I love toys. Don't you?
Around this time of year I love to see small children
playing with gifts they got for the holidays. It doesn't
matter whether it was a $5 dollar gadget, something
homemade or a huge electronic gaming system. Watching
people play is something that truly brings me joy.
Fitness can and should be the same way.
It should always be fun.
Sure you can make it challenging and undoubtedly you should
be fatigued after a quality session. But you should have
fun along the way.
To make that happen, I have developed a list of duffel bag
goodies that will guarantee you can get in a workout,
anywhere, anytime, and make it fun. If you make sure to
have these few easy to find items, you will be able to make
every workout enjoyable. And most likely, you can get
someone to join you to add to the fun factor.
The most important thing is to have a duffel bag. It
doesn't need to be big or flashy. It just needs to be
something that you have at all times. It can be in your
car, your luggage, your office, or by the front door, as
long as you never leave home without it.
The second most important thing to have in the duffel bag
is sneakers. It sounds stupid, but I cannot tell you the
number of times I have had a client tell me they didn't
workout because they forgot their sneakers that day. While
I normally think that is a bunch of hooey, I certainly
understand it is tough to go for a 15 minute walk in that
$400 pair of 5 inch heel Manolo Blahniks. Make it a high
priority to get yourself a decent pair of exercise
sneakers. Try on a few pairs and see what you like. They
should fit well, support your feet and arches, as well as
be cushioned for any stress and impact from walking,
jogging, biking or training.
Next, you should have a change of clothes. For some this
may not seem necessary. It is obvious that you can strap
on your shoes, head out the front door of your home or
office and go for a walk. However, sometimes it is good to
change clothes to mentally prepare yourself to break a
sweat and really push yourself.
Another item I think is crucial is at least one exercise
tube. The sheer number of exercises for upper and lower
body that you can utilize is astounding. By simply tying
the exercise tube around your waist and making sure that
you stop every 2 minutes and perform a set of bicep curls,
or band squats, you can dramatically increase your body's
ability to burn fat. And isn't that the ultimate goal?
This brings me to another under-appreciated tool: a watch.
Again, not entirely necessary, but if you get wrapped up in
a conversation while doing cardio training, you may forget
to add the intervals necessary to build muscle mass. It is
easy to set the watch to go off every 2 or 3 minutes and
remind you to crank out a set of lunges or crunches.
A towel is a nice addition, especially if you are training
when it is hot outside.
That means you should also have a water bottle handy.
Remember to drink 8 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of
exercise you perform. Drink more water if it is really hot.
Now the next few items are not mandatory. But they can add
to the fun factor of your duffel bag.
I am a big fan of music, so an MP3 player, ipod, disc man
or even a radio tuner is a great addition. Make sure to
add high energy tunes to keep you motivated.
A deck of cards always brings a challenge and keeps things
interesting. There are many ways to use the deck. A
simple formula is to make each suit an exercise and then
perform the number of repetitions you see on the card for
each exercise. It is fast and easy to do.
Same thing goes for a set of dice. Choose odds and evens
and make one upper body and the other lower body. Perform
the same number of reps, sprints, or intervals as the
number you rolled.
As you can see, creating a workout duffel bag is an easy
way to keep you motivated, remind you to get in a few
minutes of exercise everyday and make the fun factor much
larger. Add items that work for you and shoot me an email
with any additions that work for you.
----------------------------------------------------
For over 17 years Bobby Kelly has taken his passion for
coaching to a level not reached by many in the fitness
profession. Bobby has been interviewed and featured as an
expert adviser on CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, and CBS as well
as local affiliate stations in numerous markets. Bobby
knows the success of hard work, determination and
persistence, and he'll get you where you want to be. Visit
Bobby today at http://www.resultsonly.com
No comments:
Post a Comment