Everyone slips up as part of any goal, and getting fit is not immune. It's best to have a plan, knowing full well there will be phases where you may not feel like getting to the gym, even after building up a routine and losing some weight. It will happen, so don't let it destroy all of your hard work...expect it, accept it, and work with it.
After a spell of 'I'm just too busy,' or 'I just don't want to go,' all you need is a refresher course. The trick is not to wallow in what you've done, and start fresh. Forget that you had built yourself up to going to the gym for a full hour, just go for ten minutes. Tell yourself that if you walk into the gym at your regularly scheduled time and then walk right out again, that's fine! Just go. Go for ten minutes for 5 days in a row if you need to, just go! Eventually you will get back on track, and it usually happens sooner than you think it will. Don't listen to the part of your brian that is telling you to give up, summon your will power and start small. A couple of days of less intense workouts is much more benefitial than doing nothing!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Swimming Smart
One of the best forms of cardio I've found is swimming because not only is it a great heart rate buster, it works every muscle in your body at the same time.
I resisted trying swimming for exercise for a long time because I felt it would be boring, and too hard. But when I injured my knees from running I had no other choice. So I started out slow, walking the length of the pool for a lap and swimming for one. I built up my endurance, for my muscles and my lungs, and when I swam for 20 minutes straight without stopping it was a sense of accomplishment and empowerment that I didn't get from running. It was so much harder, encompassing all parts of physical fitness: strength, lung capacity, conquering the mind that says 'I can't do it,' and building up endurance.
A couple of tips to swimming: get a pair of goggles, they will help regulate your breathing because you'll have the ability to swim with your head in the water. Try to take a breath of air every third stroke by looking straight up underneath your arm as it raises over your head. Breathing this way will keep you from breathing in and out too quickly and tiring you out too quickly.
When stroking your arms in freestyle, use your shoulder muscles to start the movement in your arms. This will keep your arm muscles from wimping out on you and give you a more complete workout.
When kicking, keep your legs straight so as not to damage your knees in the same way running does. Plus that makes the movement come from your glutes, working the whole leg instead of just the thighs.
Be patient. If you tire out, take it slow and walk for a lap or two. This is still a great workout for your muscles and will give your lungs a chance to recover. Swim slowly, allowing longer deep breaths and control your out breath to last the three full strokes.
Switch up your styles. Try 2 laps freestyle, one lap backstroke, one lap breast stroke, and one lap side stroke (switch sides on the second half of the lap). This will allow your breathing to change with each different type of stroke, and will use all of your muscles in different ways. Repeat this sequence for at least twenty minutes, talking walking laps if needed.
Then watch as your body transforms, becoming tighter all over, burning calories faster and keeping your strong heart beating for a long time.
I resisted trying swimming for exercise for a long time because I felt it would be boring, and too hard. But when I injured my knees from running I had no other choice. So I started out slow, walking the length of the pool for a lap and swimming for one. I built up my endurance, for my muscles and my lungs, and when I swam for 20 minutes straight without stopping it was a sense of accomplishment and empowerment that I didn't get from running. It was so much harder, encompassing all parts of physical fitness: strength, lung capacity, conquering the mind that says 'I can't do it,' and building up endurance.
A couple of tips to swimming: get a pair of goggles, they will help regulate your breathing because you'll have the ability to swim with your head in the water. Try to take a breath of air every third stroke by looking straight up underneath your arm as it raises over your head. Breathing this way will keep you from breathing in and out too quickly and tiring you out too quickly.
When stroking your arms in freestyle, use your shoulder muscles to start the movement in your arms. This will keep your arm muscles from wimping out on you and give you a more complete workout.
When kicking, keep your legs straight so as not to damage your knees in the same way running does. Plus that makes the movement come from your glutes, working the whole leg instead of just the thighs.
Be patient. If you tire out, take it slow and walk for a lap or two. This is still a great workout for your muscles and will give your lungs a chance to recover. Swim slowly, allowing longer deep breaths and control your out breath to last the three full strokes.
Switch up your styles. Try 2 laps freestyle, one lap backstroke, one lap breast stroke, and one lap side stroke (switch sides on the second half of the lap). This will allow your breathing to change with each different type of stroke, and will use all of your muscles in different ways. Repeat this sequence for at least twenty minutes, talking walking laps if needed.
Then watch as your body transforms, becoming tighter all over, burning calories faster and keeping your strong heart beating for a long time.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Gumby knew what was up
One constant in exercise is if you don't stretch your muscles you will most likely get injured, usually just as you're starting to feel great about yourself!
Lifting weights, running, swimming, the ellipse, all these forms of exercise work your muscles which means they are warmed up (stretched out) and are torn at the end of your workout. These tears in your muscles usually make you a bit sore for the next day or so, but when they heal your muscle is stronger, leaner, and/or more productive. However, this process repeated over and over means your muscles are more likely to tense up, cause cramps, or strain your bones and other muscles. The muscles you worked out during your gym time must be stretched out, consistently, to ensure they are growing and strengthening in the proper ways.
One great way to stretch and get a workout at the same time is to take yoga. A class or two a week can work wonders on flexibility (not to mention the deep breathing gives your muscles more oxygen which helps the repair process). If you can't, or don't want to squeeze yoga into your schedule (and I don't recommend trying yoga on your own, find a knowledgeable teacher to make sure you are practicing safe yoga) simply stretching on a daily basis can make sure you remain stretched out and feeling limber.
Try working 10-20 minutes of stretching into your daily schedule. Do you always sit down to watch TV at a certain time every night? Sit on the floor before the couch and touch your toes, straddle your legs and lean your chest forward, reach up and lean to each side, and clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your arms, keeping your shoulders down and chest high. (Make sure to also perform the back stretches I outlined a few weeks ago) This is a simple, full body stretch routine that you can stretch or squeeze into as much or as little time as you have, and can save your ankles from sprains, your ligaments from tears, and your back from spams.
MUY IMPORTANTE: When stretching the key is always "gentle." Never bounce in your stretch, always move with purpose and move slowly, never force yourself farther than what feels comfortable. Stretching too hard or too fast can be more damaging than not stretching at all. But that's no excuse not to do it! Just make sure that when stretching, go slow, hold the stretch for 10 seconds, and slowly come back to your starting position. On the next round try to go slightly further, but don't push it too far. Flexibility takes some time to build, but can benefit for years to come.
Lifting weights, running, swimming, the ellipse, all these forms of exercise work your muscles which means they are warmed up (stretched out) and are torn at the end of your workout. These tears in your muscles usually make you a bit sore for the next day or so, but when they heal your muscle is stronger, leaner, and/or more productive. However, this process repeated over and over means your muscles are more likely to tense up, cause cramps, or strain your bones and other muscles. The muscles you worked out during your gym time must be stretched out, consistently, to ensure they are growing and strengthening in the proper ways.
One great way to stretch and get a workout at the same time is to take yoga. A class or two a week can work wonders on flexibility (not to mention the deep breathing gives your muscles more oxygen which helps the repair process). If you can't, or don't want to squeeze yoga into your schedule (and I don't recommend trying yoga on your own, find a knowledgeable teacher to make sure you are practicing safe yoga) simply stretching on a daily basis can make sure you remain stretched out and feeling limber.
Try working 10-20 minutes of stretching into your daily schedule. Do you always sit down to watch TV at a certain time every night? Sit on the floor before the couch and touch your toes, straddle your legs and lean your chest forward, reach up and lean to each side, and clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your arms, keeping your shoulders down and chest high. (Make sure to also perform the back stretches I outlined a few weeks ago) This is a simple, full body stretch routine that you can stretch or squeeze into as much or as little time as you have, and can save your ankles from sprains, your ligaments from tears, and your back from spams.
MUY IMPORTANTE: When stretching the key is always "gentle." Never bounce in your stretch, always move with purpose and move slowly, never force yourself farther than what feels comfortable. Stretching too hard or too fast can be more damaging than not stretching at all. But that's no excuse not to do it! Just make sure that when stretching, go slow, hold the stretch for 10 seconds, and slowly come back to your starting position. On the next round try to go slightly further, but don't push it too far. Flexibility takes some time to build, but can benefit for years to come.
Make food fun!
If you've ever been around a little child you know sometimes you have to trick them into eating what they need to eat and not just what tastes good. Well sometimes you need to trick yourself into doing the same thing. Let's face it, there are days when a healthy salad just is not as appetizing as a huge pizza with extra cheese. And sometimes Alfredo sauce sounds better than marinara. And sometimes even frozen grapes won't cut it when you're craving ice cream.
The thing is, your mind is your own, and you can make it think whatever you want. It sounds backwards, but even tricking yourself works as long as you go through the motions of what you really want to do. You can make your mind think that it's getting whatever food it's craving, without the numerous calories of the craving itself.
For example: feel like sitting down with a bag of pretzels? Try chopping up apples into strips and stick them in a plastic bag before you park it on the couch. (This will probably work best if you have the bags pre-cut and portioned out so that it feels like you're getting a whole serving.) The crunch can be just as satisfying and you won't feel guilty for the constant hand-to-mouth motion (which let's face it, is the root of many of our cravings to snack). Or, if you're like me and like to have huge portions so that you don't feel limited, get a small bowl and fill it so it's overflowing. Your mind will think you have a giant serving in front of you and so you won't feel deprived because you have to keep your calorie count down. Or make a frozen fruit smoothie and have a special bowel to put it in rather than sitting down with a carton of ice cream. Feel like sitting down with some comfort food? Make whole wheat pasta with lots of veggies and spices in a marinara sauce, plus toast a whole wheat roll with garlic and spray butter. Use a huge ladle full of sauce for every hand full of pasta. This will taste decadent because of the many flavors, and you can complete your ritual of sopping up the sauce with your bread, but you're cutting down on the fat and calories and tricking yourself into eating veggies at the same time!
Whatever your craving is, figure out what the underlying reason for it is, (boredom, salty, sweet, comfort) and make your mind believe you're satisfying the craving without feeling packed full of unhealthy food, and guilty that your craving got the best of you...again. You can change your mind, just don't let it in on the secret!
The thing is, your mind is your own, and you can make it think whatever you want. It sounds backwards, but even tricking yourself works as long as you go through the motions of what you really want to do. You can make your mind think that it's getting whatever food it's craving, without the numerous calories of the craving itself.
For example: feel like sitting down with a bag of pretzels? Try chopping up apples into strips and stick them in a plastic bag before you park it on the couch. (This will probably work best if you have the bags pre-cut and portioned out so that it feels like you're getting a whole serving.) The crunch can be just as satisfying and you won't feel guilty for the constant hand-to-mouth motion (which let's face it, is the root of many of our cravings to snack). Or, if you're like me and like to have huge portions so that you don't feel limited, get a small bowl and fill it so it's overflowing. Your mind will think you have a giant serving in front of you and so you won't feel deprived because you have to keep your calorie count down. Or make a frozen fruit smoothie and have a special bowel to put it in rather than sitting down with a carton of ice cream. Feel like sitting down with some comfort food? Make whole wheat pasta with lots of veggies and spices in a marinara sauce, plus toast a whole wheat roll with garlic and spray butter. Use a huge ladle full of sauce for every hand full of pasta. This will taste decadent because of the many flavors, and you can complete your ritual of sopping up the sauce with your bread, but you're cutting down on the fat and calories and tricking yourself into eating veggies at the same time!
Whatever your craving is, figure out what the underlying reason for it is, (boredom, salty, sweet, comfort) and make your mind believe you're satisfying the craving without feeling packed full of unhealthy food, and guilty that your craving got the best of you...again. You can change your mind, just don't let it in on the secret!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Goal for this month...
Ever catch yourself mindlessly snacking while watching TV and realizing you just ate half a bag of chips? Or after a couple of "just a taste" spoon fulls of ice cream, bites of cake, or quarters of cookie you realize you probably ate about 3 full servings? Or while you're making dinner you figure out you probably ate a full serving of whatever you were making, before dinner was even finished? Adding up the calories from this mindless munching can be shocking, and can add an extra 500 calories on to you daily total. This may not feel as if you're overeating because you're not stuffing yourself full at meals, but it can be just as detrimental to your weight loss goals.
Keeping eating down to only your designated meals and snacks can have a huge effect without feeling like a 'diet.' Build up a little bit of will power and get used to saving your calories for your meals and you'll be much more satisfied with your entire day, instead of for the few moments your mouth is happy while ingesting empty, useless calories.
Keeping eating down to only your designated meals and snacks can have a huge effect without feeling like a 'diet.' Build up a little bit of will power and get used to saving your calories for your meals and you'll be much more satisfied with your entire day, instead of for the few moments your mouth is happy while ingesting empty, useless calories.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Your posture, straight up!
Look around you and notice people, young and old, and how they are sitting, standing, carrying a heavy object, or lifting weights. So many people have a visible curve in their spine, especially while sitting at a computer or relaxing at the dinner table. I'm not sure why but it seems most people are most comortable hunching foward, and most people don't even think about it, it's become a natural way to sit while at work or home, or natural to shovel snow or rake leaves bent over.
Here's the thing, your spine affects your entire body, it is your strength and stability, it is, shall we say, the backbone of all the rest of your building blocks and when your spine isn't taken care of it can affect almost everything else. The quality of your life can be improved or devastated with the state of your back so let's make sure we take care of them!
How? Always make sure that you think of your core as a whole, your abs, your back muscles and your obliques all make up your core, and a strong core can help protect your back and keep the pain away. Just be careful no to pay too much attention to the ab muscles which can pull the back forward and create lower back pain. To prevent this do lower back strengthening exercises every time your do your crunches. Also remember to keep your shoulder muscles strong to keep all your torso muscles balanced.
After strengthening, make sure to stretch your back on a regular basis. Start by standing up straight, all muscles aligned. Let your head drop forward, very slowly bringing your torso towards the floor until your fingers are reaching towards your toes. Feel the lower back stretch for a couple of seconds, then slowly roll back up to standing, one vertebrea at a time. Another back saving exercise is to stretch the sciatica. Lay on your back and bend your left leg in towards your chest. Place your right ankle over your left knee and let your right knee drop off to the side. Gently pull your bent left leg towards your chest. You should feel the stretch in the hip of the right leg. Stretching the hip will release tension in your lower back and this stretch does it very effectively.
Last but not least, the best way to protect your spine and feel back pain-free for a long time is simple: sit up straight! It may take a while to train yourself to sit up straight as opposed to hunching forward while sitting at your desk for 8 hours, but putting in the effort to keep your spine straight will help keep it healthy and is important to staying active for the rest of your life.
Here's the thing, your spine affects your entire body, it is your strength and stability, it is, shall we say, the backbone of all the rest of your building blocks and when your spine isn't taken care of it can affect almost everything else. The quality of your life can be improved or devastated with the state of your back so let's make sure we take care of them!
How? Always make sure that you think of your core as a whole, your abs, your back muscles and your obliques all make up your core, and a strong core can help protect your back and keep the pain away. Just be careful no to pay too much attention to the ab muscles which can pull the back forward and create lower back pain. To prevent this do lower back strengthening exercises every time your do your crunches. Also remember to keep your shoulder muscles strong to keep all your torso muscles balanced.
After strengthening, make sure to stretch your back on a regular basis. Start by standing up straight, all muscles aligned. Let your head drop forward, very slowly bringing your torso towards the floor until your fingers are reaching towards your toes. Feel the lower back stretch for a couple of seconds, then slowly roll back up to standing, one vertebrea at a time. Another back saving exercise is to stretch the sciatica. Lay on your back and bend your left leg in towards your chest. Place your right ankle over your left knee and let your right knee drop off to the side. Gently pull your bent left leg towards your chest. You should feel the stretch in the hip of the right leg. Stretching the hip will release tension in your lower back and this stretch does it very effectively.
Last but not least, the best way to protect your spine and feel back pain-free for a long time is simple: sit up straight! It may take a while to train yourself to sit up straight as opposed to hunching forward while sitting at your desk for 8 hours, but putting in the effort to keep your spine straight will help keep it healthy and is important to staying active for the rest of your life.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
What counts as exercise?
Sometimes we can get hung up on the definition of "working out" and may miss some opportunities to burn calories during our every day lives.
Anything that heightens your heart rate will burn more calories than sitting still with a slower heart rate. There are countless ways to burn a few calories here and there throughout your day that can add up to hundreds of extra calories burned per week, equating to pounds lost. Here are some simple ideas on how to get the most workout out of your day:
-Take the stairs instead of standing still on an elevator. Your legs and butt will thank you!
-Use a walking lawn mower instead of driving one around.
-While vacuuming, lunge forward with your right foot and push the vacuum out further than you normally would, then return to standing and bring the vacuum to your side. This works your legs and arms. Just make sure to switch arms/legs every few reps.
-While washing the windows, dishes, or looking in the fridge for something to eat, do calf raises (raise your heels off the floor and hold, return to flat feet. repeat).
-Skip from room to room while getting ready in the morning
-Turn up your favorite 3 songs in a row and dance! Hop around, flail your arms, do 'the pony'...whatever you want to release tension and squeeze 10 minutes of cardio into your day.
-Park towards the back of the parking lot and speed walk up to the store. Repeat on your return trip to the car. Especially if you're running several errands in a row, this can help keep your heart guessing, resulting in more calories burned throughout your day.
Feel free to comment with more ideas on how to burn a few calories throughout the day!
Anything that heightens your heart rate will burn more calories than sitting still with a slower heart rate. There are countless ways to burn a few calories here and there throughout your day that can add up to hundreds of extra calories burned per week, equating to pounds lost. Here are some simple ideas on how to get the most workout out of your day:
-Take the stairs instead of standing still on an elevator. Your legs and butt will thank you!
-Use a walking lawn mower instead of driving one around.
-While vacuuming, lunge forward with your right foot and push the vacuum out further than you normally would, then return to standing and bring the vacuum to your side. This works your legs and arms. Just make sure to switch arms/legs every few reps.
-While washing the windows, dishes, or looking in the fridge for something to eat, do calf raises (raise your heels off the floor and hold, return to flat feet. repeat).
-Skip from room to room while getting ready in the morning
-Turn up your favorite 3 songs in a row and dance! Hop around, flail your arms, do 'the pony'...whatever you want to release tension and squeeze 10 minutes of cardio into your day.
-Park towards the back of the parking lot and speed walk up to the store. Repeat on your return trip to the car. Especially if you're running several errands in a row, this can help keep your heart guessing, resulting in more calories burned throughout your day.
Feel free to comment with more ideas on how to burn a few calories throughout the day!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Grapes are the new ice cream
The heat in summer can make resisting cold, sweet treats difficult. As a healthy alternative, try sitting down with a bowel of frozen grapes instead of a carton of ice cream and get the same type of refreshing feeling in your mouth while saving hundreds of calories and fat grams.
The juicy center of a grape when frozen is sweet and soft, resembling the texture of ice cream and comes neatly packaged in a slightly tangy skin. While of course replacing ice cream with grapes won't taste the same or be as satisfying at first, losing weight comes with some sacrifices. The good news is, give it a couple sessions of craving-replacement therapy and you might just find you're craving this new fat free, low cal frozen treat instead of your old stand by. Ice cream is so last year...
The juicy center of a grape when frozen is sweet and soft, resembling the texture of ice cream and comes neatly packaged in a slightly tangy skin. While of course replacing ice cream with grapes won't taste the same or be as satisfying at first, losing weight comes with some sacrifices. The good news is, give it a couple sessions of craving-replacement therapy and you might just find you're craving this new fat free, low cal frozen treat instead of your old stand by. Ice cream is so last year...
A different way to work your core...
Tired of crunches? Here's a different way to work your core without ever laying down on a mat. Salsa dancing is a fun activity which makes for a great night out on the town while working and toning your core better than a thousand crunches. It's available in most cities at least once a week at certain clubs and, while may seem intimidating, is a glorious way to work out.
Salsa is all about swiveling the hips, which twists the muscles in your stomach and back, and tones those muscles very efficiently. Adding to the difficulty, your upper body stays rigid, working your sholder muscles in an effort to counteract your moving lower body. Every motion while dancing this sexy style helps to tone up your middle in an energizing way to spend your 'workout.'
Most patrons of dance clubs are more than happy to patiently show you the ropes of the dance, but if you're too shy to jump right in, try a class at a local dance studio. Thanks to television's embrace of ballroom and latin dance, tons of studios are offerring adult classes in all sorts of styles, so take the plunge, try it out, and watch your middle tighten up and shrink down while having tons of fun.
Salsa is all about swiveling the hips, which twists the muscles in your stomach and back, and tones those muscles very efficiently. Adding to the difficulty, your upper body stays rigid, working your sholder muscles in an effort to counteract your moving lower body. Every motion while dancing this sexy style helps to tone up your middle in an energizing way to spend your 'workout.'
Most patrons of dance clubs are more than happy to patiently show you the ropes of the dance, but if you're too shy to jump right in, try a class at a local dance studio. Thanks to television's embrace of ballroom and latin dance, tons of studios are offerring adult classes in all sorts of styles, so take the plunge, try it out, and watch your middle tighten up and shrink down while having tons of fun.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Using the scale to your benefit
Many people view the scale as an evil psychic, telling them info that they would rather not hear. Others, very progressively think that the number on the scale doesn't matter and it's only about how they feel. The bathroom scale has gotten a reputation of negativity associated with it, and I don't think that's fair, or productive.
While yes, it is an awesome idea to base your personal health on how you feel, or how your jeans fit instead of a black and white number, the scale can be a fantastic motivator. Seeing the loss of a couple of pounds is tangible, it allows you to see with solid proof the payoff to your hard work. This can help make sure you get to the gym again the next day, or say no to that second brownie in the office cafeteria to make sure that number stays down.
A couple of important tips to using the scale to your benefit:
1) Weigh yourself at the same time every day. I suggest when you first wake up and after using the bathroom, or at the gym before/after every workout, or just before bed. This way you won't experience as much variance due to water retention, amounts of food in your stomach, or clothing worn.
2) Make sure you use the same scale every time. Gyms, Doctors, and Walmart all have different brands and style of scales, so numbers will vary. The accuracy of the number doesn't matter as much as the consistency so that you know if the scale says you lost a pound, you can trust that you indeed have.
3) If the scale says you gained a couple of pounds, use that as a warning for future poundage. Of course everyone will fluctuate so it's important to allow yourself some flexibility in your daily number, but if two days in a row you are two pounds heavier, cut back on 100 calories or so the next few days and work out for 10 minutes longer. That should get you back on track and back down to your preferred weight.
4) Be careful not to get trapped in the meaning of the number that appears every morning. Always keep in mind that less weight is not always better, and that muscle weighs more than fat. So the amount of weight you lose is not as important as how you feel about yourself and how energized or confident your fit lifestyle has made you. The scale should only be viewed as a motivator, an encourager, a warning sign, or a tool to make sure you stay feeling great for a long time.
Weigh on!
While yes, it is an awesome idea to base your personal health on how you feel, or how your jeans fit instead of a black and white number, the scale can be a fantastic motivator. Seeing the loss of a couple of pounds is tangible, it allows you to see with solid proof the payoff to your hard work. This can help make sure you get to the gym again the next day, or say no to that second brownie in the office cafeteria to make sure that number stays down.
A couple of important tips to using the scale to your benefit:
1) Weigh yourself at the same time every day. I suggest when you first wake up and after using the bathroom, or at the gym before/after every workout, or just before bed. This way you won't experience as much variance due to water retention, amounts of food in your stomach, or clothing worn.
2) Make sure you use the same scale every time. Gyms, Doctors, and Walmart all have different brands and style of scales, so numbers will vary. The accuracy of the number doesn't matter as much as the consistency so that you know if the scale says you lost a pound, you can trust that you indeed have.
3) If the scale says you gained a couple of pounds, use that as a warning for future poundage. Of course everyone will fluctuate so it's important to allow yourself some flexibility in your daily number, but if two days in a row you are two pounds heavier, cut back on 100 calories or so the next few days and work out for 10 minutes longer. That should get you back on track and back down to your preferred weight.
4) Be careful not to get trapped in the meaning of the number that appears every morning. Always keep in mind that less weight is not always better, and that muscle weighs more than fat. So the amount of weight you lose is not as important as how you feel about yourself and how energized or confident your fit lifestyle has made you. The scale should only be viewed as a motivator, an encourager, a warning sign, or a tool to make sure you stay feeling great for a long time.
Weigh on!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
You can do it!!
One of the biggest hurdles to a fitness program is getting started. It's an age old story: Person wakes up one day feeling 'fat' or 'gross' and decides today is the day to start working out. They shove their feet into their trusty gym shoes, hop in the car, and dust off their gym membership card.
The treadmill is first, and they pump up the speed, in order to get the most out of this first workout in so long. But they get winded and have to slow down. So they give up and head into the weight room only to see all the buff, intimidating men with their muscle t-shirts and strain on their faces, surrounded by racks of free weights and scary looking machines. This typical person gets nervous about looking silly in front of these professionals, and shuffles back to the car, defeated. They decide to drown their sorrows in a tub of ice cream.
This scenario can take on several different looks; skinny boy wants to bulk up, obese woman wants to save her heart, mom of three wants to lose the baby weight...whatever your story, you can get on the path to a fit and happy life. The problem is, the first few months are the hardest and most people tend to give up when they hit their first, second or third roadblock. But! there is an easy answer to these roadblocks which can give you the motivation and drive to continue on to your body's ideal weight, look and feel. The answer: give yourself a break!
I think the biggest mistake most people, including myself make when they want to start a fitness program is too much too soon. If you watch a show like Celebrity Fit Club where the trainers throw contestants into a boot camp of constant exercise and strict diets, yes it works, but is unnecessary. You don't have to burn 500 calories in your first workout. It would be much more beneficial for your body to burn 100 calories per workout for five days, and it would be much more doable if you're not used to working out. Here's my own story of how I came to this logical piece of wisdom:
When I started my first 'real' job working 9-5 I decided that I was going to work out in the mornings 5 days a week for an hour. I set my alarm for 5:30 am and hopped out of bed to be the first person in the gym when it opened at 6. And it worked...for about 3 days. By Thursday I was exhausted at work and dreaded waking up in the morning. My workouts weren't enjoyable and I was frustrated because I couldn't keep up my commitment to myself. I started sleeping in, but beating myself up for turning off my alarm. And I disliked what I saw in the mirror and blamed my lack of motivation for any extra pounds I saw.
Eventually however, I calmed down and told myself that maybe shocking my system into getting up 2 hours earlier than usual every day wasn't the best idea. So I told myself that I only had to get up and work out before work 2 times during the week. I made this goal for two weeks and I was able to meet it. Then for the next month or so I made it my goal to exercise before work 3 times a week. That commitment worked, and slowly my body got used to waking up so early and I once again began to hop out of bed to get to the gym. It made me feel more awake at work, less stressed, and more satisfied with myself because I had given myself goals that I could fulfill. Knowing how great it felt when I consistently went, only made me more motivated to fulfill my goals for myself.
Now, I give myself more challenging goals such as, 'I want to run four miles in 40 minutes' or, 'I want to swim for a half an hour without stopping.' Sometimes I'm closer than others, but by giving myself reasonable goals I was able to build up to an impressive fitness regime and I have never felt better!
So if you're just beginning, or you've fallen off the horse and want to jump back in the saddle of fitness, start slow and allow yourself some mistakes. The pyramid's weren't built in a day and you won't get fit in one workout. Slow and steady wins the race, so saddle up your turtle and I'll see you at the finish line!
The treadmill is first, and they pump up the speed, in order to get the most out of this first workout in so long. But they get winded and have to slow down. So they give up and head into the weight room only to see all the buff, intimidating men with their muscle t-shirts and strain on their faces, surrounded by racks of free weights and scary looking machines. This typical person gets nervous about looking silly in front of these professionals, and shuffles back to the car, defeated. They decide to drown their sorrows in a tub of ice cream.
This scenario can take on several different looks; skinny boy wants to bulk up, obese woman wants to save her heart, mom of three wants to lose the baby weight...whatever your story, you can get on the path to a fit and happy life. The problem is, the first few months are the hardest and most people tend to give up when they hit their first, second or third roadblock. But! there is an easy answer to these roadblocks which can give you the motivation and drive to continue on to your body's ideal weight, look and feel. The answer: give yourself a break!
I think the biggest mistake most people, including myself make when they want to start a fitness program is too much too soon. If you watch a show like Celebrity Fit Club where the trainers throw contestants into a boot camp of constant exercise and strict diets, yes it works, but is unnecessary. You don't have to burn 500 calories in your first workout. It would be much more beneficial for your body to burn 100 calories per workout for five days, and it would be much more doable if you're not used to working out. Here's my own story of how I came to this logical piece of wisdom:
When I started my first 'real' job working 9-5 I decided that I was going to work out in the mornings 5 days a week for an hour. I set my alarm for 5:30 am and hopped out of bed to be the first person in the gym when it opened at 6. And it worked...for about 3 days. By Thursday I was exhausted at work and dreaded waking up in the morning. My workouts weren't enjoyable and I was frustrated because I couldn't keep up my commitment to myself. I started sleeping in, but beating myself up for turning off my alarm. And I disliked what I saw in the mirror and blamed my lack of motivation for any extra pounds I saw.
Eventually however, I calmed down and told myself that maybe shocking my system into getting up 2 hours earlier than usual every day wasn't the best idea. So I told myself that I only had to get up and work out before work 2 times during the week. I made this goal for two weeks and I was able to meet it. Then for the next month or so I made it my goal to exercise before work 3 times a week. That commitment worked, and slowly my body got used to waking up so early and I once again began to hop out of bed to get to the gym. It made me feel more awake at work, less stressed, and more satisfied with myself because I had given myself goals that I could fulfill. Knowing how great it felt when I consistently went, only made me more motivated to fulfill my goals for myself.
Now, I give myself more challenging goals such as, 'I want to run four miles in 40 minutes' or, 'I want to swim for a half an hour without stopping.' Sometimes I'm closer than others, but by giving myself reasonable goals I was able to build up to an impressive fitness regime and I have never felt better!
So if you're just beginning, or you've fallen off the horse and want to jump back in the saddle of fitness, start slow and allow yourself some mistakes. The pyramid's weren't built in a day and you won't get fit in one workout. Slow and steady wins the race, so saddle up your turtle and I'll see you at the finish line!
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