Organic Fitness

Motivational Running

Fitness is as vital to your diet as fresh organic food. I love being in the kitchen as much as I love being fit, so I must find time to get a workout. Yes, it burns a few calories churning that dough and whisking that egg white to form peaks, but not enough to get a cute butt.

I must admit, the gym is pretty boring. The only reason I force myself to go to my tiny gym is to burn calories so I can enjoy my desserts without guilt. I hop on the treadmill for as long as I possibly can until I'm so bored of looking at my face in the mirror, that I get off to hit the ab-machine. A more organic (and fun) choice would be to run around a nice nature path. But let's face it, most of us live in a city-like atmosphere where concrete pathways are our only choice. Right now it is too hot to go on a run outside, so I conquer the treadmill and blast my tunes. I churn out those 30+ minutes and then grab a drink of water before I do strength training.

Getting into the groove is hard. Many of us use the excuse of being tired, out of time, not in the mood, and so on. But really, it's all in our heads. If we want to be fit, we can. We just have to work at it! It's like a person going sober off drugs, we must refrain from the use of laziness and processed foods. We must stay away from boxed mashed potatoes and frozen dinners! We can do it, it just takes the right mindset and effort. If you commit yourself to an organically healthy life, you will soon reap the beautiful benefits.

My suggestion is to start slow and work your way up to an hour a day, 6 days a week. I would suggest mostly cardio, with at least 15 minutes of strength training each session. Cardio really blasts away those calories and strength training tones up those muscles. Throw in a round of squats to get the cute butt you see on the bikini ads.

Examples of Cardio

• Jogging with intervals (Don't just cruise, pump speed up and down burn the most calories)
• Dancing Vigorusly (Latin, Belly) 
• Cycling  (Try to stand as much as possible) 

Examples of Strength Training

• Free Weights* (Bicep curls, Tricep Skull crushers, Shoulders)
• Ab-Machines
• Chest Press (Seated or Lying Down) 

Whatever you do, make sure you keep variety in your workout. Variety is key to great fitness and diet. Your body (and brain) needs to be challenged in all sorts of ways to perform at its best and not get bored.

If you don't normally workout, don't have a gym, or free weights, I would suggest ordering P90x. It is a program that really made me understand how to push my limits and get into a groove. It is hard at first, but after about 21 days, it is fun and you can't put it down. I still return to the dvd's when I really don't feel like going to the gym or outside to jog. The Kenpo (Cardio kickboxing) is my favorite by far. It is easy, tiring, and a great workout.

Try to establish a specific time you will devote to yourself each day, no matter if its after breakfast, or after dinner-Make a time and stick to it. If you skip it, no big deal. Just try your hardest to get back on the track the next day. It may take a while to find your best time to workout, don't fret. I find that if you get it over with after breakfast, you have the whole day to do what you need to do- be it work, school, or writing like me.

Organic food and fitness go hand-in-hand. Pair them up and people will soon be asking you how you look so good and have so much energy. Stay tuned for more daily recipes and fit tips.