Pushing yourself beyond what you think is possible means believing that you can achieve your goals. It means having the strength of character, motivation and determination to succeed. How you think is as important as what you do when it comes to women changing their lifestyles and keeping fit.

Effective fitness plan in place? Check! Great people to train with? Check! Perfect location and facilities? Check! Know what your fitness goals are and how to achieve them? Wow! You're all set, right? So why do you feel that your motivation is flagging or that it has taken a dip just when you need to up the ante and face a new fitness challenge head on? Just as you need to maintain your activity levels; you also need to give your motivation a boost at times too!

Let's presume that you have had the motivation to realize that you want to improve your lifestyle and fitness levels with some good quality training.

What influences you depends on what you surround yourself by, and that includes the people, their stories and positive tales of success. If you are looking for inspiration to give you a motivational boost to get fit or reach a fitness goal, then you could find power-up with the sporting feats of some amazing female athletes.

In the not so distant past few people were using fitness apps, in fact they weren't even around to use. But with each passing year new fitness-related tech wizardry is designed to support our endeavors to lead a healthy life and connect with our own lifestyles.

June 7, 1-3pm
Striking Clinic with Mark "Diamond Heart" DeLuca
2004 USKBA World Championship tournament Gold medalist
2005 USMTA Certified Muay Thai Instructor
2006 USKBA Superlightweight US Muay Thai Champion
2007 IFMA World Championship A-class competitor for Team USA (Thailand)
2008 TBA-SA Superlightweight Muay Thai World Champion
2009 Fought and won in legendary Lumpinee Stadium (Thailand)
2012 Certified Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning Coach, CMMACC

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While we are constantly bombarded with the news that more people are struggling with weight issues than ever before and that far too many of us are living sedentary lifestyles,we know that such reports don't relate to everyone. There are many women who are living fit and healthy lives too.

How does exercise shape the quality of our cognitive functions? Does keeping in shape mean that you also keep your memory in a fit state too? If you struggle to retain information could it be directly related to your fitness levels? There's so much research yet to come in this area but one recent study adds to the growing opinion that sedentary lifestyles can affect people's minds.

While most women know that they ought to keep fit around two thirds feel too self-conscious to exercise in public, according to UK mental health charity Mind, with some women preferring to exercise at night even. And it is a feeling many women around the Western world can relate to.

Pain is subjective; each of us has a certain threshold at which point the intensity of a stimulus is at a level where we perceive pain. In fitness, people talk about pushing beyond the pain barrier and working out outside your comfort zone. Certainly to achieve results you need to challenge yourself physically and mentally.

Think about it, behind every successful athlete there is a solid team of supporters who rally around her when needed. While it is the sheer determination and commitment each of us shows in achieving our goals that counts, those around us can be a great help.