Now–I could spice it up a notch and tell you Jillian came to my humble abode and left me in a permanent state of soreness, but that would lead you to think I was: A) quite the fitness buff; B) quite the successful lady to be able to get Jillian Michaels to leave me for 3 minutes in plank position on the floor DYING; Or, more likely C) a down and dirty liar! And, just a little bit off my rocker. SO, as you guessed, unfortunately, no Jillian was ever within my 5-foot personal space or 200-foot vicinity for that matter. Instead I powered my “No More Trouble Zones” DVD, snatched my weights, rolled out my floor mat and got to business.

Thirty minutes into the muscle burning workout, I hear a knock on my door.  With blonde curly cues poking out of every which way direction, trying to imitate curly fries gone bad, mascara running down my cheeks, sweat dripping from my shorts (yup, this workout IS that intense), I slightly crack open the door. Bella, my INDOOR cat, kept trying to finagle her way out, so I simply poke my head out the door.  Apparently, my lunging, planking, squatting, and bicep lifting is too loud for my downstairs neighbors.

Now–I should tell you that my immediate thought was, “Oh my gosh, I apologize, it won’t happen again. I just won’t do this video anymore. I am so sorry.” BUT–my direct thoughts were: “Oh NOOOO!!!! NO more Jillian!?!? After all the weight DVDs and strength classes I’ve taken, which have left me feeling as if I just finished one of my grandmama’s water aerobic classes, I finally found one that was perfect for me! It is even much better than the strength classes at my gym!”  Emmm … I must find a way to still be able to do this!

What did I do??? Well, I told my lovely neighbor that I am very sorry and that  it won’t happen again. Inside–my muscles cried and my brain began scheming on how I can still “do Jillian” without troubling  my fellow apartment dwellers. What can I say? When I am determined … I will find a way. Out came the towels, another mat, a rug … and on came Jillian … mission accomplished! With my own “Jillian sound proof system” I was good to go … my “buffing” efforts could continue!

You may be wondering WHY I am telling you this story. Well, as I mentioned before, nutrition holds health’s hand and exercise just so happens to be tied into health! More importantly, there are some key take-home points from my lil’ anecdote:

• Engage in “sweat sess” classes, videos, outdoor activities, and/or machines you actually LIKE. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you just won’t keep it up. This means you won’t see or feel any results. That’s right. I said feel. Research shows that when you work it to the max, you’ll have an extra pep in that step, smile on that face, and better slumber in that bed.
• Get determined. Schedule your workouts in your iPhone, Blackberry, date book, Google calendar–whatever you use for all your day-to-day business– use it to schedule your sessions! When you complete a workout, check it off on your planner (ahhh … doesn’t that check make you feel good?).
• Make exercise a part of you. If you work out 4 days out of the week versus 3 days out of the week, then you can assuredly say that, YES, you work out most days of the week (i.e. typically, exercise is a part of your daily routine). If you’re only at 2 days out of the week, that’s A-okay! Start there, move up slowly and aim for at least 4 days per week.
• Make it happen. Once you’ve found sweat-inducing activities you crave, and you have a more or less set schedule, WORK IT OUT. Stick to it! If you have to go layer your living room with blankets, towels, mats, etc. so your neighbors can’t hear your muscles pumping, then go do it! Remember, we ALL have days we don’t want to sweat it out, but you’ll notice that when you do, you always feel better. In the words of one of my good friends, “You never regret hitting up the gym or breaking a sweat, but you do regret when you don’t.”
• Mix it Up. Include cardio and strength training in your routines. WHY??? In short, aerobic activities will torch calories and keep your ticker tickin’ strong. Whereas strength training will help you tighten, tone, build muscle, prevent bone loss, and help amp-up your metabolism when you are simply sitting. Basically, the more muscle you have, the more you “burn” when doing nothing. To annihilate fat and strengthen your heart, lungs, and vessels, aim for at least 45 minutes of cardio per session, and to keep your muscles golden, aim for at least two 30-minute full-body strength training sessions per week. Remember, BOTH are important!
• Let it go. We all have a life. If you can’t WORK IT OUT because of a looming deadline, personal engagement, or if you’re in a funk and “just can’t work out today,” that’s okay. Acknowledge that there will be no workout today, let it go, enjoy the rest of your day, and look forward to tomorrow. After all, you’re seeking a healthy lifestyle,  a.k.a., a set of attitudes, habits, or possessions associated with YOU! Thus, if you skip only a couple days out of the week, missing a sweat session is not a habit for you, nor does it summarize your attitude. So–be happy! Exercise IS a part of your lifestyle. And, if it isn’t yet, you’ll get there. Once you start, you won’t be able to cut it out.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, stay tuned for Part II coming soon. We’ll discuss what and when to eat pre- and post-sweat session and deliver the skinny on what happens to your bod once you’re in the exercise groove. GET EXCITED!

But, before I hit up Green Grapes Blog (GGB) with this post, drop a comment and let me and the other GGB readers know what you do to stay Workout Motivated!!!

Happy sweating!