Get in Shape With Me: What I Wish I'd Known Earlier

Happy Monday my lovelies! Today we welcome the new week that’s ahead of us. A lot of us hate Mondays because we associate it with going back to work after being off for the weekend - and I totally get that. The weekend is definitely not long enough. But let’s not get upset every Monday about it. We need to work to live, so let’s skip the pity party and focus on better ways to make our week a great one!

Back to our intentions for the year… If you’re not sure how to set intentions and motivate yourself on achieving them, check out my blog post on how to change your life and achieve your goals. One of my intentions for 2024 is to focus on my overall health, both mental and physical. Full disclosure: In no way, shape or form am I a personal trainer. Over the last 10 years, I’ve had different goals I’ve wanted to personally achieve physically. What I didn’t realize was that being consistent was probably the most important factor in whether or not my physical fitness goals would be reached. I wish someone would have told me that consistency is key. If I had been consistent for the last decade, I’d probably be in the best shape of my life. But we’re not here to be negative, we’re here to learn and grow. 

Reality is, we change A LOT. Not just over the years, but over the months, the weeks, the days… We don’t always maintain the same level of motivation, commitment and determination to reach our goals. As humans, none of us are perfect, even though sometimes it may seem that way. I have been fooled one too many times by fitness gimmicks and my only advice to you is… Don’t be fooled by what you see on social media. It’s been perfectly curated to grab your attention and to (usually) sell you a product. I’ve definitely fallen prey to these. Let’s start with a popular one: waist trainers. 

Waist trainers were all the rage when they came out; they promised a quick fix to that extra belly fat we carried, and to slim down your waist to make it teeny tiny. What followed were a bunch of influencers and celebrities wearing and swearing by them. Proponents of waist trainers claimed that this is what allowed them to shed belly fat, get defined abs, lose water weight, and keep their waist slim. What no one ever said was that you need to work out consistently while wearing it to get the best results. You should always be wary of any fitness product that tries to sell an “easy fix” to get you back in shape, because it’s usually not true and used as a selling point. Let’s face it, we all want an easy fix. I don’t want to work out an hour a day. I would rather sit on the couch and watch my favourite TV show while getting in shape. So can someone just sell me a product like that?

The truth is, there’s no such thing. I’ve seen better results working really hard for my body and physical health than I did wearing a waist trainer for MONTHS, all while exercising with it on, too. I’m sure many women, not just me, were fooled by this. I’ve tried many waist trainers, and none of them work. The most that they did for me was squish my stomach to the point where I could hardly take a deep breath. This suppressed my appetite, so I wasn’t eating as much with it on. Lastly, it helped me with my posture - since there were brackets built in, it really forced me to keep my back straight when I worked out or when I was sitting down. That’s about it. 

The most results I’ve seen in the last 10 years has been from working out consistently for the first time in my life for 12 months straight in 2023. Yes, that’s right - you need to dedicate time to your body to see results. I had a “no excuses” attitude and realized you actually could do anything you set your mind to, even if you’re busy. All it takes are the right tools, and 30 minutes a day. So, although waist trainers didn’t work for me, there is one thing I use at home that’s made a huge difference in my training. I’ve been using them for a solid 3 years, and they really helped me get started on my at-home workout routine. 

Resistance bands - These Polygon Resistance Bands have been a crucial addition to my training. Resistance bands are like adding weight to your workouts, without all the bulk that usually comes with it. They’re easy to store away at home as opposed to actual weights and plates. They take up virtually no space, but come with so many different exercises for almost every part of your body. You can use them at home, or even bring them to the gym. There are different levels to resistance bands, usually indicating the weight, like Light, Medium, Heavy, Extra Heavy, etc. Every company that makes them could label them differently, but the gist of it is the same; the heavier the resistance band is, the tighter it feels, and the heavier the weight is on that exercise. Resistance bands also help you activate the muscle group you’re focusing on at the beginning and end of your workout, something that is detrimental to your fitness routine. When you activate the muscle before you start exercising, it ensures that throughout your entire workout you are continuing to use that muscle.

Results I’ve obtained and noticed from using resistance bands are more tone and definition on the specific muscle I’m working out. Not exactly growth of muscles, however. If you’re looking to grow your muscles, you WILL have to add actual weight to your workouts, and increase your weight slowly each time. This is the only proven way to increase muscle mass. All while maintaining a healthy diet, resistance bands can really help you tone and define your muscles, adding a great variety of exercises to your fitness routine.

The first bands I bought were more affordable, about half the price at $11, with more weight options, but they were plastic and slid down while I was exercising. Not only that, but they also snapped after a while using them (ouch!). The new material resistance bands with non-slip grip have been an absolute GAME-CHANGER for my workouts. Finding resistance training has also never been easier. It’s all available for free on YouTube, just look up “10-minute Resistance training” and you’ll find everything you need at the edge of your fingertips.

Here’s an easy workout routine you can try every other day (or every two days if you’re limited on time) this week: 

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: Resistance Bands, Towel, Phone/Tablet/Laptop

• Cardio (10 minutes)

• Ab Workout (10 minutes)

• Resistance Training “MUSCLE OF CHOICE” (10 minutes)*

*Add a different muscle group on every other day for the resistance training portion of your workout to give yourself a full body workout routine for the week.

If you’re a beginner, or setting your intention to get in shape this year, I’m here to help. The whole point of this blog is not to play gatekeeper. I’m helping you become the best version of yourself all while sharing my very favourite Tried & True products for you. If you have any questions or need help, submit feedback on what you would like me to try next, I’m answering everything back! We’re building a strong community of better girlies out here in 2024, so until next week…

Love, Annamaria

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