It is warming up and summer is getting closer. Time to lose those extra pounds I put on in the last couple of months (the really cold last couple of months). I have to admit I haven’t been the healthiest and most active this winter, but I am really motivated right now. Fingers crossed this will be the beginning of a true lifestyle change!
“Cycle daily for a healthy heart!”
I am trying to take every opportunity to get up and move. I’m taking the stairs instead of elevators or escalators, walking whenever possible, and I’ve been riding my bike almost everywhere for the last couple weeks. My work is 3.4 miles away from my train stop. I’m able to take my Montague bike on the train thanks to it’s folding design, then I ride the rest of the way to work. That’s an additional 6.8 miles of riding my bike and moving a day.
The gym finally has me back (I know it was missing me). I’m trying to hit the gym at least three times a week. You know how it is with all the excuses… no time, stressful day, too tired. The gym I go to is 3.3 miles away from where I live and I’ve been skipping the warm up by riding my bicycle to the gym and back. I suggest this to everyone. It is just so much more fun and you actually get some fresh air, rather than just hopping from one building to the other.
And guess what, you are supporting the environment!
My friends and I are trying to motivate each other. When you have a gym buddy or someone to go for a bike ride with, the fun factor increases enormously. It was beautiful out the other day and we went for a 20 Mile bike ride along the beaches on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Every five miles we got off the bikes and did some exercises like squats, jumping jacks, push ups, high knee kicks etc. I felt so good, so alive, and I got a nice little tan too. It was a great day, made better by a commitment to being healthy!
My bike commute is a big part of my plan to get fit. At the end of the day, if my laziness wins and I decide to watch a movie instead of going to the gym, I’ll feel bad, but at least I had a bike ride to work and back.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”
I had to change my diet a little bit too… fine maybe I had to make some major changes with the chocolate and the gummie bears. I have been replacing my snacks with an apple with peanut butter, carrots with hummus, plain yogurt with strawberries, or almonds. I even found a recipe for pancakes which are made from two eggs and a banana. It sounds strange, but that’s it. Mash up the bananas, mix with the eggs, and pour in a pan like pancake mix. Soo yummy and an excellent alternative if you’re trying to cut down on carbs. It’s a continuing process, and I’m still trying to eat healthier in combination with the exercise and daily commute by bike. It is working though, I can actually breath again when I put on my jeans.
Staying motivated is important, and having a sweet new bike get’s you excited to ride. Check out Montague’s line of 2014 folding bikes; full-size road, mountain, and city bikes that you can fold for the car trunk.
