Tag Archive for ‘motivation’ at themojocoach.com

Tag Archive for 'motivation'

Want Lasting Exercise Motivation? Discover Your Fitness Personality!

Published on March 1, 2011 in General. 0 Comments

One of the reasons why we lose motivation to workout is because the exercise we’re doing isn’t in line with our “fitness personality.” Just how we each have our own personalities, we each have a fitness personality too. The more closely you cater to that personality, the more you are going to enjoy your exercise and the faster you are going to see results. So how do you discover your fitness personality? The first step is to take a look at your needs, your current health, interests and lifestyle.

Once you’ve figured out where you are and where you want to go, you need to figure out what type of exerciser you are. Do you like yoga, Pilates, do you like to run, exercise with fitness DVD’s, take classes, Zumba or dance? Do you like weights, spinning, cardio or kickboxing? Do you like to exercise alone or with a partner? Does a gym motivate you or intimidate you? Do you like to workout with music and if so, what kind? Do you like to work out indoors or outdoors? Are you competitive and would a team sport work for you? These are just a few of the many questions to consider when creating a program around your fitness personality.

Next, you need to determine the best time of day for you to get your workout in. My clients and I have found that it’s usually best to get a workout in before the day starts because as the day progresses, obligations come up and exercise is one of the first things to go if you have a lot to do. One suggestion is this: when you wake up, immediately put on your workout clothes. This way, you’re mentally getting prepared and giving yourself a running start to get your exercise in as soon as you’re able to. If that’s not an option, keep your gym bag packed and ready, exercise on a lunch break or hit the gym before you come home at the end of your day.

A word to guilt ridden parents who don’t want to take more time away from their families to get their workout in: The healthier you are and the better you feel, the more you have to give. When you’re unfit, unhealthy, stressed, exhausted and depleted, you’re just not offering your best to those you love. Taking some time for your own self-care, taking time to burn off some steam, improve your health, and increase your energy creates a better, more fit, happier and healthier you. You’re also setting a great example around the importance of health, fitness and taking care of yourself. Isn’t that what you want to give those you love?

Lastly, find out your “why.” What’s the reason why you’re working out? Is it to become healthier, gain more confidence or so you look better in your clothes? Is it to have more energy throughout your day, to improve your quality of life, to easily climb the stairs or to feel sexier? We typically stay motivated when the reasons we’re choosing to exercise are specific to us and deeply personal. Once you’ve determined your “why” keep referring back to it to help power you through your workouts.

The key to a lasting fitness program you enjoy is to discover your unique “fitness personality” then creating a program around that in a way that suits your lifestyle, that’s fun and brings results. Also, as you change and grow, so will your goals and interests. Just as flexibility is an important component in a well-balanced fitness program, it’s equally important to be flexible in your approach to discovering and working with your unique fitness personality.

Comment and share!

Debi Silber “The Mojo Coach”
www.TheMojoCoach.com

Practicing What I Preach and I Need Your Help!

Published on June 1, 2010 in General. 0 Comments

Whether you’ve read my book, any of my articles, heard me speak or saw me anywhere you know that I’m always encouraging you to try new things, stretch yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually so the best of you can slowly emerge. Well, try anything new lately?

Now that it’s June, it’s the perfect time to try a new outdoor fitness routine, enjoy some of the delicious summer fruits and vegetables now available, make some changes to your wardrobe, meet a friend for a walk, get your resume together and start the process of finding a more rewarding career, committ to making healthier meals…you get the idea! Becoming your personal and professional best starts with taking the first step so consider this a gentle nudge from me!

Those who know me also know that I always try to practice what I preach and lately, I’ve been challenging myself with all kinds of new, scary and exciting opportunities. Some have been a raging success and some, well…haven’t been

This is the latest opportunity I’m excited about and I’d be so grateful and appreciative to have your help! Oprah is having a competition to find hosts for her new TV network OWN and I decided to give it a go. My goal is to bring truckloads of information, inspiration and motivation to people ready to look, feel and live their best so if you’d like my show idea, I’d be so grateful for your vote! Please click here to watch my brief video: http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=4046&promo_id=1

Also, I’m always interested in finding better ways to serve you. Would you like more coaching options, articles, events, teleseminars, products or mini coaching sessions? Let me know and I’ll do my best to create it for you!

Enjoy the day and feel free to comment and share!

Do You Think and Act Like an Olympian?

Published on February 26, 2010 in General. 0 Comments

Since the Winter Olympics began I’ve been mesmerized by these world class athletes. It’s not only the incredible skills they possess that I’m in awe of but the sheer dedication to their sport, the intensity of their focus, the willingness to challenge themselves, the commitment to their rigorous training schedules, their ability to recover from a dissapointing performance as well as their ability to envision their dreams of achieving an Olympic medal manifest into reality that’s been so inspiring to watch.

When you take a closer look at the characteristics these athletes all share, it’s easy to see that these are the ingredients necessary for success-not just as an Olympian but for anything worth achieving in life. Wouldn’t these same qualities be necessary if you wanted to achieve success in losing weight, becoming fit, improving your relationships, beginning a new career or even just trying to change some old habits that weren’t working for you anymore? Think about it, if any of these Olympic atheles didn’t push themselves past their comfort zones, if they let their negative self talk take over or allow a setback to derail them we wouldn’t be watching them today.

Watching them has inspired me to take my training and my business to another level. If you’ve been reading the last few newsletters and posts, you already know (and may be sick of hearing about it already!) about my first upcoming half marathon (13.1 miles). Call me crazy but this experience inspired me to submit my application for the New York City Marathon (26.2 miles.) Participants run based on a lottery drawing so I entered and if I get chosen…let the training begin!

As far as business goes, things are “movin’ and shakin’ “ there too. I realized how much I missed connecting face to face with clients so I’ve been busy creating an exciting new live, face to face, group coaching program for Long Island, NYC women which will be rolled out this May (details coming soon).

What can you take away from the Olympic spirit and apply to your life so you can finally live the life you crave? Remember this-it’s not that anyone who’s achieved anything significant or spectacular has anything different from you. They’ve just tapped into their passion, envisioned a goal and choose to relentlessly pursue it until their dreams become reality.

What’s next for you? Leave a comment, I’d love to read it!

Pounds or Pants? Measuring Weight-Loss Success

Published on November 9, 2009 in General. 8 Comments

How can you measure weight loss success?

Some of my clients like to measure pounds on the scale. Others like to use a tape measure to track body measurements. Others choose to be professionally tested using skin calipers or hydrostatic weighing. Still others use the fit of their clothes or the compliments they receive.

There are pros and cons for each of these methods, so it is important to understand them all in order to determine which one works best for you.

1) The Scale

It sure can be motivating when the needle moves to the left. But what if you are including some strength training in your exercise program and building muscle? Your weight may remain steady (or even go up) as the composition of your body changes. So you may be looking better, but the scale isn’t showing your success. This can be really frustrating!

Also, during weight loss, many of my clients reach a plateau. Your body isn’t a computer and may not lose weight with the kind of precision we’d like. You may not show a weight loss for a few weeks and then show a fairly dramatic loss all of a sudden. If you go by the numbers on the scale alone, you may become discouraged.

2) Tape Measure

The tape measure method can be very motivating or very discouraging, depending on who’s doing the measuring and the results you get. I’ve worked with moms who’ve been so unhappy with their bodies that the thought of taking measurements is nothing short of terrifying. Although it may serve as an effective benchmark, many moms find it a discouraging way to begin their program.

For some, seeing the cold hard “before” measurements can be more damaging than any later benefit of tracking progress. If you can handle the initial shock, tracking inches can be more motivating than tracking pounds because as you build muscle and reduce, you can see that the shape of your body is changing, even if the numbers on the scale don’t show the change.

If you do want to go the tape measure route, make sure that you take your measurements at the same time and same day from month to month. This will allow you to see progress and avoid measuring excess water retention due to PMS, etc. Measure your upper arm, upper thigh, waist, hip and bust. Try to be consistent about where you measure so that you can accurately see your hard work paying off.

3) High tech Body Fat Measurements (Calipers, Hydrostatic)

These technologies have the benefit of more accurately measuring the overall composition of your body. Watching as your body fat percentage goes down can be very motivating, even if your weight stays consistent.

However, both of these techniques, involve having a professional involved in the measurements, which is probably unrealistic for most people. Also, measurements using skin calipers also depend on the expertise and precision of the person doing the tests and can vary from expert to expert.

4) “Skinny” Jeans Test

Some moms feel that the best way to judge weight loss and fitness success is by noting how they fit and feel in their clothes. I always encourage my clients to find a specific pair of pants that they’re trying to fit into. It doesn’t matter if, when you start out, you can’t even get them past your knees. From week to week, on a consistent day of the week and time of day, try on the pants and notice how they fit. If they couldn’t go past your knees and now they do, that’s progress! If they’re over your knees and creeping up your thighs, good for you!

5) Compliment Test

Receiving a compliment can make your day. But choosing compliments as your success measure can be dangerous. You may not get all of the compliments that you deserve as many of the people in your life may be too preoccupied with other thoughts, or feel uncomfortable about commenting on your appearance. Many people feel that by noticing your smaller size, they are drawing attention to the fact that at one point you were heavier. Others may be jealous of your weight loss success.

The best person to try to impress is yourself. You know your body best and can recognize how it is changing as a result of your hard work. So choose a way to measure your success that’s unique and personal for you, but feel free to enjoy the compliments when they do come your way!

Consider which method makes the most sense for you, and which would be most motivating. Commit to one of these measures and take the time to track your success on a regular basis. The idea is to see the success and feel proud, inspired, and happy with your results.

If you have found an interesting way to track your progress toward a healthier you, please share your story with me. I love to learn from all of the fabulous Mojo Moms out there!!

Why do YOU need to exercise?

Published on July 26, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

Why do you need to exercise?

There are many reasons to incorporate exercise into your life. But all of them may not have the same motivating power for you. Finding the benefits of exercise that mean the most to you personally can make all the difference in getting you into a long term habit of regular exercise.

Some of benefits of exercise that you might consider are:

Reduces your risk for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity
Helps reduce your blood pressure
Increases HDL (“good” cholesterol) and reduces LDL (“bad” cholesterol)
Clears toxins
Improves the quality of your sleep
Sharpens your mind and increases energy
Makes your heart and lungs stronger and more efficient
Elevates mood
Helps manage stress
Sets a positive example for your children
Tones your body and keeps you slim

You have probably heard most of these benefits before, and they’re all good reasons to get off the couch and get moving. But finding the one that motivates you is the key to making exercise a part of your life!

If reducing the risk of disease jumps out on the list and makes you want to get started, then think about how exercise helps normalize your levels of stress hormones, blood glucose levels, and insulin levels. Normalizing these levels keeps your body in balance while reducing your risk for diseases.

If the idea of elevating your mood is especially appealing to you, imagine being outside on the perfect day, with a clear head, listening to the perfect song and enjoying the feeling of treating your body well. Now imagine you are midway through your workout and suddenly you feel a burst of energy that makes you feel as if you can fly. You are completely “in the zone”, you feel weightless and you feel like nothing beats the feeling you’re experiencing right at that moment. You may double your speed and not even notice because you are so completely enjoying the experience.

Those of you who don’t exercise may think I am nothing short of crazy, but I can only urge you to give this “high” a try! When you compare it to any chemically induced high, this one is available any time, for free, and is actually good for you!

Another example of how exercise can elevate your mood is by giving you a positive outlet for stress relief, building your confidence by building a more fit body and showing yourself a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. The positive thoughts that come along with these feelings will overflow into other areas of your life.

If setting a good example for your children seems like a strong reason to get moving, realize that you can tell your children all day long how important it is for them to exercise. But if they see you finding the time to exercise yourself, they may follow your example and get out and try it themselves. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk!

If making your body lean, toned and strong sounds good to you, you are in good company! Having children can leave your body in less than optimal condition and you can thank your little ones for the new stretch marks, change in skin tone, sagging, and those few extra pounds you may still have hanging around since their arrival. While people will tell you these are some of the ‘medals of motherhood’, I’m going to tell you something else. You don’t have to be unhappy with your post-pregnancy body. In fact, you can make your post-pregnancy body stronger, sleeker, and sexier than ever before.

While you may have a few extra pounds on you, you also may have some new curves to work with. While your skin tone may not be the same, you can certainly tighten up what’s lying underneath. The point is, it’s never too late to work toward a healthy, fit body!

So take some time and think about what would motivate YOU to exercise. What benefits of becoming fit mean the most to you? Find a personal reason for beginning or maintaining an exercise routine. The reason can be your health, your appearance, stress-management, the chance to take some time for self-care, or showing yourself that you can make a commitment and stick to it. Whatever reason you discover, write it down and review it every day. On days when you don’t feel like exercising, reading your own words of motivation may offer you the incentive to get moving!