We have all heard it, the healthy benefits of excercise. Even traditional mind traps like nickolodeon and Cartoon Network and encouraging children to turn off the TV and go play, get animated, verb - its what you do. Now it’s one thing to tell ten year olds to go outside and get active…most times they don’t need much encouragement, adults are a different lot all together. With the stresses of modern life work, too much to eat, too little to eat, all the functions and people and event to juggle its easy for us to fall prey to inertia. We get stuck in a unhealthy routine and before we know it we are out of shape over weight and too damn lazy to do anything about it.

So here goes: My 10 tips to stay motivated and sweat for that summer body.

1. Work out to music

Nothing like some power tunes to help get the blood flowing and that lazy ass moving. If you have an ipod check out nikeplus.com. If you don’t have an ipod don’t worry any mp3 player will do. If you don’t have an mp3 player then a discman or a walkman will suffice. Yeah you might look old school, but ignore the snickers…you have they have the added benifit of doubling as light weights.

2. Challenge yourself

Run with a stopwatch, walk with a pedometer, do more reps and keep tabs. Set goals, do more, push hard…inside every tub of lard is a ____________ (insert appropriate imagery).

3. Train with someone more disciplined than yourself

Most people by themself don’t have the drive or the focus…it’s alot easier to wish and do nothing. Get a training partner who will push you rain or shine…The excuse the gut is a sign of prosperity has lost its shine.

4. Integrate excercise into your lifestyle

Plan around your excercise. Other shit is always going to pop up, if you only excercise when you have time you will forever be lazy and fat!

5. Leave the Mobile phone at home

you can’t talk and push for that extra mile at the same time…If you weren’t such an out of shape sad-sack you would be confident that they would be call back.

6. Wear comfortable appropriate footwear

Your feet bear the brunt of the strain. nothing kills vibes like, bruised, sore feet. Take the time to love your feet, they will be carrying you for the rest of your life. If you are a runner, wear running shoes, not dress shoes or tennis shoes or basketball shoes. The only thing with a fat ass, is a fat ass with a limp.

7. Walk, run, skip or play

As long as you do it regularly. The gym can be expensive, walking and running is free. For less than the cost of your cellphone you can get a decent pair of trainers…skipping…any old piece of rope will do.

8. Free Aerobics at emancipation park

7-8pm Monday to Thursday check out the free aerobics class at the emancipation park…yeah freeness it does not get any better.

9. Look in the Mirror

Yes…stand naked in front of your mirror…nope don’t suck in your gut…IF that’s not motivation enough then you are hopeless.

10. Keep thinking “excercise increases stamina”

Yep…become the stud in bed you wish you were. If you can’t run 400 meters…10 minutes of sex is going to positively kill you.

11. And the bonus

Get stronger and faster so you can chase me down, catch me and kick my ass for calling you a…Lazy Ass, Chunky Butt, Dough Person, if you are too lazy to go out and get sweaty!

I have never had need to unlock a phone until recently and it was an eye opening experience. It all started with me replacing my old Razr with a Blackberry Pearl bought in the US from T-mobile, unfortunately for me the phone came locked.

After asking around a bit, I learned that it cost approximately $2,000-$3,000 JMD to unlock a phone at Best Buy in the New Kingston Shopping Center so I paid them a visit.

I gave the girl at the counter my phone and asked her if they could unlock it for me? She took the phone and dissappeared in the backroom, when she returned about three minutes later she told me “it would cost $7,500 JMD to unlock the phone” and that “it took 5-10 working days” furthermore ”If it didn’t work, I could bring it back” - no shit.

Realising she was on Crack or something, I took my phone and hit the internet to dig up some answers of my own. This research I share as is;

Preamble

T-mobiles policy is to give the unlock codes for there phones to customers who have been with them for at least 3 months. Which clearly does not include foreigners who buy phones and without plans and leave the country.

Solution

Find a friend or relative in the US who has been a T-mobile customer for at least 3 months. Furnished them with the relevant information depending on your phone model: for the Blackberry it was an IMEI number which you can find under the options menu-phone status.

Have your relative or friend call/email T-mobile support and request the unlock code under their account. T-mobile emails the unlock code and instructions to them, they email it to you and your phone is unlocked for for free.

Now the funny part of the story…when I asked the girl at Best Buy why it would take 5-10 working days, her response ” because the phone is just like a computer and they have to load the software on it”….priceless!