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Noted celeb fitness trainer Mark Jenkins knows his way around the gym. Why else would famed stars Mary J. Blige, Diddy and Beyoncé trust Jenkins to whip them into shape? Instead of saving his expertise for the Hollywood elite, Jenkins will periodically drop by to answer fitness questions for rolling out readers. Check out this week’s installment. –dewayne rogers
Many people find it difficult to stick with a fitness routine. What would you advise them to do to stay motivated?
The best thing you can do is keep going to the gym. There’s no way to get around it. You have to understand that the commitment is long term. You’re going to make mistakes, and if you fall off the wagon get right back on. The most successful people fail a lot, but they just get back up and try again. Don’t quit completely because you stumble. Get back on it.
Some diet books claim that when people experience food cravings, it’s their brain telling the body what it needs. Is it ever a good idea to give in to food cravings?
In a word, no. If that were true, people would be craving milk, because they need more calcium, spinach because they need more folic acid, or whole grains, instead of doughnuts, cake and soda. Cravings tend to be more situational and emotional. In the midst of our hectic lives, we lose touch with what true hunger is. Instead, we rely on external cues, like walking past a fast-food restaurant at noon thinking, “That’s what I need for lunch,” when in fact you don’t, or thinking, “Having that hot chocolate will make me feel better.” Think about it first, and don’t be an emotional eater.
For more fitness tips from Jenkins, purchase The Jump Off: 60 Days To A Hip-Hop Hard Body, available in bookstores now.
