Just try to keep up

When it comes to staying fit, Jen Malin attacks her training

,Jen Malin, 33, of Ferndale, makes sure to work out to keep her energy up for her job as a management consultant. “I feel the need to work out to keep my body youthful and energy up for my demanding job,” she said. “Working out makes me feel connected to my body, mind and soul.”

She said she likes to shake up the activities she does during the week. She likes a lot of different things, as long as the workout gets her moving.

There will be days you don’t feel like working out or being active. Take a walk, push through a workout, you will always feel better after! Also, don’t beat yourself up if you eat poorly, just make better decisions the next day.

“I love weighted cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” she said. “Anything that gets my heart rate over 160 and keeps it there for 45 minutes to an hour is my target.

“I will start with five minutes of cardio, running, Stairmaster, then transition to a weighted exercise followed by a plyometric exercise. I like to finish with five minutes of cardio and a few ab exercises.”

She said she eats a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese.

“I don’t limit anything from my diet,” she explained. “If I want a cookie, I have a cookie. If I want chips, I stick to the serving size and include them in my daily calorie count. I believe restrictive diets are what cause people to fail. I am just very conscious of tracking what I eat and ensuring that I burn enough calories each day.

Her plan is working. She feels great, she said.

“I used to be tired all of the time and it impacted my ability to push through long hours at work,” she said. “Creating a dedicated workout schedule, with specific days outlined, has helped so much. I also have a great support group of friends I’ve met through P80 Fitness and have brought a few of my friends along who work out just as hard as I do. We hold each other accountable and push each other to our goals.”

She said it’s important not to give up on yourself.

“Don’t give yourself crazy restrictions,” she said. “There will be days when you don’t feel like working out or being active. Take a walk, push through a workout, you will always feel better after! Also, don’t beat yourself up if you eat poorly, just make better decisions the next day. Putting restrictions on yourself such as, I will run five miles because I ate an entire pizza, will impact your relationship with food in the long run.”