Work Out Essentials

As I've mentioned in a couple of posts, I have started the journey of getting healthier by eating right and exercising. 

For me, this is not just about losing weight and being healthy, but about glorifying God with everything He has given me. Which most definitely includes my body, which the Bible calls our temple. 

(You can read this here and here.)

To give an update on how the journey has been going, there have been some up and down weeks here and there. 

It seems that some weeks I would eat just right, but not exercise. 

Then, others it would seem that I would exercise, but not eat right.

Very little weeks have seemed to include both and of the amount that I have set for myself. 

I have lost a little weight, but because of my unbalanced weeks, I have stayed at my present weight for the past few weeks. I'm just delighting and thankful that I haven't gained weight. 

Even though I haven't lost much, I have noticed other good changes, mostly more energy throughout the day.

Now, I know that having the best stuff will not make my weight magically fall off, but these few things have encouraged and helped me through my journey so far. 

Workout Clothes! 

I used to workout in just athletic shorts and old t-shirts, but for me this wasn't very comfortable. I would be working out and having to adjust my shirt constantly to make it feel like I wasn't choking! And my shorts would get old, because I just wasn't comfortable in them. 

So, I invested in some very awesome and comfortable running pants. They seriously are the best things for me. Also, I bought a couple of tanks that are loose and don't feel like they are choking me. The materials are very airy and help me to stay cool. Which definitely helps when walking outside in Alabama heat! 

Good Shoes!

I recently switched to the Nike brand for my shoes, not because of it's name, but definitely for its quality. I really like my shoes, they are especially good for walking which is mostly all I do. If I ever step up to running and doing it often, I might invest in a good pair of running shoes. A good shoe really does make all the difference, especially while working out. 

Water Bottles!

I have a major collection of water bottles. It is sort of like my book collection, constantly growing. Although, I only use two or three of my water bottles regularly. When it comes to water bottles, you can go pretty generic and get about anything you want. But, I really like the brand Camelbak. But, what I love about the Camelbak's is that most of them have a straw. Which for me, means I will constantly drink water through that thing and definitely get what I need daily. I recently got two new water bottles from them (there was a sale at a local store). One has a taste filter included and the other is insulated and will keep your water cold literally all day. A friend of mine told me about it and said she has two and always carries one with her to class, because she knows her water is going to be cold. They are great bottles especially when being active and exercising, because all you do is bite, sip, drink. No need to stop and unscrew a cap. And they are spill-proof! 

Watch 

I don't normally wear a watch, but summer jobs at camps and day cares have required them. So, it has gotten me in the habit of wearing one. I recently bought a new watch. It wasn't terribly expensive and I needed a new one anyways. So, I went for an Ironman watch. It has a lot of good features on it and different modes. You can get most on any type watch, but this is a good brand that will last. The features include alarm setting, timer setting, 12 or 24 hour time, can set the time for two different time zones, and can log your  times for up to 10 laps, as well as being water resistant. 

iPod Touch

I have not entered the generation of the iPhone yet, but I do have an iTouch that I bought a couple of years ago. I was running out of room on my iPod and upgraded so I would have more room for music. Whenever exercising, I have to be listening to something. Whether I'm inside listening to music or watching a TV show or outside listening to music, it just helps me focus a little bit better. I have the variety that I want and can choose what I listen to. Like today, instead of listening to music while I walked, I turned on a podcast and listened to a sermon. 

What do you like to do while you work out? 

What are some products that you love to use?