Sweat for Success: The Fit Life Through College

By Michele Gordon

Sweat for Success: The Fit Life Through College proves that fitness is the key to success - in all aspects of your life! Learn how fun and simple leading a fit life can be while you are in school and why it will help you to improve your relationships, grades, job opportunities, and more! The author, Michele Gordon, commonly known as Miss Motivational, learned firsthand how fitness can shape the rest of your life. Check out her tips and tricks to staying fit and achieving your goals. In addition, you will get a special password to her Sweat for Success workouts including the Pre-Party Pump and Pre-Class workout series. Achieving goals never felt so good!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312473324

Book preview

Sweat for Success: The Fit Life Through College

Sweat for Success: The Fit Life Through College

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michele Gordon, also known as Miss Motivational, is an AFAA Group Exercise Instructor, ACE Personal Trainer, fitness business consultant, motivational speaker and blogger.   She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Law (PPL) with a minor in Spanish.  Prior to leading a fit life, Michele felt tired, insecure, shy and unhealthy.  Once she started to lead a fit life in college, Michele's life completely changed for the better.  Now, Michele works to empower young adults to become fit leaders, achieve their goals and truly make things happen!  Michele’s entrepreneurial fitness endeavors have earned her awards such as 20 in Their Twenties, Top Business Driver of the Year, Most Outstanding Group Exercise Instructor and more.  Michele is known for her contagious passion, energy, motivation and down-to-earth realness. She has been featured as a fitness expert and ambassador for national and international brands, companies, online and print networks.  To learn more about Michele and how you can work with her, visit her site: www.missmotivational.com.

FOREWORD

When I first met Michele, we were college freshmen trying to adjust to a new life away from home. We shared a lot of growing pains together, undergoing many of the ups and downs that are associated with growing up. By the time we graduated, Michele and I had become best friends, working together both personally and professionally to maximize on our strengths and to help each other improve on our weaknesses. Throughout our undergraduate experience, I was able to watch Michele as she grew and transformed into the beautiful, wonderful, and extremely influential person she is today.

When Michele told me that she had begun writing a book about healthy college living, I have to say I was not surprised. I learned very quickly that the word impossible does not exist within Michele’s vocabulary. She is the only person I know who has the ability to dream big, and then to take huge strides to make those dreams into realities. How many other college seniors do you know who have handfuls of fitness certifications, teach classes at several gyms for hours every week, balance a full-time course load, start their own businesses, serve as the president of a student club, take part in several internships at once, and participate in event planning for health-related events on a college campus?

Michele was able to do all of these things during her senior year of college. Never once did she get discouraged, despite the many setbacks she encountered. Rather, her setbacks left her even more determined and excited to get up, dust herself off and try again.

As our graduation from Binghamton University approached, Michele, like many of our classmates, expressed some apprehension regarding the uncertainties that the future would hold. However, I, like all of Michele’s friends, knew that of all the 2011 graduates, Michele had nothing to worry about. Regardless of which job offer Michele decided to accept, she would succeed in shining as the bright star that she is; spreading her warmth and passion to all who she encounters regardless of her place of employment – and she certainly has!

Michele is the kind of person who is not content focusing on just one task, job, or project. She has an uncanny ability to multitask at virtually all times of the day. Sleeping seems almost optional for Michele, as she devotes so much of her time to inspiring and motivating her friends, family and even complete strangers to be their best and strive for success in all aspects of their lives.

Most importantly, though, is Michele’s passion for health and fitness. It is through the health and fitness industry that Michele will succeed in changing the world and pushing people farther than they ever believed they could go themselves. She is a gifted and talented exercise specialist, who at her young age has already touched thousands of lives and encouraged them to make healthy lifestyle changes.

For those who are living a college or a college-like lifestyle, this book is a must-have! Michele has experienced first-hand the struggles and hardships of implementing a health-oriented lifestyle on a college campus. She knows what it is like to eat in the dining halls, to be involved in a variety of different social and extra-curricular groups and activities and cram for midterms and finals every semester.  Michele’s efforts in college paved the way for her success after graduation and in the real world.  Her insight and expertise have already enabled so many people to make healthy and permanent lifestyle changes, and reading this book will help you, too! 

- Rachel Graff, Exercise Physiologist – BA, MA, PhD candidate

By leading a fit life, you become an unstoppable force – Michele Gordon

Chapter One: Why the Fit Life?

Ah, college – what a great time of your life. You’re young, you’re free and you have the world at your fingertips. It’s a time of new experiences, new people and new places. You’ll move into this phase of your life and dive into the buffet of great things to do. Friends, parties, social life, parties, academic challenges….

Did I mention parties?

College can be a lot of fun.

But college can also be a new source of stress. Freedom comes with new responsibilities – demands on your time, your finances and your emotions. What’s more, the stress you experience now can have long-term consequences. It can impact your grades, your health and your eventual success in the workplace.

This isn’t something most new college students think about, but it’s true. The crazy, fun, stressful, new life you’re into right now is the foundation for who you’ll be as an adult going forward. It all starts now.

That’s why it pays to start it right.

I spend a lot of time on college campuses talking to students about fitness. And when I start my pitch for fitness, I often get back the same basic question: why bother? Most of us come to college young, healthy and with the feeling that anything bad must be years and years away. Why get worried about things like obesity and heart disease? That’s in the future.

So I’m here to answer that question, because the future is here and being fit is important right now. 

If I told you there was a way to get higher grades, right now, would you do it?

If I told you there was something you could do, right now, to score a job interview and job offer, would you do it?

If I told you there was a way you could both look great and feel great, would you do it?

If I told you there was a way that you could accomplish more in one day than you are right now, would you do it?

Do these sound like things you might be interested in the future? Or do they sound pretty good to you right now?

If this list sounds appealing to you, then you’ve started to answer that big audience question: why be fit? Being fit can help you do all of these things– and more. It is a secret weapon of successful people in all age groups, including yours.

Let’s take a look at the key reasons to be fit in college.

BE FIT FOR WEIGHT CONTROL

This is the easiest reason to understand. A fit life is the way to lose weight or even to prevent gaining it in the