Fitness influencer Alexia Clark is sharing a weight workout on her social media, explaining how she had the best workout after a stressful night dealing with her pets. Clark posted a video of herself doing an intense strength training workout, wearing gray leggings and a neon green sports bra. “It was quite the morning but I did remember this quote from Goggins 😂 and probably had one of the greatest workouts I’ve had recently. I just decided to go for it and dare the world to throw one more thing at me. LETS GO! Try me Monday!” she captioned the post. Here are Clark’s top tips for getting fit, staying healthy, and making it a lifestyle.
1. Happy and Active
Clark’s workout regimen impacts not just her physical wellbeing but her mental health and happiness. “My fitness journey started in high school,” she told Good Morning America. “I absolutely loved sports. I have always been competitive and high school sports were my outlet for all of the competitive energy pent up inside me. In college at Arizona State University, where I studied communications, without team sports, I found myself in the gym every day. Fitness became such an important part of my daily routine. I noticed my mood suffered without it. Like a cure-all drug, exercise boosted my energy and improved my mood and my outlook on my life. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked.”
2. Outdoor Workouts
Clark loves working out outside as much as possible. “The gym is great when it’s too cold to workout outside, but when the sun is shining exercising outdoors is a great way to make you feel revitalized,” she says on her website. “Did you know that exercising outdoors can help you experience higher levels of post-exercise endorphins? You may also find that you lose interest in your fitness routine if you’re constantly exercising in the same place. Exercising outside provides you with lots of new scenery and places to workout that will help you stay on track.”
3. Create Good Habits
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Clark is a big proponent of good habits over motivation. “Whenever my clients have asked me how to get the motivation to go to the gym, I respond: ‘Remind yourself that your health is worth it,’ or ‘Become the best version of yourself for your family.’ However, I always follow it up with what I believe is the secret to staying consistent: make fitness a habit,” she told Good Morning America. “I believe in creating good habits. Habits die hard. When you’ve made a fitness routine a weekly or even daily habit, missing a day of exercise feels like less of a relief, and makes you feel more like something was missing from your day.”
4. Get Good Sleep!
Clark emphasizes just how important sleep is to health and happiness. “Between living your life, working, and exercising, you may find that you’re forgetting to prioritize sleep. Or maybe, you don’t realize that sleep is the key to being rewarded for your diet and fitness efforts,” she says on her website. “Not sleeping enough (less than seven hours of sleep per night) can reduce and even undo the benefits of your workouts and healthy eating. Lack of rest makes you crave food and can sabotage your workout the next day. This is because you might find you’re not able to push as hard as you usually would. A good rule of thumb is to aim for between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Also, try to make sure that one poor night of sleep isn’t followed up with a few more. It might not seem like much, but it could make all the difference.”
5. Supportive Community
Clark knows how important it is to surround yourself with people who are positive and encourage success. “My number one piece of advice is to find a supportive community,” she told Good Morning America. “Some people find this in a gym, but I have found sometimes it can be hard to connect there. People are in a rush and trying to workout and get everything else in their day done. I'm lucky to have found my community online in the ‘Queen Team.’ Not only do they encourage each other to stick to their fitness journeys, but they also help one another - giving advice, talking and sharing it all. In the process we are creating lasting friendships through fitness.”
