Flower in the Flesh.: motivation

Working On My Fitness: Monday Motivation.

As I've previously mentioned a few blogs back, I started working out again. I wanted to be more consistent and not fall off the grid with my fitness. I wanted to start all over and give it my absolute best.

It began in October with a work fitness challenge to workout at least three times a week. Every week we didn't make it was money in the jar. This is what started it all on a personal level. This is what started for me to want to change.

I also had my inspirations. Sam (my sister's friend who has come to also be my friend as well!) and my sister, Liel, were the two main people in my life who inspired to want a better & healthier life for myself my future. Sam amazingly meal prepped and ran until she can only wog throughout her pregnancy. On top of that, she lives the paleo lifestyle. My sister has three children and is studying to get her Master's degree, but chose to go gluten-free and make other healthier choices. Even with her busy supermom lifestyle, she finds a way to fit in her workout.

When I saw these two ladies, I thought to myself... I'm not pregnant. I don't have children. I'm no longer in school. What's my excuse? Then I saw this...

...and I was like whoa. Okay, I get it. So, I started working out. I started wogging (walk-jogging) on the treadmill, doing beginner yoga, and weightlifting.

In October of last year, the first mile I wogged (I don't say run, because I couldn't at the time), my time was around 17 minutes and I was not happy. So, I worked on it. I hated the time on the treadmill so I would cover it with my face towel and just listen to music. I would run (or wog) at least a mile until I got to 15 minutes. Then I started to run/wog 2 miles until I got it to be under 30 minutes. Then, I went back to focus on my mile time. To cut it short, on Christmas morning, I ran a mile in 10 minutes and 10 seconds. That goal took three months.

In November, on top of running a mile or two on my cardio days, I started kickboxing. For a month and a half, two to three times a week, I worked with a personal trainer at 5:30am for 45 minutes to an hour. Let me tell you, that is no joke! I would come out of that workout dripping in sweat, but I absolutely loved it.

In the past couple months, I've been trying to find what makes me happy and motivated to keep me going. I found that I get bored easily so I always have to switch it up, which, at the end of the day, works out for my muscles anyway. Now, I'm starting to weight train, while still running a mile or two.

I'm not a pro. I'm not some self-proclaimed guru. I'm just someone who is doing their best to work on myself and welcomes everyone who wants to go for it as well. It's been a long journey for me and I'm still learning. I'm reading a lot of articles, doing a lot of research, and looking up circuits that I can incorporate to my routine.

The one thing that I learned (and am still learning) is that you have to find something that you love to do. If it's dance & zumba, walking with friends, weightlifting, crossfit, or running. Just experiment until you find your niche. When you find your groove, it's becomes a healthy and freeing experience.

Call me crazy, but now, I actually love working out. I don't love getting up at 5:15am to do it, but I love how it makes you feel. I love that good-sore feeling. I love entering my workout on my app and feeling accomplished. I love feeling good about myself again. And that's worth it.

So here's to progress, health, and working on being the best version of yourself. Here's to working on our fitness!

Go on with yo bad self.
-Gardenia Rose

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, by Gardenia Rose

inspiration