Eat Dance LIVE: Get out there and sweat!

So I realize I've totally been skimping on the dance and live part of my name (I already did note this earlier, but apparently, eating always takes a priority with me)... Though I still do believe that changing your diet changes your worldview, I don't believe any diet is complete without the proper amount of exercise/activity/workout or whatever you choose to call it.

I think the most important thing for anyone who is seriously into working out  to know is to switch it up. Variety IS the spice of life! I see too many unfit girls on ellipticals every day for 45 minutes to 1 hour, and though they keep it at, nothing changes. Once you break the cycle of get on the machine get off the machine, you quickly notice that through excessive repetition our bodies go through workout fatigue: the results we get from doing the same thing every day drastically decrease as the days go on. I've personally found that I have to change whatever my workout routine is every 4-6 weeks, I both get bored from doing the same thing all the time and I always begin to notice a  drop off in results as time passes by. So if you're a cardio addict, switch up what kind you do and through in some weight every once in a while. If you like strength training, make sure to vary your exercises.

I've definitely gone through my share of workout phases. The first time I got 'serious' about my fitness was when my partner and I embarked on Bill Phillip's 12 week Body for Life program (which he had done before to great effect). Though it gave me incredible consciousness of the way I eat (going from 3 meals to about 5 smaller meals a day) and while I fell in love with the high intensity training cardio routines, I gained more muscle mass than I had originally intended through the strength training, so eventually dropped that. Ever since, I've been reading up on different workout programs and have tried lots. Everything from the 3 days of cardio-3 days weights, to 5 days cardio-1 day weights, 20 minute workouts, 1 hours workouts, endurance training, HIIT training, you name it! Either way, I've realized that you have to keep up your strength training no matter what. There are too many proven benefits of doing some weights on a regular basis to give it up (and it gives you that great toned look!). Like your diet, the more you workout the more you will know how to tweak certain aspects of your training to get your body to do exactly what you want it to (that paired with a raw diet and you're golden!).

Currently, I'm on week 3 of the Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up Program that I found through her awesome blog. It's nothing radically new to me, but it's different and super fun! I've gotten to really love the mixed strength training-cardio days. For my own goals and given what I've learned about my body and dealing with weights over the past 3 years, I'm sticking with lower weights and higher repetitions for the strength parts... it's a personal preferences you really learn to determine for yourself.

Above all, know that working is almost completely a mental game. Yes, you're physically exerting yourself but how much you choose to put into that is all in your head. (We've all done the "I can't believe I've only been on this @*!&# machine for 3 minutes!" or the "Maybe just 3 more reps, my [insert excuse here] hurts. I should stop for my good.") Just remember how amazing you feel when you do a good job, how much more energy you have, how great you'll look, etc. When your at the gym or on the track, look at the other fit people around you as inspiration and focus on them and admire them rather than hate on them or choose to focus or criticize the people you perceive as being worse off than you. If you're open to your health and to energy, it'll come!

Happy exercising!