NEW YEAR, NEW FITNESS ROUTINE

A few years ago, I started a "fitness journey" that made me really happy, energized and less stressed. I found myself wanting to wake up early everyday to work out. I would then continue my day with healthy and yummy snacks/meals and would end the day exhausted - but I welcomed the exhaustion. It was a rewarding feeling to know that I was exhausted because I was working to maintain a healthy lifestyle for myself and the body I was given. However, over time, I more or less gave up. My Disney schedule was so time consuming and erratic that I didn't even have time to stop and think about wanting to work out or prep a meal - let alone actually do it. That was 3 years ago. I now realize that was just an excuse.

Now that it's 2015 and I'm 25, I'm going to MAKE TIME. I don't want to be one of those people whose resolution is to "get in shape" and blah, blah, blah. I just want to be healthy. My body is so screwed up from 6 and a half years of wearing heavy character costumes and performing in shows and parades that I can barely do anything without being in excruciating pain. I also don't have the healthiest of eating habits - I rarely eat breakfast and am constantly snacking throughout the day. So, I got to thinking - what can I do to better this lifestyle that I created for myself? I wanted to incorporate the workouts and eating habits I was doing before but also add a little something different. And this is what I came up with:

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1) GO FOR WALKS: I have a dog who LOVES being outside - so why not take her for longer walks to wear her out AND exercise my body?! There are SO many health benefits to taking regular walks; they build physical activity in your life, strengthens your heart, gives you energy, boosts your vitamin D levels (wear sunscreen!) and not to mention it'll help tone those legs and booty! It's something so simple yet so rewarding for you and your body. So take 30 minutes out of your day to take a walk with your dog, friends, yourself or spouse. I hear sunset walks can be very romantic!

2) AT HOME WORK-OUTS: Now, this will vary per person. I am someone who does NOT need to lose weight by any means - and I know that. I'm 5 foot tall and about 98 pounds. A lot of people say I could even gain a few pounds BUT that doesn't mean that I don't want to tone up so I look good not only in my clothes, but naked as well! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING THAT. In my previous "fitness journey" I would do an array of workouts from crunches and sit ups, planks, squats, push ups, etc. This is something I want to incorporate back into my routine. My main focus areas are my love handles, pancake booty and my tiny belly pooch I have developed over the years. You can find SO many different work outs to do at home (Pinterest or YouTube) for these areas and more. I am someone who does NOT like going to the gym so why waste the money?! Colton got me a membership once but we cancelled it after a month because, well, I never frickin' went. Anyway, when it comes to those specific areas you want to work out, make sure you focus on something different everyday that way you don't over work that area. And always take a rest day!

3) YOGA: This is something new that I want to try. I've always heard about the amazing health benefits of yoga (flexibility, muscle strength, better posture, managed stress, improved respiration, energy and vitality, etc.) and with the shape that my body is in because of Disney, I thought this would be something amazing to get into. Without getting into too much detail about the condition of my body, I'll say this: my posture is beyond horrible and my back is in 24/7 excruciating pain because of this. Now, I'm not going to get crazy - I'll probably start with 2 times a week to see how I adjust. Yoga with Adriene is someone that I have found on YouTube who specializes with at home yoga routines for beginners, etc. This is something I am very excited to start because yoga is a great way to get in tune with your body and inner self and can be practiced to enhance your overall health.

3) FOOD: Let me say this, I LOVE FOOD. There is a fat man inside of me that is just waiting to explode out of my pores. I could eat all day, everyday, 47654 different types of meals and be completely satisfied. But in the long haul, my body would not be ok. I'm not saying I have to COMPLETELY cut all this yummy goodness out of my life, but I also need to realize that some of the things I am putting into my body are very toxic. So I've started with cutting out soda - which is going to be very hard at first because I have a secret love affair with Mountain Dew. I've already replaced it with lemon water, which has honestly turned into my favorite thing at the moment. As far as meals go, this is where Pinterest becomes my best friend. There are thousands upon thousands of healthy recipes on Pinterest that are just dying to be tested out. And I am just dying to eat them all. At once.

4) SLEEP: While you may think this isn't exactly part of a fitness routine, it is. Sleep is so crucial to our physical and mental health. It is not only the time your body takes to heal and process all the activity that you've done throughout the day, but it is also extremely important for the functioning of your brain. Which in turn is obviously important for the functioning of your body and can hugely effect your overall feeling of happiness. Also, our brain needs sleep to release certain toxins. Without sleep, these toxins have NOWHERE to go. If the brain does not rid itself of these toxins, certain degenerate diseases can be brought on. Scary, huh?!

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And that's what I've come up with so far. If you all want to hear about the progress I'm making, or the struggles I am having, please comment down below! This is something I am very excited about and this blog is the one place I can be open about my excitement, frustration, etc. I know the hardest thing for me, at first, is going to be staying focused and motivated. I have become such a couch potato over the years but keeping that in my mind is what's going to help me stay focused. What's sexy about a couch potato? Not much. Unless you're in underwear. What's healthy about a couch potato? Absolutely nothing! I'll just have to keep telling myself that.

**DISCLAIMER: I am in no way shape or form a fitness or health expert. I honestly have NO idea what I'm talking about. This is just something that I came up with to help ME on my journey to a healthier/happier self and I wanted to share it with all of you to hopefully inspire you to want to maintain a healthier lifestyle for yourself.

If you want to start this journey with me, keep me updated with your progress as well! Namaste.

xx, brit
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