Topic: motivation

Video: 75-Year-Old Bodybuilding Grandma Proves Age Is Nothing But A Number

Video: 75-Year-Old Bodybuilding Grandma Proves Age Is Nothing But A Number

“If ever there was an anti-aging pill, I would call it exercise,” says 75-year-old Ernestine Shepherd, of Baltimore, who runs 10 miles per day and is more ripped and strong than most 20-somethings. But here’s the most inspirational part: the bodybuilding grandma didn’t start training until she was 71. So…what’s your excuse for not hitting the weights today? More »

#30DayHomies: Join Kristen Bell, Jenna Fisher For A Twitter Workout Challenge

#30DayHomies: Join Kristen Bell, Jenna Fisher For A Twitter Workout Challenge

Veronica Mars star, Gossip Girl voice, and lover of sloths Kristen Bell has added new credentials to her resume: digital motivator. Bell, who Tweets at @IMKristenBell initiated a 30-day workout challenge for herself and her nearly 650,000 followers in May–and has even recruited celebs like new mom (and wise lady) Jenna Fischer and trainer Michelle Lovitt. They call themselves the #30DayHomies, and they are awesome. More »

Save The Date: Why Your Upcoming Vacation May Be Your Best Motivation

Save The Date: Why Your Upcoming Vacation May Be Your Best Motivation

Pre-wedding weight loss has gotten a little crazy in this country (hello, Feeding Tube Bride), but the truth is that having a clear goal, like a wedding or a vacation, in mind when trying to lose weight (or get stronger, eat healthier, or do anything that requires a little motivation) may be the best tool in your proverbial shed. According to Reuters, having an achievable goal with a set end-point can help ward off fitness fatigue, and help you get where you want to be. More »

Wasting Money By Not Going To The Gym: There’s An App For That

Wasting Money By Not Going To The Gym: There's An App For That

There’s been a lot of buzz this year about Gym-Pact, the app that charges you money when you skip out on the gym, and gives you money when you do go. It’s been featured on Reuters, the Huffington Post, the New York Times, and just about every morning radio talk show. And while this level of motivation may be what some people need to get their workouts in, doesn’t paying someone else for your non-workout days seem more than a little silly? Isn’t that why you pay for a gym membership, anyway? More »

Be A Pal: Easy Ways To Help Your Friends Stick With Their Goals

Be A Pal: Easy Ways To Help Your Friends Stick With Their Goals

As of today, it’s mid-way through January, and if you’re still going strong with your health and fitness resolutions, you’re probably feeling unstoppably awesome. Unfortunately, this point in the month is also when you may start to notice some of the folks you love losing their motivation. Suddenly, your gym buddy is mysteriously busy, and your bestie is insisting you share a charcuterie plate, when you’ve both agreed you were going to try veganism. How can you be a great advocate, and offer the support your friends need, without compromising your own goals? What do you say to your friends who are falling off the resolution wagon? More »

That Girl: Meet Marathoner And Running Coach, Gia Alvarez

That Girl: Meet Marathoner And Running Coach, Gia Alvarez

Continuing with our weekly column, “That Girl”, we are celebrating the accomplishments of real women who make health and fitness a priority because we know that true athletes come in all shapes, sizes, ages and athletic abilities from around the world. So this week we’re celebrating Gia Alverez, an amazing marathon runner, mom and running coach who says investing in herself and her fitness makes her feel strong, confident, energetic and proud.

Meet:

Gia Alvarez

Thousand Oaks, CA

31 years old

Twin mom, running coach, marathon runner
More »

That Girl: Meet Indoor Cycling Instructor Leslie Tanner

That Girl: Meet Indoor Cycling Instructor Leslie Tanner

Continuing with our new column, “That Girl”, we are celebrating the accomplishments of real women who make health and fitness a priority because we know that true athletes come in all shapes, sizes, ages and athletic abilities from around the world. So this week we’re celebrating Leslie Tanner, an accomplished spinning instructor and studio owner who says she gets inspired every day from fellow spinners in her class. More »

“Emotionally Intelligent Signs”: (Somewhat) Science-Approved Posters To Help You Eat, Move, Sleep and De-Stress

"Emotionally Intelligent Signs": (Somewhat) Science-Approved Posters To Help You Eat, Move, Sleep and De-Stress

In his most recent edition of “This Column Will Save Your Life,” Oliver Burkeman expounded on the value of signs: It turns out, there’s an art to giving instructions by public poster, and when they’re done right, they can pretty effective. Burkeman notes that there are a few key components to what researchers call “emotionally intelligent signage” (i.e. signs that work): Staying positive, invoking social norms and being specific, for the most part. More »

The Quote That Made Me A Better Runner

The Quote That Made Me A Better Runner

Several years ago I was reading The Extra Mile–an autobiography about ultra-marathon runner, Pam Reed, who, at the age of 42, won a grueling 135-mile race in temperatures that reached a stifling 133 degrees in Death Valley, California. At one point in the book, she was standing at the beginning of the Leadville 100 (another famous ultra-marathon), when the race director was giving the runners a final pep-talk about the extensive journey ahead of them. He said:

You are better than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can.

This quote could not have come at a more perfect time in my life. I was in the midst of training for marathon number five, and my goal this time around was not to simply finish like in the past; this time I wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which meant finishing in three hours and 50 minutes or less. Considering my previous marathon time of 3:55, shaving off another five minutes may not seem like a big deal. But as anyone who runs long-distances can understand, it is. More »