I am a nightmare for fitness motivation!! I go at my fitness with great enthusiasm, manage a few weeks, even months ... then life gets busy and the overwhelm kicks in and my motivation to workout is the first thing to go! Please tell me I am not alone!? I do not love exercise and add in midlife, menopause brain fog and lethargy and my fitness motivation hits zero! So, in today's post, I am sharing my struggles with workouts and why we should not beat ourselves up but find something we love and keep it simple! Activate You is a simple online programme from 261 Fearless, spread over 12 weeks, to help you create a habit to get you moving, fit and full of energy! And I am going to try it out and share my thoughts. Activate You has been designed to show you how to stay active regularly, anytime and anywhere and for a very reasonable cost. So is it possible to go from zero to loving exercise? This is a sponsored blog post. My history with fitness motivationIf you have been a regular reader of my blog for a while, you will know that this is a subject I often write about. I have never found an exercise I love. I trained for a 5-mile road race about ten years ago, did it, never again! I then did the Palace to Palace cycle ride, enjoyed it, did it, never again! I also committed to and had fantastic results from The Body Coach SSS Plan. I had a fabulous Personal Trainer for many years. But I never keep it up. I would love to love exercise! I love the results, I loved being more toned, strong and fit. I love the shape that regular strength training gives me. Back in December 2020, I started an online PT plan and wrote about it. I did so well and started to see results. Then life got busy, really busy, and I lost my motivation (again). Spotted a theme yet? Keeping exercise simpleMy first bit of advice is to keep it simple and easy and not overcomplicate your plans. There is no point saying I am going to go for a run 5x a week at 7 am if you hate early starts. Or I will do a workout 4x a week at 7 pm if you find that evenings are your busy time or you like relaxing in front of the TV. Just because your friend does it doesn't mean it will fit in with your routine. Stop feeling guilty and stop beating yourself up! After experimenting with different times, I have found that late morning is a good time for me! The same applies to weight loss - don't set unrealistic goals, it is far better to aim to lose half a stone first then move onto the next half a stone than say I want to lose 2 stone ... I have just started working with a Nutrition Coach. I have known Hannah a good few years in a professional capacity but I realised I needed a bit more formal support now and she has been fantastic at making me realise that I don't need to make big, dramatic changes; small but achievable and gradual works far better. Start small and build up. Hannah reminded me that the weight went on slowly (for me, as well as many others, over lockdown) and it will come off slowly and then it is easier to maintain. So a fresh start for me, I am not looking back at what I did and didn't manage with my fitness in the past! I am in a different place to 1, 2, 5 or 10 years ago and my routines are different. I no longer want to get up and do a workout at 7 am for example. What is 261 Fearless?261 Fearless is a global non-profit organisation that uses running as a vehicle to empower and unite women through education programmes, running groups and social events. They provide a supportive network for women of ALL abilities and backgrounds with the aim of encouraging health living, a positive sense of self and fearlessness. The story of 261 Fearless started in Boston in 1967! A young Katherine Switzer was running in the Boston Marathon wearing bib number 261 and she was attacked for simply being a woman. She faced her fear and carried on running and she became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon! She dedicated her career to empowering women through fitness. There are six 261 Fearless Clubs in the UK and they have their own 261 Fearless UK website. The UK clubs are a small community of women running for health and wellbeing, friendship and fun. It is all about women supporting women and you will find a warm welcome, a pressure- and judgement-free environment, whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced runner. What is Activate You from 261 Fearless?While the running clubs are continuously growing, the 261 Fearless team noticed that many women were hesitant to join their community, as many of them thought that they were not fit enough to participate in running with others. After regularly getting this feedback, they decided to design a programme that would help women gain confidence when it comes to their fitness and help them feel confident enough to join a running club or the gym. This is how the Activate You programme was born, which is designed to get you moving (not necessarily running, unless that is what you want!), bit by bit, on a regular basis. The aim of Activate You is to show you how simple movement can become one of your favourite habits in just 12 weeks. A habit that makes you fit and full of energy. Activate You is especially designed for women by women. You start with 3 - 10 minutes of movement per day (that's it) and end with being able to run, walk or workout for 45 minutes without stopping, all within 12 weeks. You will learn how to stay active regularly and fit movement into your daily life. The exercises are simple and motivating with videos, podcasts, expert tips, dieticians and doctors as well as words of wisdom from other women who started from zero once! You can train whenever, or wherever you want - online or offline. You have access to an online Activation Calendar and you open a door each day to motivate you to be active. And you keep a journal to track your progress and achievements. The cost of the 12 week program is 99p per day (£83.16 for 12 weeks access). You can sign up to Activate You until 31st August 2021. Simple tips to move more ... from Activate YouOne of my biggest excuses to exercise, actually it could be my only excuse, is I don't have time! But I have time to scroll on my phone! And I have time to go shopping or go for a walk - so now I just have to learn that any movement is good and can be an achievement. I will be posting this blog on Monday 12th July and that will be Day 1 of trying out Activate You - and it just so happens to coincide with my holiday, queue usual excuses of I am on holiday, I don't need to workout! Not this time! I will be back on Monday 9th August with a second blog post to tell you how I got on with my first 4 weeks of the 12 Week Activate You program. In the meantime, here is a little taste of what you get when you sign up ... A lovely welcome email lands in your inbox with links to your Online Activation Calendar, your Activate You Journal and an invitation to join the Activate You Facebook Group. The Online Activation Calendar is designed for you to open a new window every day and you receive tips, advice, audio workouts, games and more! All created to inspire and motivate you. I have printed my Activate You Journal so I can complete it easily. Read the introduction then read one chapter. each week. It is a place to record your progress and somewhere to look back at your achievements and see the difference! And the Activate You Facebook Group allows you to connect with other women and be part of a community, all cheering each other on! Being part of a supportive community is one of the key factors to the success of any movement plan. Accountability is key. Choosing workout kit for at home exerciseFinally, there is nothing quite like a new outfit, and I love a new workout kit! But remember you do not have to wearleggings and a tight top if you don't want to. Wear whatever is comfortable for you. Just moving more is enough! My new kit was a gift from 261 Fearless and is part of their collection with ADIDAS, the quote on the vest says 'Life is for participating, not spectating' Katherine Swizer. Above: Calendar and Journal from Activate You plus my day one motivation ... 261 Fearless are passionate about exercise, and they want to inspire you with interesting and inspiring tips. Regular exercise can be life changing and powerful. What do you think? What stops you from moving more? Or are you a regular fitness lover and have tips you can pass on to others like me who avoid exercise? Send me an email or comment below ... and wish me luck in my efforts to move more! Sign up to Activate You before 31st August 2021. Love from Michelle xx Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post with 261 Fearless and I have been gifted the 12 Week Activate You membership and the 261 Fearless fitness outfit.
4 Comments
Hina
12/7/2021 05:57:05 pm
Hi Michelle. Love your post. Sometimes, well in my case, it can be a lack of motivation rather than time, and there could be a simple answer such as low energy levels and lack of iron or something else which can be easily corrected. I find exercise boring but I absolutely love dancing. I go to zumba classes and honestly, it feels like I am going Clubbing again and I don’t even notice I am exercising!
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13/7/2021 09:27:50 am
Hi Hina, it is lovely to hear from you. Ah yes but is it motivation to find the time? It is such a complicated thing to understand and we are all so different. If I want it enough I will find the time?? And yes I can find exercise so boring, I love the idea of dancing / zumba but then I have never made the effort to find the time to do that either! Arghhh!! We go around it circles! Love Michelle xx
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13/7/2021 09:58:35 pm
This is a great post.. I'm in my mid-30s and I struggle with motivation for fitness, already getting those self-deprecating mind chatters that I'm "past my prime"... it's vicious in our culture! This is a wonderful post, and that group sounds awesome...
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![]() Hi, I’m Michelle and my blog Fifty & Fab is all about my journey into and through my 50s. I started this blog in 2016 with the purpose of helping other women at this stage of life. I’m delighted that my blog has grown to over 13k visitors per month. Visit my Work with Me page and request my Media Kit for details of product reviews, blogging services and social media content creation.
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