marathons of trashy reality TV like The Girls Next Door and The Hills. My body, formerly a well-oiled machine, has been replaced with a larger, softer, inferior version of its former self.
Slowly but surely, I've developed symptoms of the "has been" syndrome at the early age of 22. I'm a believer in fitness as an integral aspect of personal success, and I won't be satisfied until I get it back.
My run today was okay. About 5km, one walking break (what, it was a big hill!)and only about six glares from patio-diners for sounding like a 70-year-old, 500lb woman with serious asthma as I trudged by.
My goals, for the next six weeks, are to:
- Run at least 4x per week
- Lose 10lbs
- Stop eating crap
- Cut down on my reality TV addiction (but not completely...)
Follow along and help me change my lazy life!
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