From Never Working Out - to Everyday Fitness

On a different note from what I normally post, I wanted to post about fitness. Working out has never been a priority for me. I work full-time and could never find the motivation to even really go for a walk down my block. But, my priorities shifted almost 2 months ago to where I now find health very important.

I am a type 1 diabetic, I was diagnosed 14 years ago when I was 10. I've been good about taking care of myself and controlling my diabetes, however 2 months ago extreme low blood sugar caused me to black out when I was driving and roll my car 4 times. I walked away from the accident with perfect health except for having 13 stitches in my left upper arm.

Having a near death experience causes a lot of introspection and especially if you are in a rut like I was,  makes you evaluate your life and make necessary changes to better yourself.

Now, my sister was in a near fatal car accident 2 years ago and afterwards wanted to work on her fitness to celebrate her survival. She has since gone from never being a runner to running many 5k's and half marathons. She has always wanted me to do them with her, but I have never been motivated to make the necessary changes to be able to participate- until now.

On November 23rd there is going to be a 5k in the town my sister lives in, and we are both going to do it together. This will be my first race, and I need to train a lot for it, because up until recently, I haven't been running since high school gym class.

So what have I been doing the last few weeks? I have a few apps I'm using: Nike+ and 30 Day Squat Challenge.

The Nike+ I got because my sisters use it to track their runs. And although at first when I was just walking I would use it, it is motivating for me to try to beat previous times I have set. I wouldn't even label myself a novice runner yet, so I know there is much to still be explored with this app.

The 30 Day Squat Challenge was something my sister wanted me to do with her. It will initially give you tips on the correct form to do a squat, and each day you will check off the amount of squats they want you to do. I believe the first day started out with 30. After I go out for my run/walk, I come home and do the daily squats. Even on days I don't go for a run, the days where the squat numbers are high [today I did 120 of them], you will feel the burn in your legs and sweat.

Now, something I bought to wear when running and doing squats is a waist trimming belt. I don't like the name of it, because when you hear that it makes you assume I'm talking about wearing a corset or something, but it is really just a belt you wear when you workout that helps you sweat. I bought this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009RDZV46/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like wearing it for multiple reasons. It makes me feel like I'm getting more out of my workout than I would without it, it'll make you sweat like crazy, and when I'm running, it compresses my belly enough to wear I don't jiggle when I run.

The last app I use is called Happy Scale. You can enter in your current weight, your goal weight, and it'll give you milestones to hit. They recommend weighing yourself when you first wake up after using the restroom, and it graphs your weight loss or gain. I've used a lot of weight tracking apps before, but this one is my favorite.

I've lost a couple pounds since I've started these methods, and it has made exercise a part of my day that I look forward to. I'll try to stay updated with my progress!