Kiki Dickson, announcer for the Reebok CrossFit Games

wearing JUNK Brands Gnar Americana headband

 

1.  Make Fitness a Must Not a Maybe

Commitment is key when it comes to your relationship with Fitness.  Success comes through commitment and perseverance.  When it’s cold outside and the sun has yet to peek it’s head over the horizon, I get it, you don’t want to get up but you should, no, YOU HAVE TO!  You have one life so make it a great one and besides, I have never heard anyone regret going to work out.  Make it a priority and set a daily reminder in your phone to help get you there. And please don't start with, "I don't have time." Swap the time you spend on social media for time exploring fitness!

 

2. Create Accountability

Grab a friend and go!  One of the reasons I CrossFit is the community it offers.  I get an hour 4-5 times per week that allows me to not only get an epic sweat, but also an hour with some of my best friends.  I wasn’t friends with these people before I joined the gym but through working hard, side by side, we encouraged each other and eventually wonderful friendships were created.  My point -- I highly recommend finding an activity that has a supportive community to go with it.  If you’re nervous to go it alone, grab a friend and have fun!

 

3. Track Your Food

This is no easy task but it is the key if you want your fitness to come full circle.  Use the My Fitness Pal app to log ALL your food, even the little treats you want to hide.  Having the opportunity to really see what you are putting into your engine is a very educational and enlightening experience.  I had no idea that I was regularly consuming as many calories as Michael Phelps was during the peek of his career.  That is just unnecessary!  If you want those glorious abs, this is where the finishing touches are found.

 

4. Wear Things That Make You Feel Rad

Maybe it’s that new Reebok kick or that fresh, new neon JUNK headband - whatever it is, reward your hard work from time to time!  I am not saying to go buy everything on the market to try and help serve as motivation to get to the gym, no, quite the contrary.  When you hit certain milestones, reward yourself with a fitness goodie for your gym bag.  Once you get the basics down, there are a lot of things that can help you along the way: wrist wraps or weightlifting shoes for those 1RM, lacrosse balls and fish oil for recovery, and JUNK headbands for alllll that sweat!

 

5. Have Fun!

If you’re not having fun at least 60% of the time, you need to stop worrying about the aesthetics and instead take a look on the inside.  Fitness is an ongoing journey and although it has it’s ups and downs, it is a journey to be enjoyed!  If you’re burnt out on the gym, go for a hike.  If you need a few days off, that’s okay too, but you must get back on the horse after the specified time is up.  Don’t be afraid to try new things and have a laugh when you muck it up!  You should have seen me the first time I did yoga -- I got kicked out!!  My buddy and I kept giggling because the poses were new to us and we found them a bit comical.

 

I whole heartedly wish you well on your journey of health and fitness!  The hard work is worth it!

 

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