When it comes to meeting any goal head-on, whether it be health, fitness or otherwise, you absolutely, positively have to be prepared going in. If not, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Guaranteed. How can you succeed if you don’t have the proper tools?
The difference between the impossible and the possible
lies in a person’s determination.
– Tommy Lasorda
Since I started my massive “Cate overhaul” over a year ago, I’ve had friends ask me how they can get started. What I have been doing is not rocket science. I armed myself with the best tools possible for what I wanted to achieve and committed to it. I have given this nearly everything that I can, and then some, and have reaped the rewards because of it. But it’s nothing special. You can do it just as easily. As long as your going-in position is all about preparedness. How could you possibly succeed otherwise?
A good beginning makes a good end.
– English Proverb
You have GOT to have a good pair of sneakers. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on them either. Truth be told, my go-to Zumba sneakers are a pair of $15 Danskin sneakers from Wal-Mart, which The Neighbor Husband calls my “lunchlady sneakers.” Hey, they do the job. So do these Rykas. I heart Ryka, a brand made for women by women. They mold to your feet like no other. Whatever your exercise routine is, make sure you get the proper sneakers for your activity. I have a few pairs I swap out, but have a soft spot for Ryka. In fact, I am still hanging on to my favorite pair, even though the holes in them mean my feet automatically get wet when it’s raining outside. Just can’t give them up.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man
with the wrong attitude”
– Thomas Jefferson
If you are heading out of the house for your work-outs, get thyself a gym bag. Again, it’s not about how much you spend. Five Below has some great Nike ones. Mine comes from TJ Maxx and was a whopping twelve bucks. Fifteen months later, even though I’ve grown tired of the design, it’s still going strong and is washable, a huge plus in my opinion. I keep my gym membership cards in the zippered pocket, as well as my iPod headphones, a few dollars and a couple granola bars, so the bag is ready when I am.
What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.
– Peter F. Drucker
Whatever your work-out of choice is, make sure you have the proper equipment before embarking on a new program. If you don’t, there will always be an excuse. Whether you need kettlebells (my newest obsession), resistance bands or a jump-rope, arm yourself with the necessities.
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
– Beverly Sills
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whether you’re on Weight Watchers, visiting Curves or a gym rat, the refrain is very commonplace … drink water, drink water, drink water. You are supposed to drink half your weight in water ounces a day. And that is if you’re not working out. Are you drinking enough? And if you’re working out, it should be even more. My Spin instructor said 40 ounces of water for 40 minutes of spin. And get yourself a refillable water bottle. Please. Enough of the disposable bottles. It kills me to see a garbage bin filled with them at the gym. First, they should be recycling them, and second, so much unnecessary waste. I’ve gone through a bunch of reusable sports bottles to find my favorite. These are from Costco. They were $18 for a package of three (although they have gone on sale for $15/set before). They are BPA-free and completely and positively leak-proof. They have a clip so you can attach them to your gym bag. Nick even takes one to school every day. Love them.
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