MY FITNESS ROUTINE + A GARMIN VIVOFIT 2 GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ACTIVITY TRACKER: Garmin Vivofit 2  //  BAND: Jonathan Adler  //  TANK: Look Human  //  LEGGINGS: Nike  //  TENNIS SHOES: Nike

Fitness and health are both very important to me. Through my senior year of high school, I was heavily involved in cheerleading, dance and gymnastics, so my daily workouts were a planned part of my everyday life. When that ended, however, I had to find something to keep myself in shape (and keep the notorious freshman 15 off as I entered college). The surprising solution? Running.

Up until that point, I had never been a runner or even enjoyed the activity when I was forced to do so at cheerleading practice.  I read in a magazine at the time, however, that one of the best and quickest cardio workouts (and a great way to increase your metabolism because of the effect of your heart rate speeding up and slowing down) was a run-walk routine, so I started with that. I would walk on the treadmill around 4.5mph for 1 minute, then I would run starting at 7.0mph for 2 minutes until I had ran 2-3 miles. I continued doing that on the treadmill, working my running speed up to 7.8. I also began running on high school running tracks at night, running the “straights” and walking the “curves”. I immediately started noticing changes in my body, for the better. What also happened as an effect was I began being much more selective about the kinds of foods I ate so I had the energy and fuel for my runs.

I continued the run-walk method all throughout college to maintain my weight (and to counteract the weekend boozing), running a few times every week. It was a quick, easy and cheap method of staying in shape (you can run pretty much anywhere, no gym membership required), and I’d often do sets of crunches afterwards to work on my abs.

It was after college that a friend and I decided to sign up for the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon and I began long distance training. It was hard at first to run non-stop, but once I found my pace (about 6.5 on the treadmill) and figured out my breathing, it was easy and so enjoyable. Completing my first half marathon solidified the rewards of long distance running not just in the way my body looked and felt, but in the sense of accomplishment I had afterwards. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of running an entire 13.1 miles at once (and doing it at the most magical place on earth made it even more…magical). I brought my family back this year to do it all over again.

Now, I’m still an avid short distance runner most of the time, running 2-3 miles either through my neighborhood or on the treadmill about 4-5 times a week. When I train for a 10K or 1/2 marathon, I usually change up my fitness routine by doing 1 long run on the weekend. For a girl who has a full time job, a blog to run and a wedding to plan, running is the very best option for myself to stay fit because it’s a fast way to work up your heart beat and sweat, and I can do it on my own time, and pretty much anywhere. Coming from a non-runner and someone who used to hate to run, I am a huge advocate of the exercise for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You can completely do it at your own pace and start off on a run-walk schedule. Signing up for a long distance run like a 10K or a 1/2 marathon is a great way to start to get into running. And trust me on this, once you see and feel the results, you’ll become addicted to running.

GARMIN VIVOFIT 2

What’s made running even more of a motivation lately is the new activity tracker technology. There’s just something about setting a daily steps goal and seeing the amount of steps you take a day that is so encouraging. I started with a Fitbit about a year ago, but I’ve been won over by another tracker – I just received a Garmin Vivofit 2, and I am absolutely obsessed. This device has a screen that displays exactly how many steps you walk a day, a timer, a watch, a mile tracker and a sleep tracker. It’s even programmed to vibrate and alert you via a red line anytime you are sitting still for over an hour (except when you’re sleeping, of course). What I also love about it is that there’s no charging required – the battery lasts for a whole year! One of my favorite interior designers, Jonathan Adler has teamed up with Garmin to make some super awesome band designs, pictured above.

What’s even better? I’m giving away a brand new Garmin Vivofit 2, complete with a Jonathan Adler band. To enter to win, simply follow the steps at the very beginning of this post. The contest closes next Sunday, May 17th at midnight, CST and is open to all U.S. residents. Good luck and happy running! 🙂