Hey Chicks!

Happy Wednesday..what a scorcher of a week!  We are counting the days until our Oxfam Trailwalker 100KM Hike on July 22 and hoping that mother nature will be kind and keep the rain away.  Don’t forget I am running a charity boot camp class tonight at 6:30pm with all proceeds going toward Oxfam Canada so come out and sweat up a storm with me for an amazing cause!

So I recently did an interview with CanadianLiving.com (so exciting!)  and one of the things we talked alot about was the emotional / self esteem aspect of fitness. After the interview I really started thinking more about it and it inspired me to write my blog post today.  In my opinion, the emotional side of fitness is the most underrated and overlooked part of living a long term healthy lifestyle, losing weight and just being happy.  Women are extremely hard on themselves and we continuously point out what we see as negative about ourselves  versus the positives. It is hard to change things coming from a place of self hatred.   Old habits die hard and it is easier said than done but here are some exercises that I have tried to help you start believing that you ARE the fabulous, fierce chick we know you are!

Laura’s Top Tips For Blasting Low Self-Esteem

1. Pick a “Chick Power” anthem song. Music is an instant mood & self esteem booster.  Select a strong, positive song that gets you pumped to be your anthem this summer (mine is currently “I’m Every Women” by Whitney Houston – love it).  Blare it in your car, living room, office  or on the beach to make you feel like the fierce femme you are.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gAi-T4qFcc]

2. The Love Me List. Grab a pen and paper and write down at least 5 things you love about yourself – inside and out.  Every time you feel down or yucky in your skin,  pull out your list to give yourself an instant pep talk / pick up.

With my "No negative self-talk" Ambassadors: Melissa and Jackie!

3. Enlist friends & family to be your “No negative self talk” Ambassadors. Let your peeps know you are trying to change your ways. Anytime you start to say something negative about yourself, have them tell you to stop and then you have to change the statement to a positive one.  These are simple exercises that we have been doing this in our office for months and what a difference it makes in boosting your self esteem!

Do you have something you do to put some pep back in your step when you are feeling down?  Sharing is caring so let us know!