#bongo board

Giving the bongo board a go

Bongo Board

The Bongo Board - the early models worked in exactly the same way as today: a see-saw type board balanced on top of a rolling cylinder or ball. Nowadays, balance boards are usually the preserve of surfers and sports people, but back in the 1950s, they were marketed as a fitness tool for the average Joe. They were described as,“Kind of a sawn-off see-saw for one Marjorie Daw at a time,” and were applauded because, “By using Bongo… bingo! Everything shapes up nicely.”

Cochran family Bongo Board

Air Force pilot on a bongo board

Did you know December and January are when gyms sell the most gym memberships? The most popular New Year resolutions are weight loss and to get in shape, and many of us (I know I have tried this) assume that buying the gym membership will be enough motivation. Sometimes it even works, but rarely for very long. Instead, here are some easy ways to get motivated to lose weight (and then stay motivated once you’ve started!):

Be nice to yourself.

One of the hardest parts is admitting and then deciding to lose weight so congratulate yourself for doing that! The negative records that play in our heads can be stifling, so fight back with some positive thoughts about yourself. Know that we all have good and bad days, so don’t beat yourself up if you slip and have a piece of cake or a pizza slice. Not sure how to stay relaxed during stress? The Stress Eraser and emWave 2 are portable, personal stress reliever devices which use breathing exercises to help you remain relaxed even when stressed.

Make realistic goals.

Set a bigger, overall goal such as the total weight you want to lose. Then, break that big goal into smaller goals that can be attained over shorter time periods. Depending on how much weight you have to lose, remember that it may take many months to reach that goal; smaller goals keep you motivated! Your goals don’t have to be all about weight – you can have goals to reduce waist inches, clothing size, body fat ratio, etc. Keep track of your progress weekly (don’t weight in daily) with a bathroom scale specially designed for weight loss tracking (and easy to use) such as the Digital Body Fat Composition Scale.

Reward yourself.

As you reach each goal, reward yourself! Don’t use food as a reward (though these slimming weight loss chocolates might be an exception), but instead do something that makes you feel great. Some ideas: a massage, night out with friends, a concert, new pair of shoes, new jeans (in your new, smaller size!), etc. One of my good friends celebrates her new body by rewarding herself with things that make her skin look and feel incredible (like the Baby Quasar System).

Make it fun!

Think “fun” and “weight loss” are polar opposites? Enlist your coworkers for a daily power walk. Try an activity that makes you laugh; you’ll have so much fun balancing on the Bongo Board you’ll forget about exercise being boring. Take a pole dancing class or a salsa dancing lesson.

Find a diet buddy.

All those things above are even more fun with a friend. With a friend you can make “dates” to go to the gym, cook healthy recipes together, etc. Even if you can’t find a friend who wants to go through the process of losing weight, you need support. Enlist friends and/or family members to help cheer you on along the way as you lose weight; you want to be able to share your weight loss successes and pitfalls with them and know they’ll support you. Also consider joining a weight loss group.