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We all know exercise isn’t easy.

It’s even harder when you’re just getting started.

Add 50, 60, 70…100+ extra pounds to the mix? Exercise for overweight beginners can feel damn near impossible.

And if you do get started, the extra exhaustion you feel or weight loss plateau you hit often becomes too high of a barrier to overcome. So you stop, and then face the cycle all over again.

I became a certified weight loss specialist – in addition to being a personal trainer – because I know weight loss for the very overweight has its unique obstacles.

Weight loss is complicated. It involves understanding how your unique body works and WHY it’s put on those pounds.

Exercise is a great tool for creating a healthier lifestyle. It helps you burn calories, preserve/build muscle mass, prevent disease, perform daily activities more efficiently, boost confidence, and reduce stress. But only if you’re actually able to get started and keep going.

So here’s what to do.

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Let’s go over a list of 30 day running challenges!

Anyone else in a running slump?

Or even just trying to run regularly, but struggling to stay motivated?

This spring, something happened to me that hasn’t happened too often: I got injured.

If you haven’t experienced it, plantar fasciitis is a real pain in the butt. The lingering foot pain meant I had to take time off.

Not only did this destroy my exercise habits, it also completely zapped my running motivation. I’ve been seriously struggling to get it back, even now that my foot is fine.

When faced with slumps like this in the past, I’d often sign up for a race; there’s nothing like good ole’ racing fear to motivate you into shape.

But with quarantine, that’s not exactly an option. It’s looking like most races are getting cancelled through the rest of 2020.

So I began looking for a new motivator and have found a pretty compelling one: running challenges!

As a personal trainer, I encounter many women who ask how to get toned without bulking up.

They would love some muscle definition, but they’re terrified of getting bulky.

And I was one of them for a long time.