In order to perform your best, you have to feel your best. For me, this means being intentional about staying active as much as possible especially since ya girl likes to eat. Being a native of Louisiana knowing my way around the kitchen and all things Cajun Cuisine, I especially have to be mindful about my indulgences. Though I’d much rather be enjoying the rich recipes I learned to make from home I know how detrimental this would be to my overall health, not just my outer image.
Staying fit isn’t just for the sake of meeting a body weight or image goal. Being African American its especially important to lead an active lifestyle, since we typically have a larger rate of obesity in our community. Living longer is the goal and refusing to sweat out an expensive hairstyle just isn’t a good enough excuse to compromise my health. Not only that, improving our physical health also improves our mental health. I notice a huge difference in my mood, stress levels and productivity when I’m consistent with my workouts. I have more energy and I’m able to control my anxiety levels. Exercising may not be the cure to all mental health conditions, however, it does relieve symptoms of the less severe cases.
As someone who is dedicated to career growth and investing in personal passion projects, its easy to neglect the need to engage in any type of physical activity. As a former athlete you would think I’d find staying active to be easy. It definitely hasn’t been. I think its been the lack of structure behind it, with no-one there to tell me to do it, and not having a true passion behind what I’m doing. I found that breaking up my gym visits and strength training with at home workouts has been the solution to this problem.
Home workouts w/HITT X Mrs & Mrs Muscle
Recently I discovered HITT Videos by MR AND MRS MUSCLE and have become obsessed. I love that I have access via Youtube, and with my smart tv I’m able to pull .them up in my living room and follow along – NO EXCUSES. The exercises are pretty engaging and include modified options with each. Impacts range from beginner, intermediate, up to advanced and you can also choose Abs, Full Body, Cardio or Upper, depending on your personal plan.
When HITT first became popular I did a little research but hadn’t jumped to ride the wave. When I stumbled upon this fitness couple and their videos, and knowing I was seeing some results from my planned workouts just not seeing the results as quickly as I wanted, I knew it was time to change things up. These HITT workouts have honestly been the game changer for me and I’m finally seeing the definition I’ve wanted.
Benefits of HITT
- Burn more Calories in short amount of time (4 – 30 minute intervals)
- More Responsive to Fat Loss
- Boosts Metabolism & Oxygen Consumption
- Increases Muscle Volume & Definition
HIIT workouts are fast and enjoyable for losing weight while improving your overall health. The intensity and pace is always determined by the individual’s physical capabilities and the workouts are extremely time efficient.
Experimenting with my physical activity has honestly been whats kept me engaged and mentally free. If you’ve been struggling to remain consistent yourself, I suggest to explore your options. The most important thing is to create a form of habit, challenge yourself to exceed your goals and acknowledge your process along the way.
I guarantee you won’t only feel better and look better (confident) you’ll perform better.