So many variations.

So many fads.

So many great gyms.

So many gadgets.

So many promises. So many hopes. So many guarantees “or your money back.”

Slow moving, fast moving, stretching, strengthening, running, rowing, jumping, Acroyoga, barre classes, belly dancing, Pilates, CrossFit, high intensity interval training, parkour, silver sneakers, curves, body pump, machines, dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, Indian clubs, steel maces, foam rollers, physio balls, rebounders, jump ropes, Richard Simons on the old VHS, PBS Yoga, Suzanne Somers step master, thigh master, Buns of Steel, and lest we forget…Prancercising. You don’t want to miss out on this one.

With so many options…what’s the best one?

It’s the 451st workout you finish.

That’s right, in the Big Picture, what matters most is that you get started and keep moving.

Find what you enjoy and make it a consistent habit. So much so that regardless of the days that you “don’t feel like working out,” you’ve engrained the behavior so well that you know you’ll feel better if you do it anyway.

Life is motion, and motion is life. Would you rather drink water from a stagnant pond, or a raging river? Motion cleanses life, it purifies life, it bathes and detoxifies. You don’t want to be stagnant and rot from the inside out.

Get to your 451st workout and once you’re there, go for another 451.

For any overachievers…

The best workouts are ones where you have variety. Cardio, high intensity bursts, flexibility and strength building, balance training, and most importantly, FUN.

For obsessive overachievers…

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. If you have become a contortionist because of your yoga routine, but don’t have the strength to carry a few grocery bags, then something is wrong. Time to phase into some bodyweight/ weight training. If you’ve weight trained to the point that your neck looks like your torso, and you can’t turn your head side to side, then it’s time to go visit the yoga studio.

Ask yourself the longevity question: Is this something I can maintain? Is it captivating and fun? Will it keep me fit and toned? What do the experts, the masters exemplify…do I want to work toward what they demonstrate?

Remember above all else: it’s the 451st.