Get the Fit Look for Less

Those of you over 3 decades old can feel me on this one.  It’s like once you hit 30, your body flips a switch and your metabolism slows down.  Way down.  All of a sudden your flesh gets fleshier, and your joints get creakier.  At first I was concerned that it was just me, but after consulting with some similarly-aged friends, I have concluded that it is something that happens to most 30-somethings.

 

 

As my birthday present this year, I asked for both a local cheap gym membership and 3 hours a week to use it.  And I have been doing pretty well at keeping those 3 dates a week.  It’s nice to have some time to myself, and I really do feel better after a workout.  That birthday was six months ago, and my body doesn’t look all that much different than it did before I started.  I just wasn’t getting that fit look that I wanted

 

When I was 25, six months of regular workouts would have snapped me right back into peak physical condition.  Not so much with this 30(mumble) year old body.  On Thanksgiving I thought it would be a fun game to weigh ourselves before and after the big meal.  I stepped on my aunt’s scale and… suddenly the game wasn’t so funny any more.

 

I don’t own a scale (which might be why that number startled me so much) and try hard not to focus on a number, but rather my overall health.  For my New Year’s resolution this year, I am going to try to push my motivation a bit farther.  Not to just maintain my current health and weight, but improve them.

 

 

I have come up with a few little changes that can help keep that resolution:

Change 1: Buying new running shoes. 

I have been using my same old beat-up running shoes at the gym that I used fresh out of college.  The laces were so worn that I couldn’t even fully tighten the left shoe for fear of it busting mid-run.  I went out to Sears after Thanksgiving and found a great pair of new kicks for the gym.

I have mostly been wearing baggy old t-shirts and small sized men’s shorts to the gym.  I don’t really give a rat’s behind what I look like to the other people at the gym, so I figured what I wear to bed was good enough for the gym.  As I worked out, I realized that there was a reason that fitness gear is specially designed the way it is.  It was hard to do some of the ab exercises and stretches I wanted to do if I was wearing a big ol’ t-shirt.  For Christmas I asked for some new “real” workout clothes so that I can keep pushing myself without my Destin, Florida souvenir tee getting in the way.

This is where things get sad for me.  Back in my 20s, I could adjust my dress size just through exercise.  That doesn’t seem to be working for me any more.  As much as I have been fighting it, I am going to need to change my eating habits as well, by limiting portion sizes and processed food.

This seems like a head-slapper of a change, but I need to add more water to my daily routine.  I was doing really well with this last summer, but I slipped back into my old ways of coffee and other caffeinated beverages making up the most of my liquid intake.  I am determined to do better.

My gym doesn’t offer workout classes, but there are some parts of the gym I haven’t explored yet.  I have mostly stuck to the cardio machines, but I think it’s time to try out the interval fitness area.  I know that interval training is good for burning calories.

 

 

While I am sure I am going to have to work to keep up with these changes, I am glad that none of them are that extreme.  Thankfully workout gear styles are pretty modest and multi-functional these days; fitted tees and yoga pants function just as well as pajamas as my old baggy t-shirts and shorts did.  If spandex shorts and crop tops were all the rage, I might have to do my working out from the comfort of my own home instead.

 

If you are looking for some inspiration for how to wear trendy workout gear (or any fashion items for that matter), take a look through Social Fabric’s This is Style Pinterest board.  They have dozens of real life ways to wear fashionable clothes.  Or you can follow Sears on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for more ideas and great deals.

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Thanks,  Jessica