Yes, this Friday I am talking about the other people that inspire me to try and workout and today that is you. The everyday women that are of every shape and size that fits in her exercise between working and picking up the children; the stay at home Mums who drag themselves to the gym after a night of interrupted sleep and a day of dealing with tears and tantrums.

I salute you. We all know that exercise improves our mood and this on its own should be enough to get us back in the gym but some of us still struggle. I mean how are we supposed to find time to go to the gym when we can’t even go to the toilet in peace?

At the moment, at Island Living 365, we are finding that our evenings are interrupted by little ones refusing to stay in their beds and this is not conducive to working out. But I need to stop making excuses. Therefore I am looking to all of you, the women that do and if like me you are wanting to get healthy again then join me! We can get fit and healthy together. These are the changes I plan on implementing to get back on the fitness track;

1. Go to bed earlier. As soon as my little ones are finally asleep I need to catch up on my zzzz. Ignore the temptation to lay comatose in front of the TV and actually get some sleep in when you can. We all function better when we have had sleep.
2. Stop snacking on the kid’s biscuits and make sure that my fridge and cupboard are full of healthy snacks again. Christmas is over and my body needs to realise that!
3. Drink lots of water. I buy bottles so that I can keep track and I always aim to get through a 2 litre bottle a day. You can then refill the bottle and keep drinking.
4. Plan. Make a rough plan each weekend of meals for the week. Also you can make a note of when you will be hitting the gym, you are more likely to stick to it then. Perhaps spend some time on a Sunday prepping food for the week so it can be reheated in the week. Personally, I like to cook fresh everyday but some people swear by cooking and freezing their meals at the weekend.
5. Give yourself a treat meal. That way you are less likely to fall off the healthy wagon. But if you do then don’t beat yourself up about it, we are only human after all.

At the end of the day it is about finding what works for us and the one thing I can guarantee doesn’t work is guilt tripping from others or yourself. It is about getting fit and healthy at our own pace and finding what works for us. To get motivated we need to look to each other, the everyday woman and support each other in our quest. Who will join me? What healthy tips do you have?