This month we spoke with fitness leader, Sarah Dussault, and learned about her special stay-fit tips.  Sarah places an emphasis on diet and urges women not to fear the weight bench!  Check out her top 5 tips below created especially for YOU.

1. When it comes to losing weight, fitness is 20%, the rest is all diet.

People seem to think that if you workout, you get to eat what you want. This is so not true. The myth that your body continues to burn calories after your workout misleads people into thinking they can eat whatever they want afterward. Although there is some truth to this fact, it is not scale-changing. It’s a mere 50 calories, which would be like 3 mint candies. If you want to lose weight, diet is more important than exercise. If you want to look good and stay there once the fat is gone, exercise becomes more important. Exercise will also speed up the process of getting to your goal weight in half the time than without. Don’t expect to lose weight with just exercise alone.

2. Weights are a girl’s best friend.

So many women are afraid of weights. They think they will get bulky if they use them. This is so wrong and I can’t believe I even still get this question so often. The most dramatic change in my own body I have EVER seen came from lifting heavier weights than I was used to and higher reps.

3. If you’re not doing intervals during your cardio session, you’re wasting time.

Intervals burn more calories than boring steady state cardio. Mix up your regular routine next time by alternating intensity between songs. Twenty minutes of intense interval training has the same benefits as steady state jogging for 40 minutes. Being short on time is no longer a valid excuse.

4.  Mix things up to stay dedicated and refreshed.

Nothing makes exercise stale like doing the same thing every day. Try a new class, take a tennis lesson, discover a state park on the weekend. During the week I’m pretty dedicated to running, but I love to take different classes at my gym like Pilates, Yoga, Body Pump or even Zumba. On the weekend I love to play tennis, go swimming, kayaking, hiking, basically anything active! Finding a form of exercise you truly love will help you stay on track.

5. Find your motivation and don’t forget it.

People frequently ask, ‘how do I stay motivated?’ The answer is simple:  I feel better when I do and I keep a mental note and picture to remind me of this fact. Whether you want to get in shape to have more energy to play with your kids, prevent diseases, lose weight, sooner or later that goal may fade. Keep it in sight with a picture. Every time you lack motivation look to your special place so that you are reminded why you started in the first place. And if that doesn’t help, go blast your favorite new song!

ShareThis

Tagged: fitness in 5