Each week on Facebook and Twitter, we share links to news and blog posts and articles that inspire us all to find the motivation to start with a program, stick with a program, love ourselves more, take better care of ourselves and find ways to feel better through movement.

It isn’t always easy. So we’re always on the lookout for good reads that you can turn throughout your day to find inspiration and a community  of like-minded people who are experiencing the same challenges you are facing.

Here are a few links we loved this week:

• Kick Butt: 4 Simple Steps To Start Weightlifting: It seems almost unbelievable that this myth still persists, but women are often afraid they will get big and bulky. When I read how many months and years of extreme training it took Arnold Schwarzenegger to add so much as an inch of muscle to his thigh, I realized I would not have this problem! (And I haven’t.)
• Practicing Positive Character Traits Could Boost Well-Being: A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies (yes! that exists!) shows that purposely focusing on positive character traits is linked with increased well-being. What are you going to be positive about today?
• Exercise: It’s a Love Thing: Count the beads of sweat that fall off your face, and smile. Be active because you can, and because feeling good is far better than just looking it.
• Exercise Really CAN Change Your Life: “The American Cancer Society – have shown that sitting itself can take years off your life. It’s not just that you’re burning fewer calories. It’s that certain bodily processes go silent – processes that do things like regulate your insulin and get the fat out of your bloodstream.“Excessive sitting,” a Mayo Clinic researcher was quoted in The New York Times as saying, “is a lethal activity.”
• Don’t Take a Vacation from Exercise While Traveling: “You may fall into the mind set of, “I’m on vacation, the last thing I want to do is exercise.” I would encourage you to think again. Vacations can and should be wonderful, but they can also be stressful. Exercising can help you cope with the stress of vacationing as well as compensate for the potential over indulgence of food and sweets.”