The ConfidenceKini Challenge begins on Monday so today, I am sharing 5 things I do to get ready for a fitness challenge like this one. It’s a time that I kind of “recommit” I guess you could say to my health and fitness goals. Healthy living is a constant for me but I definitely go in phases with how focused I am. Right now, I’m really focused and finding enjoyment in it so these 5 things are a few ways I am gearing up.
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Okay, back to what I do for fitness challenge prep…
I actually follow the workout plans and challenges that I share with you. Something that remains central to me and my blog is that what I do to lead a healthy, happy lifestyle is actually what I share here. That seems like “duh” to me but that’s actually not all that common among health and fitness advocates.
So, when I am all excited about sharing the challenge content with you, I’m also pumped because I get to focus in on my personal fitness commitments. I’m using this spring challenge to dive deeper into weight training, healthy eating, my overall health regimen and my mental health.
Maybe this list is more of what I will be focusing on during the challenge?! Anyway… here is the list…
1. GUT HEALTH
For me, keeping interest in healthy living comes, in part, from diving deeper into health related things. Something that has been on my radar forever is gut health. Some thing I’m going to look into more and stay consist with are: pre/probiotics, anti-inflammatory foods (ginger being my fav!) and fiber. Yes, FIBER! That is something I’m going to be majorly focusing on!
2. SAME TIME OF THE DAY WORKOUTS
When I was doing the 30×30 plan, I literally did not miss a day. When I think back on what helped me stay so consistent, 2 things come to min : 1) the shorter, 30 minute workout length and 2) that I worked out every day at the same time.
Here is my thought on what time of the day is best to workout… whenever you can get to the gym! For me, it’s important to pick a time and then stick to that time almost every day. That’s how it becomes habitual. For 5+ years, I worked out every evening whether that was after my college classes or after work. Then, I started working out on my lunch break; you may recall I did that for a few years before I had my son (and I still occasionally do). Now, I’m a morning workout person and it’s just part of how I begin my day. It’s become a habit which makes it easier for me to be consistent.
Lately, I’ve slacked on that a bit, but for the challenge, I’m going to go back to AM workouts.
3. COLLAGEN X2
I decided that I’m going from 1 serving of Vital Proteins collagen per day to 2 servings.
The first results I noticed since starting collagen were my skin and joints. The skin results, while a bit superficial, are exciting because I can see the impact. I don’t have perfect skin but I feel my skin has improved. It is a more vibrant; prior, it felt so dull and now, it seems like it has more life and glow.
My ankles and knees occasionally bother me and have for years. I’ve been doing INTENSE workouts lately (thank you, 30×30) so my joints obviously are tested. I haven’t had any issues and discomfort, which is a change from the months prior.
Now that I’m thinking more about it, I’ve added in some running lately and that hasn’t been a bother to my joints since I’ve been using collagen either. A fellow LG girl commented this to me… she said, “I didn’t realize how much it helped me until I stopped after using it for a few months. So, I started back up again.”
I’m interested to see how increasing the servings goes! I will report back!
If you haven’t already read my collagen post, you can read it HERE. I discuss details on collagen, 5 big time benefits and the exact brand/product I use.
4. AM ROUTINE REVAMP
There’s so much talk about morning routines but in my opinion, it’s worth every word spoken and written about it. When I got into personal development, I was introduced to the term the “golden hour.” The golden hour refers to the first hour of your day. It’s so important to use the golden hour wisely because what you do during that golden hour sets the tone for the entire day.
Have you ever had a crummy morning? Does the rest of the day seem to follow that negative vibe? That’s almost like the default but I’ve found if we are proactive in the AM, we can set our day up nicely.
I’m going to update my morning routine. I wish I had more time to dedicate to this each morning but even if it’s 10-15 minutes, I just want to establish a few things that I do habitually to create a day of productivity and positivity. That would make for a fun blog post!
5. ORGANIZATION/SPRING CLEANING
This is something else I’ve been wanting to post more about. The past month or two, I realized that the state of my home, office, car, and even purse matched the state of my mind when it came to…. organization. Whenever my house was a mess, my life felt that way too. Whenever I felt in the flow and focused, I noticed my outer world (office, car, etc.) was neat and tidy. I really feel there is something to be said about organization in your mind and life.
I started spring cleaning- everything! I am tidy and organized by I’m not someone who wants to spend a full week deep cleaning their home. I mean… I would love that but I don’t want to be the one doing that haha.
So, I started a spring cleaning system and decided that I would use all spring to clean and organize my home. I do things little by little. For example, one evening, I cleaned out and organized our nightstand drawers. And that’s all I did that night A few days later, I cleaned our island drawers which kind of turn into “junk drawers.”
This little by little approach gets the job done without feeling overwhelming. Maybe I’ll share more about this spring cleaning system if you’re interested. As it relates to the challenge, I hope to have my health and fitness spaces (ie: closet, fridge, pantry, home gym, etc.) organized and keep it organized.
Those are just a few things I’m focusing on and doing to get prepped for the challenge. Be sure you’re signed up or grab a Premium Challenge Pack if you haven’t already.
Looking forward to beginning on Monday! XO
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