As a Jabra Ambassador I was provided with a Jabra Sport Coach to facilitate this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
About a month or so ago I decided I really needed to get my act together and do some things to become healthier. I’m not getting any younger, and I have two young kids I like to be able to keep up with.
What I’ve always found is that I start all gung-ho, and then something happens to throw me off my game, and I fizzle out. I think that’s common. BUT, I also think that if you have the right tools in place to keep you motivated, you’re much likelier to stick with it, even after you ate a waffle sundae on the boardwalk on the last beach trip. 😉
Rather than tell myself I was going to hit the gym every day for forever and then be disappointed when it didn’t happen, I just set realistic goals to move more and eat less. This post is about the moving more. I’m sharing 5 things that have made a big difference to me, helping me to not give up and stay committed to staying active and healthier, and hopefully a little fitter.
Activity Tracker
I have the Fitbit HR and highly recommend it. It tracks a lot of stuff, like your heart rate, sleep patterns, distance walked each day and more. But probably the thing that keeps me the most motivated is the step counter. I have a goal to hit 10,000 steps every day and I can look at my Fitbit at any given time and see where I’m at. The free app that works with it will show you a graph of your progress and it’s fun to try to outperform yourself (or your friends, which you can add on the app!).
There are other trackers out there and any that count your steps would work. I just like this one because I think it’s accurate, it’s pretty sleek and attractive (some are really bulky) and it keeps me motivated to walk as much as possible.
Supportive Sneakers
I learned about one week into this that good sneakers are a must. Oh my poor shins were killing me in my old sneakers! So I went out and bought a new pair designed to support your feet, legs, and back when you walk. Hit your local sports store for some good advice and to try on a few pairs. And be prepared to make an investment. I have the Brooks Glycerin 13 and I LOVE these shoes. I did have to buy a half size up from my normal size (just a tip). So comfortable, I haven’t had one little pain in the legs or back since I bought these.
Water Bottle
Drinking more water is not only good for your body and your skin, but it’s definitely really important when you’re working out and sweating. You know what else I like? It can be filling! I read once that sometimes thirst is perceived as hunger and I think it’s true. Next time you’re feeling hungry, have a glass of water and just see if it helps.
My favorite water bottle is the RefresH2O water bottle. Everyone in my family has one and the thing I like is that it has a filter, so if I need to fill up at a water fountain in the park, I know I’ll be drinking clean water. This Milestone bottle is particularly nice because I can see how many ounces I’ve had each day. I’m admittedly not good about drinking enough water and this really helps.
Music to Motivate & Comfortable Earbuds
I cannot exercise without music. It just doesn’t happen. Most mornings I get up early and go for a walk and I need to have my tunes in my ears, something fast paced, to keep me stepping fast. I didn’t have a good pair of earbuds that were comfortable so I was borrowing my daughter’s pink headphones. I know, I know. Not so comfortable either since they are kid sized.
You may know I am already a huge fan of Jabra products. As an ambassador I’ve had the opportunity to try several of them and two things always stand out: They’re easy to use, and they work great. Jabra sent me their new Jabra Sport Coach, wireless Bluetooth-enabled earbuds, to try and I LOVE these.
I have pretty small ears and I’ve had trouble finding something that fits snugly and comfortably. The Jabra Sport Coach comes with a variety of sizes of buds and earwings so everyone can find a good fit. The smallest set fits me perfectly. Even when I’m really pounding the pavement or doing jumping jacks, they don’t fall out.
The Bluetooth capability lets me hook them up to my phone wirelessly so I can listen to all of my music (I listen to Pandora and Google Play stations) while I’m walking and there’s no cord getting caught in my arms. I’ve been holding my phone or putting it in my pocket but I’m going to get one of these arm bands for my phone so I am totally hands free while I walk.
Keepin’ it real right here. I don’t get all dolled up to go out and exercise (but you can see my Fitbit!) I’m wearing the Jabra Sport Coach in this photo. The cord that connects the earbuds is worn behind the neck. They’re so comfortable, so easy to set up, and the sound is fantastic. I can literally block everything out and just get in the zone with these on.
But the thing that makes these awesome is that the Jabra Sport Coach works with a free app that actually coaches you through a workout! You can take a fitness test so they can measure your endurance, and then track your progress. No need for a gym membership anymore. Your coach is in your ear!
Check out the Jabra Sport Coach at Best Buy. The ease of use, great sound quality, comfortability, and that coach in your ear make these a great addition to your fitness tools.
A Food Tracker
I’ve been using the My Fitness Pal app on my phone to keep track of what I’m eating. It’s a bit tedious, I won’t lie. But, it really helps me see what’s going in (because I know I’m not the only one who mindlessly snacks). I think twice about eating it if I know I have to record it. And this app has a handy scanning option so you can scan barcodes to enter your food instead of searching for them in the database. There are other apps like this, but this one has worked well for me.
What else would you add to the list? What things keep you motivated to stay active?
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