WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — We're into the summer months now, and with a lot of us still working at home or making plans to return to work soon, 13WMAZ's Marvin James share with you 3 things he is doing to work on his health and fitness to stay Amped Up.
1. Set a walking or running goal
"I set a goal with my Fitbit of 8 to 10,000 steps per day, which includes in-house workouts or daily walks anywhere between 3 and 6 miles. Taking an hour-long walk allows me to get out of the house for a change of scenery and some much needed vitamin D, while sweating and burning calories to some of my favorite tunes. It's important for me to engage in some sort of physical activity at least 3-4 days a week to help improve not only my physical traits, but to build mental strength as well. It releases endorphins to battle negative thoughts or depression because I'm not going out as much as I am used to, and to be honest from a lack of watching and covering sports, which isn't just my job, but actually one of my favorite pastimes. Note -- it's always important to listen to your body and seek guidance from your doctor in regards to your physical regimen so not to overwhelm yourself."
2. Use your friends and family as a support system
"My support system is an extreme priority. I have a phone chat group with 8 of my friends and fraternity brothers who are on this Amped Up road with me. We motivate and inspire one another on our journey. We help each other be accountable with workouts and nutrition, often encouraging and challenging each other after every text. Sometimes when I don't feel like working out, my notifications remind me that one of my friends has just finished a run or a lifting session or cooked a healthy meal. That positive energy shifts towards me, and before you know it, I'm up and on my way to 'git-R-done.' So find a few like-minded friends to help push you along to a better you in the good times and the bad."
3. Find an "accountability activity"
"It may not seem like much, but I printed out a worksheet that I found on Pinterest to help me keep going. It's like coloring by numbers. For every day that I either work out or complete my Fitbit goals, I color in the date of the month. Knowing I don't want a blank sheet at the end of the year is the little motivation I need some days. I plan to frame it on New Year's Eve so I can focus on doing even better in 2021. In true transparency, as you can see, April and May were not very productive months for me, but I got back on the saddle in June, so there's no excuses for quitting."
Here's the sheet so you can start coloring along and also share your monthly creations with Marvin.
"We've made it through the first 6 months, and what a start to 2020 it has been, but we have so much more to accomplish as we have reached the halfway point here in July."
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