Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — What’s your excuse for not exercising?
A recent survey of more than 22,000 Americans found that the No. 1 reason for not exercising is lack of time. Not so coincidentally, this survey found that 80 percent of those people spent more than an hour a day, every day, surfing the web for fun.
We asked our ksl.com Facebook fans about their favorite get-fit websites and apps. Here are their favorites:
So how do you merge the addictive power of the Internet with the unsurpassed benefits of an active lifestyle? From blogs to web workouts to social networking support groups, there are a myriad of ways to turn the Web into a source of motivation, not procrastination.
Many Utahns are already on board, using social networks for not only motivation but accountability and support. Kelli Oswald, a full-time mom of two, created a Facebook group to help her stick to her newfound active lifestyle and offer support as well as receive it.
Oswald says she had been overweight since she was a young teen and, when she turned 30, had a “mini mid-life crisis” and decided it was time to make a change.
“I began to question whether I had accomplished everything I had wanted to by that point in my life. I hadn't, especially in the weight loss department,” she said. “I had started and stopped so many diets I had lost count. Not this time.”
Oswald began by recruiting her husband to work out alongside her. The support was invaluable.
“It helped knowing I had someone I cared about supporting me and cheering me on. It was great encouragement,” she said. “After a while, I needed the support from family, friends and even strangers to hold me accountable and keep me motivated.”
She’s not alone. The survey listed the top motivator for sticking with a fitness program was having someone to be accountable to. So Oswald turned to social networking.
“A page on Facebook seemed like the perfect way to connect with others who were struggling with the same issues I had,” Oswald said. “It's been motivating to see and hear other success stories and helps me be accountable when I commit to do something. The support of others not only keeps me accountable, but I learn from others what works and, sometimes, what doesn't.”
Oswald has lost close to 80 pounds and says she’s smaller than she was in junior high. Her positive attitude keeps her Facebook group, Fit and Fab, energized, and the sympathetic support of others undertaking their own journeys helps when the road gets bumpy.
Like Oswald, Amanda McHenry Alires has turned to Facebook to help keep her on her feet, literally. Alires, a single working mom of an 8-year-old daughter, started running two years ago after looking for a way to get fit and lose weight.
Alires has run two half marathons and many 5K races, but found that if she doesn’t have a race to train for, she quickly loses motivation. She’s currently at work training for the Halloween Half in October, but this time she’s got support.
Alires started a running group on Facebook and uses it to schedule several training runs a week with friends and coworkers.
“The group is awesome because I can schedule our runs as events and use motivational posts to keep everyone pumped. It has been a great motivational tool,” she said. “I love it and I hope they enjoy it as well.”
It's been motivating to see and hear other success stories and helps me be accountable when I commit to do something.
–Kelli Oswald
Facebook isn’t the only outlet for online support. Blogs and message boards are great outlets for sharing a fitness journey and helping others create their own.
Utah native Janetha Gallegos started the blog Meals & Moves in 2009 to hold herself accountable for the new diet and exercise regimen she was undertaking. While initially she made daily posts logging what she ate and how she exercised, she ended up having more of a false start.
“To be honest, starting the blog caused me to gain weight in the beginning,” Gallegos said. “I was focusing so much on making my food fun and interesting but I did not take into account the extra calories I was consuming."
When she finally found a workout program she loved, Body for Life, she said, “The spark I had for eating right and exercising turned into a flame.”
Nowadays her posts are more freeform, but she’s made an amazing physical transformation and now inspires hundreds of visitors to her blog each month.
Now, what’s your excuse? If you find yourself more often than not clicking when you should be crunching, take to your social networks and find a source of motivation that works for you. As these ladies have learned, reaching out can change your body, and your life.
Email: lmaxfield@ksl.com
Lindsay Maxfield is a writer and the editor of the Happy Living feature section on ksl.com.
