It’s one week into January and you’re on track with health and fitness. Maybe you renewed your gym membership, tossed the leftover Christmas cookies in your freezer or scouted out the local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Now is the time to rejuvenate our health and get back into the habit of fitness!

I recently heard the phrase “summer bodies are made in the winter” and I really loved that piece of inspiration. It feels so easy to cozy up in sweaters and leggings right now, but the minute it’s spring and sunny again, it will be much harder to get back in to the healthy habits if we disregarded them in the winter.

Growing up, my mom was an incredibly active runner. She ran several marathons and was always making time for fitness in her schedule. I have vivid memories of waking up on the weekends and my mom walking in the door later after a 10 mile run. She really instilled the idea for me that fitness is a part of a healthy lifestyle and you have to find something you love. I could hardly stay on a treadmill for one mile, but put me in a Zumba class and I could shake and groove for an hour without even knowing the time passed by!

My whole-hearted philosophy about fitness is that you have to find something you love and something you can stick to. There are so many options when it comes to being active. Gyms everywhere these days are specializing in cycling, ballet, running, circuit-training, boxing, hot yoga, Crossfit or pilates – you name it, there is a community for it.

My whole-hearted philosophy about fitness is that you have to find something you love and something you can stick to.

You no longer have to join an all-inclusive gym, in fact I know more and more people who are veering away from that. While it offers variety, I also believe it can be too open-ended for some. I have been going to Orangetheory Fitness for the last six months and I love the structure of the classes. I can easily book a class on my phone, walk in, get coached during an amazing workout and leave 55 minutes later. When I walk into the regular gym, I wander from machine to machine sometimes making up routines or other times watching people and copying their moves (haha!).

This January is a perfect time to start experimenting to find what works for YOU.

Here’s the other thing: working out at a specialty gym, or investing in workouts you enjoy, is not always cheap. But, we make excuses all the time purchasing other things! Our health is one of the most valuable things we sometimes take for granted. All it takes is a little adjustment – putting down a few extra trinkets from Target, saying no to a few extra drinks out one night or making brunch at home instead of going to a restaurant. All this in exchange for a gym or workout community you love!

You owe it to yourself to invest in whatever is going to keep you committed, whatever is going to help you feel excited to move, squat, groove or sweat. Find someone to try out classes with you, a friend who will get excited when you tell them about your latest workout accomplishment or give you a high five when you increase your weights by 5 pounds. If you need someone, I’m happy to be that go-to-girl for you! I’m committed to keeping this Gourmet Gab community eating well and feeling fit this 2017.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela