I inserted a quote on my website which I absolutely love because it really is the key to success. Jim Rohn once said "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment". Before starting an exercise routine it's important to understand that discipline is really all you need to accomplish any goal you choose, whether it's fitness, weight loss or a job promotion. Once you're disciplined there's no doubt that you will succeed.
To help you get started I've outlined some fitness tips that have proven to be extremely beneficial.
&bull Get Motivated—As with any lifestyle change, success is only possible if you are motivated to make that change and are willing to do so for you. Get yourself into the mindset that says "I can do this and I will succeed." With the right attitude, failure is impossible and success is the only possible outcome. My former boss always told his employees to avoid using the "T" word: "Try." When you say you'll "try" to do something it really means you're not going to do all that you possibly can to successfully reach your goal. Just know that you can do whatever it is you put your mind to, especially when it comes to getting fit.
&bull Consult a Physician—Generally, if you're under 45 and in good health you probably don't need to consult a physician before you begin your exercise routine. If, however, you are over 45 and have any type of medical condition it's best to consult your healthcare provider prior to beginning any type of physical activity or exercise program. You'll want to avoid doing too much too soon, as this may lead to serious injury.
&bull Join a Gym—By joining a gym you are making the commitment to become fit. Don't say "I'll start Monday" because there's no time like the present. When you allow yourself the extra time to continue being a couch potato and make the statement that you'll begin your exercise routine in a few days what you're really saying is "I'm not motivated and I'm just too lazy to make a commitment. Period." Go on the Internet and/or open a phone book and start calling local gyms in your area. Once you've visited these facilities and have found one whose equipment is consistent with your workout, join immediately and begin exercising that same day.
&bull Consistency is the Key—If you want results from your exercise routine you need to be consistent. In other words, attending your gym five days a week for the first two weeks, taking a week off and then showing up once or twice a week for the next two weeks will simply not bring results. Consistency really is the key to a successful exercise routine. Once you've made the commitment to become fit, you need to be present for that commitment. View exercising as if it's a job—something you need to do. Or, look at it this way: if you need dialysis every single day of your life in order to live, you will make the time for your dialysis treatment. Why wouldn't you do the same to be healthy and fit?
&bull Small Steps to Success—It's so very important to keep in mind that every single accomplishment you make, no matter how small or large, is indeed another step toward your success. Your goal may be to look like a super model, but remember that it's going to take a succession of small steps before you reach your ultimate goal. It's best to measure your success with each small step or accomplishment you make because this will keep you motivated. In other words, if your goal is to lose ten inches from your thighs and you've lost a half-inch after 30 days of exercise, don't think of this as a failure because it's not; this small step has actually taken you that much closer to successfully reaching your goal.
&bull Be Properly Equipped—I can't stress enough how much easier your exercise routine will be if you have the proper equipment with you when you arrive at the gym. Here's a list of items you'll want to have with you when you begin exercising.
Stick with these tips and you'll no doubt be feeling and looking exactly as you desire; you will indeed have crossed the bridge and found yourself on the other side - accomplishment - there's no better feeling.
German fashion - think Karl Lagerfeld, Joop,Jill Sanders, Mont Blanc, BMW, Mercedes...sleek, stylish, lots of black. Looking like a German is easy once you get a few things down.
Don't wear trainers (sports shoes) unless they are the latest in Pumas or another like brand.
Don't wear running gear unless you are running.
Wear lots of black - black skirts, black dresses, black shirts.
Women, complement your wardrobe with a scarf, you don't need jewelry, just a nice scarf - and no one is going to steal a scarf from your hotel room.
Jeans are always OK - add a jacket for the evening but don't wear your jeans with tennis shoes and white socks.
Try to avoid wearing shorts - a sure indication that you are not a German.
Wear Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, or other American designers-actually most designer labels are OK. Of course, if you can afford Hermes, that never hurts.
Back packs are fine if you are touring, but don't wear a fanny pack unless it is of leather.
When in doubt, jeans and a simple black tee shirt will do, whether you are a man or a woman.
Don't walk down the street in the rain without an umbrella - you will get wet.
If you are staying in a hotel that offers robes and slippers and you want to go down to the pool or sauna, use them, don't go down to the sauna in your gym suit unless you are planning to work out.
Don't wear your bathing suit in the sauna.
Dress up when you go out at night - it's fun and a lot of German night clubs still have dress codes.
All that being said, Germany is becoming increasingly casual, wear what you like and be comfortable. Enjoy yourself and make sure you have good walking shoes - even if they are not designer trainers. Bottom line is, nobody cares as long as you tip well and are polite. But if you are like me, you want to blend in just a bit, so knowing how to dress never hurts. You can do it on no budget at all (think monochromatic), and it is rather fun to be mistaken for a German when you walk in the door to a restaurant.
Dressing in Europe
Any visit to Europe involves going in and out of churches to look at the art. The churches are full of fabulous art, but many are also regular churches being used by local people. You are entering a place of worship and are expected to dress and act accordingly. Do not talk loudly. If there is a religious ceremony going on, wait until it is finished to examine the art near the altar.
Some churches have signs telling you what type of clothing is acceptable, some have people at the doors turning people away who are not appropriately dressed, some do not have a dress code enforced. It varies from church to church. It is best to dress appropriately in case they are turning people away because of inappropriate dress.
This photo shows a sign on the door of the Orvieto Duomo in Italy. This is what it is trying to say:
- Not Permitted: Men and women cannot be in short shorts or sleeveless tops.
- Permitted: Men can wear long shorts (to the knee) and women can wear skirts to the knee.
- No dogs, no cameras.
- Usually sleeveless tops are not permitted for either men or women. A woman can carry a light shawl to cover her shoulders and upper arms when needed. Frequently shorts are not acceptable. We usually wear long pants in Italy; lighter weight ones in the summer.
On average, Europeans tend to dress better than Americans. Steve and I dress a little better when we are in Europe. Things are more casual now than they were 10 years ago and we no longer bring a jacket and tie for Steve for restaurants, but we do bring one or two casual shirts for going out for dinner. We also wear nice looking leather walking shoes instead of running shoe-like walking shoes (although running shoes are starting to be more popular in Europe). You need comfortable footwear because you spend a lot of time walking, but pick a shoe that looks nice too. Be sure your shoes are well broken in before your trip.
The topic of blue jeans in Europe comes up regularly on all the travel message boards. Here is my opinion. Ten years ago wearing jeans in Europe was out of place. This is no longer the case. You will see Italians in jeans (and even in jogging suits and running shoes). Do not avoid jeans because you think they will make you stand out as American.
I personally love jeans and always bring them to Europe. Jeans are good because they don't show the dirt. You can easily go a month without washing them and they don't look outrageous. You can wear them hiking, or put on a nicer top to go out for dinner.
But jeans are heavy to pack (I always wear mine on the plane) and if you wash them they can take days to line-dry in the wet season. Most laundries charge by weight so it is expensive to get them washed and dried.
I think it boils down to whether or not you are a blue jeans person. If you are, then bring them. Cotton pants are more sensible in the hot weather, but when you are away from home it is sometimes comforting to wear your favorite clothes.
Dressing for Air Travel
It's really embarrassing to set off the metal detector while you frantically pat your pockets. It's worse to get called aside to for a secondary X-ray search. This can happen over a simple, forgotten tie tack. A secondary inspection involves:
- An intimate pat down with someone's hands,
- And a metal detector web wand set at an absurdly high sensitivity.
- This is all in full view of everyone passing through the gate. This is pretty irking, but even worse, can make you miss your flight during peak travel times.
Best to just be proactive; dress simply, in loose, comfortable clothing. Wear shoes that slip off - you will have to take them off anyway for X-raying. No hair ties, belts, jewelry, doodads or watches (check the time on your cell or PDA instead).
Wear a comfortable, clean outfit with elastic, like an attractive jogging suit or other stylish or sporty casual wear. This will be much more comfortable on the plane for prolonged sitting, and attempted sleeping.
This kind of attire won't wrinkle, either. No one says a business traveler has to look like a cardboard cutout in a power suit. Find some leisure-wear that says "expensive" and no one will question your judgment or taste in business class. Try shopping at Nordstroms - tell the sales staff exactly what you are looking for. This should not be a new request to them.
Wear slip on shoes. You will have to remove your shoes for the security check, for one thing. And for another, feet will swell during flight, so slip on shoes are a great choice. Wear fresh socks in consideration to others if you have smelly feet.
If you are traveling without a carry-on bag, you will need to place all your personal items through the X-ray conveyor belt in something. Don't hold up the line while you check all your pockets. Have everything ready to go in a Ziplock or other see-through plastic bag. Lay the bag on the conveyor belt in the provided bins. If everyone did this ahead of time, security checkpoints would be a breeze. Remember that jackets go through the X-ray machine as well.
Dressing for Italy
Foreign travelers to Italy sometimes ask how to to dress so as not to look out of place among the fashionable Italians. This question is hard to answer; much depends on your sex, age, and personal style.
It's easiest to start with some fashion don'ts:
- No track suits, sweat suits, or the like, and no baggy sweatshirts. Well, really, no baggy anything.
- No fanny packs.
- No daypacks or backpacks, unless you're in your 20s or younger.
- No clunky white sports shoes. Younger Italians do wear sports shoes, even when not doing sports, but these are usually sleek and stylish models (including some brands very familiar to Americans), and are never dirty or scuffed or worn down.
- No t-shirts, especially not with big pictures or slogans on them, again, unless you're under 30.
- No shorts, especially not for men.
- Now some do's:
- In general, Italians dress more formally than Americans. Blue jeans are fine, as long as they are well-fitting, clean, and in good condition (or any damage is intentional and fashionable) - Levis are very trendy and even expensive in Italy.
- Men, always wear collared shirts (polos are okay).
- Wear dark or subdued colors, except in summer. Even then, Italians wear white or pastels, not the bright purples and blues that many Americans like.
- As a tourist you'll be walking a lot, so I do recommend very comfortable shoes, even though this seems never to be a consideration for Italians, at least not for women, who routinely walk all over town with things on their feet that I couldn't even stand up in.
- Designer labels are always a plus.
- Of course, how you dress is always entirely up to you, and no one is going to jeer at you even if you commit every single one of the fashion "sins" listed above. The question I'm responding to came from people who wanted to know how to fit in, and that's what I've done my best to answer, with some expert advice from my Milan-raised, extremely stylish, teenage daughter. (I admit I cheated - in the photo above, my daughter and husband are dressed for a wedding!)
I may have to eat my words about Italians not wearing shorts. I'm seeing more and more of them doing exactly that. And men in baggy capri-length pants, with big clunky sneakers, yet! What is Italy coming to?
Fabrizio said something to me years ago that always stuck in my mind (though it took me years to act on it): In Italy, dressing well is considered an act of courtesy towards others.
Not every Italian thinks this way, nor abides by it all the time, but, as cultural markers go, I'd say that this is a sign of an advanced civilization. When somebody goes out in public dressed like a slob, what are they saying about their attitude towards you, who have to look at them?
I am permanently scarred from the vision, 20 years ago, of an American woman in a supermarket in Jakarta (Indonesia) wearing sloppy clothes, with her hair in curlers. Maybe going shopping in curlers was normal where she came from, but I cringed at her doing it in a country where she was a guest, and, by shared nationality, implicated me in her rudeness.
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