How I Stay Healthy & Fit While On Vacation

This week I am enjoying a week long vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware with my sisters and their families. While this vacation means a break from work and all the other domestic obligations of home, it doesn't mean a break from my normal exercise routine. Exercise is just as important to me when on vacation as it is when I am not since my eating habits are often more haphazard and relaxed when I am away. For me, vacation is no reason to check my healthy habits at the door. In fact, it's even more of a reason to keep them intact and make them a priority.

Here are the ways I stay healthy and fit while on vacation:

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3 Cute Workout Outfits To Motivate You To Exercise

We've all been there: we go to bed at night excited to get up in the morning to workout. But when morning comes and you pick out your outfit for the gym, that excitement turns to dread when you realize that your workout clothes just aren't doing it for you anymore.

You can bet that every time I have a fun new pair of pants, a crisp new top, and bouncy new kicks, I am ready and eager to hit the conveyer belt on the treadmill, the steps on the Stairmaster, the pedals for a spin class.

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5 Tips For Loving Your Workouts

It's been 18 months since I made the commitment to get into a regular a fitness routine. When I turned 49, I became hyper aware of my midlife status and rather than dread getting older, I decided to embrace it. My first step was getting to the gym and learning to love my workouts.

Building on the mistakes I've made in the past and what I had hoped to accomplish in the future, I've put together this list of easy tips for establishing a love-love relationship with your workouts.

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5 Tips To Stay Motivated To Workout Regularly

I have a bit of a reputation for being a yo-yo exerciser, but last year, in anticipation of my 50th birthday, I made a pact with myself to regularly use my (rather expensive, but worth it) gym membership. After a few months, I had accidentally happened upon a consistent workout routine and was hooked. Today, almost a year later, I am regularly hitting the the gym, sometimes 5 times per week, and have let go of my fear that everyone else there is better, fitter, thinner, stronger than I am.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have days where I am dragging my feet up until the moment I step foot on the Stairmaster, but for the most part, I look forward to my daily workouts. Building on the mistakes I've made in the past and what I hope to accomplish in the future, I've put together this list of easy tips for establishing a love-love relationship with your workouts.

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Tips For Making Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine

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For many of us, starting and sticking to an exercise routine can be a monumental task. We have time constraints as well as other commitments that we prioritize over exercise and fitness. But I have never found it harder to stick to an exercise routine than since becoming a mom. In the early days, how can you find time to workout when you can’t even go to the bathroom without someone tagging along? Plus, there are always a million things to do instead of working out.

There are so many benefits to exercise, both mental and physical, and since I've been consistently exercising since the beginning of the year, I've seen firsthand those benefits. Making time to exercise is really important to your overall well-being. If you struggle to find the time, as I did for many, many years, here are a few of the ways that have helped me make exercise part of my daily routine.

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How To Simplify Your Workouts

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When you’ve got a fitness goal to work towards, you usually want to make sure that everything you are doing works in favor of that goal. You might have a short-term goal, such as losing a certain amount of weight this week. Or maybe you are working towards an event like a wedding or a holiday, and you’re looking for some all-round fitness in the meantime. Either way, it helps if you plan out your workout sessions as well as you can, as this ensures that you get much more out of them. When you are doing so, what should you focus on?

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What's Keeping You From Exercising?

I recently rejoined the gym after taking a 9 month break.

Let me clarify. I hadn't gone to the gym in about 6 months, so I cancelled my membership. It's been 9 months since I cancelled it. So, technically my break from fitness has been 15 months.

Since I wanted to get back into a consistent exercise routine, I rejoined the gym. It was a little slow going at first. I started out at the gym twice per week, and spent most of my time on the treadmill walking.

After 2 weeks, I started to increase the tempo. I was waking at 5:30 am and hitting the gym first thing in the morning. Eventually, those relaxing walks on the treadmill turned into slow runs. I picked up the pace at each session, and soon I was running 6 miles per hour.

Until...

Oh, come on. You knew it was coming. There's always a catch.

It was during those runs that I experienced light bladder leakage, making it almost impossible, not to mention extremely uncomfortable, to run. I was incredibly discouraged. I had spent hours transitioning from a fast walk to a slow to moderate jog, and now I would have to go back to walking.

It was then that I did some research and found Always Discreet Liners. They offer discreet incontinence protection in a thin and flexible liner. I wanted a product that offered effective protection yet wasn't big or bulky. Always Discreet Liners are the perfect choice. Plus, they absorb twice more than you need**.

I picked up a package of liners at Target to give them a try. Target offers a subscription service where you can have your everyday essentials delivered to you on a set schedule. It's similar to a prescription medication service, where you purchase refills on a monthly basis. Once you sign up, you can set the schedule for your items. You always have the option of making changes to your shipping options, timing, and quantities. It's convenient, and with Target's subscription service, you'll never be without your favorite products.

It's simple to get started using the service.

1. Go to the subscription page.
2. Click on the Always Discreet Liners, Always Discreet Pads, or Always Discreet Underwear product of your choice.
3. Choose your size selection on the drop down menu.
4. Check the box next to "subscribe for 20% off" and the option to choose the frequency of your free delivery will appear.
5. Select the delivery frequency of your choice from the dropdown menu.
6. Click "subscribe."
7. Proceed to check out.

Always Discreet Liners allowed me to run on the treadmill without worries and distractions. I wasn't worked about light leakage the entire time I was running. I wasn't fearful that my shorts would be completely soaked or subconscious that everyone in the fitness room was staring at me. For the first time in a long time, I was completely confident in exercising amidst incontinence.

The next day, I gave the Always Discreet Liners a try for a yoga class. The basic yoga class uses light weights and tricky positions that can sometimes pose a challenge when it comes to simple bladder control. Success! The liners came through with flying colors, and I am now doing yoga 3 to 4 times per week.

I keep a stash of them in my gym bag in the event that I forget to put one on when I am getting dressed for the gym. They are small, discreet, and easily fit into a compartment in my gym bag. They've quickly become a life saver for me, and my workouts have become more effective, and I am finally seeing results since I don't have to give up my favorite workouts due to incontinence.

If you suffer from incontinence, no matter how mild, it worth it to check out Always Liners, Pads, or Underwear. Depending on the severity of your condition, Always makes a product that's right for us. 

** Based on average US consumer

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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My On-Going Struggle with Exercising and Tips for Staying Motivated

Hi. My name is Sheila, and I'm a yo-yo exerciser. I have been for years, but I'm hoping not to always be one.

For me, the desire to workout comes and goes in waves. There are weeks that I want to work out on a daily basis. Then there are weeks when I just want to forget that I belong to an expensive and exclusive gym.

This winter after a 2-month break from the gym, I sat down and and jotted down some reasons why I had lost my motivation. While I was pin pointing my lack of motivation, I came up with a few tips to avoid that pitfall in the future.

Tips for Staying Motivated to Exercise

1. Know your purpose.
Are you working out for weight reasons, health reasons, or because it's what all your friends are doing? Have a solid reason for working out, and you'll be likely to stick with it. After I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol over 3 years ago, my cardiologist recommended that I exercise to help keep my numbers normal. For me, my health is a huge motivator.

2. Change up your workout routine.
I am guilty of falling into the treadmill trap. Every day I hop on, and every day I do more or less the same routine. Well, of course, that's going to become boring after about 2 weeks. Find what you love, whether it's a sport or a piece of equipment and vary your routines. Keep them fresh and challenging so you won't become bored. Because I love the treadmill,  I've focused efforts on finding new routines that are challenging, and I've started running again, using this app.

3. Don't overdo it!!!
I am sooo guilty of this. I am blazing saddles when it comes to starting a new exercise routine. I go to the gym everyday. Hit the equipment hard. And then I hit a wall. The key to establishing a successful and long-term exercise pattern is to take it slowly. Every other day or every 2 days to start and increase after a few weeks. You will be more likely to stick with it if you approach it slowly and consistently.

4. Set goals.
Goals should be challenging yet attainable. If they aren't attainable, you'll feel like a failure and immediately give up. I like to set a long-term goal for the near future and set short-term goals that help me reach my long-term goal. This way, I feel as if I am making progress up until I reach my end goal.

5. Buy some new workout gear!
This is one of my favorite motivators!! Go shopping for some new sneakers or new workout gear. I am seriously motivated by new workout clothes.

6. Reward yourself!
All work and no play is no fun. Give yourself a pat on the back or treat yourself to something when you reach an exercise milestone. Everyone needs that dangling carrot!

I don't know about you, but I am so ready to hit the gym after writing this post. I hope you are after reading it!

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