May Is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month

Been procrastinating on getting in better shape? May is the perfect month to turn that around.

Since May is National Physical Fitness and Sports month, let me help you get motivated.

Do you find yourself wanting to work out and making plans to get up early and get your work out in before work? Then reality sets in when the alarm goes off. The pets kept you up all night, you didn't sleep good and, quite frankly, you turn off the alarm and go back to sleep and feel guilty when you do wake up.

Plan 2 is you want to work out after work. Then life happens. You take your work out clothes with you to work and endeavor to head straight to the gym. But then you have to work late and didn't get to take a lunch, so you opt to just go home instead and the cycle of guilt continues and perpetuates itself. And believe me, I speak from experience!

So what can we do to not only get motivated, but stay motivated?

Well, the facts state that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. Which leads to a myriad of health problems; our bodies were designed to move.

Here are some benefits of physical activity courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

• For children and adolescents, physical activity can improve muscular fitness, bone and heart health.
• Adults can benefit from physical exercise with lowered blood pressure and decreased risk of Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.
• For older adults, physical activity can lower the risk of falls and improve cognitive function like learning and judgement skills.

So grab a buddy, work out as a family, work out with your significant other. There is strength and power in numbers.

I have a workout buddy, and she and I are accountable to each other. If one of us doesn't feel like working out, then the other one (unless the person not wanting to go is truly sick) prompts them to get on up, get dressed and meet at the gym. It works!

So here's to a more fit and fun summer!