The Key to Fitness? Fun!
The Key to Fitness? Fun!
by Amber Schmitt
Everyone always wants to know the ideal workout routine to stay in shape. It’s almost as though people believe there is a secret formula that those with perfectly sculpted abs or a chiseled chest are keeping all to themselves. Well, as someone who has been on both ends of the fitness spectrum, I can tell you there most definitely is not.
When people are first starting to try ‘getting into shape’ or ‘losing those extra pounds’ they last in the gym for maybe about two weeks at the most and then don’t go back for another month. Excuses start becoming a dime a dozen blaming it on time, or money, or they’re too tired, or I’ve even heard someone once say their outfit didn’t match so they couldn’t go. The real reason ninety percent of people stop working out is because they don’t enjoy it, they don’t want to be there, and they believe they have better things they could be doing with their time.
The solution to this is to find what you actually enjoy doing as a workout or as some sort of fitness activity. That almighty gym is not the answer for everyone. As a girl, I absolutely hated going to the gym when I first tried out lifting. All the guys gave me nasty looks like I shouldn’t be there and made me doubt myself. My solution: I started running. I could do my own thing and look stupid and no one was there to see it. From then on, I started trying absolutely every type of fitness activity there was to make exercise enjoyable. Long walks, swimming, lifting, practicing yoga, cycling…there are endless options to choose from. In fact, we're so lucky to live in a city like Fort Worth with a ton of awesome, fun fitness options, from our great Trinity Trail, to studios like Soul Space, EnduraLab, No Quitters, and more.
Another key note: don’t be afraid. I started to even pick up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as my next fitness challenge, and I was scared shitless. The guys are huge, everyone knows what they’re doing, and somehow people turn into pretzels and manage to flip you over without even being able to think. Guys with 100 lbs on me will even just be able to sit on top of me and I can’t move. But for some odd reason, I love it and it’s been added to my fitness routine.
Working at Righteous has been great for my fitness, as well. The Righteous Manifesto is all about doing good for your body, and that starts with food. Fueling my body with proper nutrition and being in an environment that fosters this also helps me to keep moving forward with working out. BUT, you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to enjoy the good food at Righteous—it can be an inspiration to move forward and just start working on what’s important to you and best for your body.
Find what works for you and if you don’t like something, move on and figure out what you DO enjoy. Fitness is not about how much you can lift or how many miles you can run, but having a mentality of going out and improving yourself one day at a time, all while having fun.