Workout Slump...

Just finished my first 5K! Wow! That was exciting. I didn't run the whole way, but I'm very happy to say I finished! With a little rest, I'll be ready to do another soon. With all of this exercise, I thought I'd sit down and fill you in on a few of my workout secrets.

Right after finishing! *note the bottle of water*

Preparing for Miss Arkansas means I have a lot of daily tasks that I have to accomplish everyday if I want to perform well in July. One of the biggest things I have to keep up with throughout the summer is my workout schedule. Now lucky for me, I love to workout and I maintain a pretty healthy diet throughout the year. My mother is gluten intolerant and I have, in the past year, joined her in keeping my diet mostly gluten free! So with diet not a big worry, I spend most of my time preparing for the Lifestyle and Fitness competition with differing daily activities. I know this blog is meant to be mostly about my appearances as Miss Northeast Arkansas, but it wouldn't be very complete if I didn't let you guys in on some of the struggles I face getting to competition in July.

I decided to write this post in order to encourage those out there who are trying to lead healthier lives. I can assure you, it needs to be a lifestyle change and not a diet. I've really struggled lately with the energy and desire to push to the end of my workout. Do you ever just get to that point where you want to just drop it? Or think, I can work harder tomorrow...and never do? Yeah, I've been there. Recently. So I wanted to share the little tricks that have been helping me to work over that slump.

1. I work out at home a lot so when I get down, I put up my iPod up and go to Youtube. Now, be careful not to waste all your time searching, but search some of your favorite singers or groups. Create a video playlist and have them play while you're working out. Guilty confession: I always watch Pussycat Dolls' videos. The girls are all dancers and they have great bodies. Talk about motivation to get in shape!

2. When I get to that low point in my workouts when I don't feel like pushing myself, I call a friend. Just recently, I went for a run in the park with a new friend of mine who is a soccer player. Now I've never ran over 10 minutes straight by myself, but by having someone at a better running level go with me on my workout, I pushed harder than ever before. I finished a 2.4 mile run having only walked 4 minutes of the entire treck.

3. Finally, find a workout routine that you LOVE! Not all workouts are for everyone. I used to spend (waste) a lot of time in the gym without seeing many results. Now I've found activities that I LOVE to do on a daily basis. My favorite? Pilates! I do pilates 3-4 times a week at NEA Total Fitness here in Jonesboro, AR. I started with Frank Kasper who owns the studio last summer and he helped me prepare for Miss Arkansas 2010. I love everything about pilates. I know that my pilates workout is going to give me the look and flexibility that I want and that helps me stick to the routine even when I don't feel up to it.

At Miss NEA.