Realistic Fitness.

I am gonna be straight with you all right now about my “fitness journey”. I don’t have one.

It seems like everyone and their neighbor aspires to be the next Insta-fitness guru, which in a way is not a bad thing. Exercise is vital to good health. I will never argue with that. The problem is…that not everyone has hours every day to go to the gym, a trust fund for a wardrobe full of Lululemons, or even the desire to go “beastmode”. Ever.

I am a huge proponent of healthy living. So, inevitably, living some sort of active lifestyle is key to achieving true health…but I am also realistic enough to understand that most of us need a plan that we can actually work with…and want to work with.

Genetically I am small. I have a crazy metabolism that has yet to slow down…but that’s both a blessing and a curse. As we get older, being too thin is not a good thing. You may have flat abs, but your face quickly starts so look haggard and sunken…which means you’re gonna look aged…and quite honestly some curves are always a plus in my book.

Why? Well….it makes me feel more feminine, and….

I prefer some meat on the ol’ bones especially once you start to hit your late 30’s because it really does add to a healthier, more youthful look. Saggy, loose skin is an inevitable consequence of being too skinny.

So, while I can easily go the route of too skinny, especially when stressed…I try to avoid that like the plague. What we women of a more mature age need to remember is that the Insta girls are typically very young and can go “skinny” while still retaining baby fat in their faces. We can’t do that…unless we opt for fillers or plastic surgery, and honestly, it just doesn’t play well with my love for the more natural side of things.

This means that I don’t spend hours working out.

…and actually I honestly do not have the time to. I have 3 jobs, 2 teens distance learning for the past year, a home to run, a little blind rescue dog to care for, and a million other responsibilities. I genuinely do not know how I do it all…and I know you all hear me on this!

I did spend a couple of years doing CrossFit and was actually really good at it. I enjoyed it. My coaches were amazing and the camaraderie of the people in my class was outstanding….but then I got hurt. It took me a year to recover so that was that. I realized I needed to stay active, but had to do so more realistically.

So…how can we embrace fitness in a more realistic way? In my case to stay healthy and keep things from heading south….and for others to shed a few pounds they may not want hanging around?

Well, I make sure to walk whenever I can for as long of distances as possible. I love walking. When I was modeling abroad, I always ended up foregoing public transportation to learn my new cities by foot even if it meant walking 45 minutes to a casting or a job.

I love hiking. I don’t do it enough…again, because life has me needing more hours a day than I have…but when I can go for a hike, I do and I make sure it’s a long one!

I jump rope. This is an amazing form of cardio that also works out every part of your body and can be done almost anywhere. When I was traveling as a model, I always carried a jumprope with me and would workout that way anywhere and everywhere. Even in the hallways of the hotels I lived in.

Sometimes I go for a run/jog. Not often, because I genuinely do not love it…but I’m working my way up to 3 times a week and ONLY if my caloric intake has been high enough.

I work-out using at-home exercise videos via Instagram or YouTube…and to be honest, that is my favorite way to stay fit. I’ve been using VHS cassettes, CD’s and now online videos to workout forever. It’s convenient, and I honestly rather work out at home since I am just not a fan of working out in front of other people. Introvert problems.

One of my newest and most favorite workout video series are by English fitness trainer, Holly Dolke, who makes videos that are effective but also completely realistic (and sometimes a little challenging!). Her videos are sometimes as short as 4 minutes long…so no excuses.

Trust me…I genuinely barely have time to breathe…so if I can take 4-15 minutes for one of Holly’s workouts…anyone can! She also just strikes me as a breath of fresh air in an overly processed and made-up world of social media influencers which is a major plus in my book.

My boyfriend recently acquired a rower and an exercise bike so I try to fit those in for a few minutes each several times a week along with my mini workout videos for cardio’s sake.

I love dancing. I’m half Cuban so it’s in the blood. I don’t go out anymore (those days were incredible but long gone!) so I dance with my 13 year old daughter and go nuts in the living room whenever she’s in a good mood ha!!

Cardio is the one thing that I do really want to increase because heart health touches close to home for me since my dad passed away from a heart attack despite being naturally thin.

Work in progress.

So….I am not a fitness guru. Never will be. I understand the importance. I embrace the importance. I wish I loved working out. I do love how it feels after the fact…but I have a very full life and the gym is just not a part of it.

Yes, people will say you can “make time”…but those people aren’t living my life or your life.

The trend of 20-something fitness influencers with copious amounts of time, money, and none of the injuries or physical hangups that can come with age is just not realistic for most of us.

So do what makes you feel good in the realm of fitness. Walk, run, hike, jump, dance, do some fitness videos, create a little gym in your garage and lift some weights when you can, go for a bike ride or just dance your ass off. It all helps.

If you want to push yourself then do. If you don’t then, work your way up to the routine that feels best for you.

Exercise to feel healthy, to be active. Do it to feel good and to create real health both mental and physical. Don’t do it to be on trend or keep up with the falsities of social media. Comparisons don’t help you or anyone, and this crazy push on social media does nothing but create comparisons and a sense of guilt for not doing enough or looking enough. I’m done with all that.

….and you don’t need $200 leggings either. 😉

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