Serious Changes in Your Health and Fitness Means Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
Gen Wright asked:
of people are being led astray by incorrect information, beliefs, opinions, and practices recommended by health care professionals, fitness instructors, and coaches who do not fully understand exercise and its requirements.Many governmental agencies and fitness industry institutions promote the supposed health benefits of general physical activities over planned structured exercise. In an effort to gain compliance, these organizations have lowered the requirements of exercise to such a level that virtually every activity that involves mere movement of the body qualifies.Such misinformation has caused many people to miss the real benefits that a proper exercise program can deliver or, even worse, to end up injured in the pursuit of health. Others become frustrated by lack of results or confused by conflicting information and choose to do nothing at all.Suddenly there are all these experts saying things like, just park the car a bit further away from wherever you are going, or just do some gardening or housework. The most misleading of all is the notion that walking alone is enough to strengthen and condition the body and that is all that is necessary. Well listen up, we all have legs and we all walk, legs are the things that move our body and walking is what you do when you need to go to the shops or somewhere. How did it suddenly become an exercise program?The truth of the matter is that if you want to lose weight, get fit, increase your strength or change your risk for heart disease you are going to need to work your body much harder than simply going for a leisurely stroll.If it were that easy why is the world now facing an epidemic of overweight and obese people, sky rocketing levels of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other life threatening illnesses and conditions labeled lifestyle diseases? One of the greatest global health threats of the modern age is our sedentary and inactive lifestyles.People who have health disorders which can be treated with physical activity should not be mislead into believing the “walking is all it takes for a good health” myth. This myth has given many a false sense that a stroll through the neighborhood is all you need to stay strong, fit and healthy. Instead of pushing people to become more active, it has merely provided an excuse to do as little as possible.The other misleading type of information is to just “do something you enjoy”. What has fun got to do with an exercise program? Getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning to exercise before work is not any fun at all. Sometimes it is dark, cold and wet and it takes commitment and discipline to roll out of bed when it would be so much easier and nicer to stay in bed. Absolutely no fun there!Well, here’s the truth that no one else in the health and fitness business wants to tell you: change is tough and getting fit takes hard work. In the fitness arena, that might mean better health, higher levels of cardiovascular fitness, increased strength, decreased body fat or decreased risk of disease or illness.In competitive sport it might mean performing a skill or event at a higher level of competency.Exercise training should challenge you to accomplish something not normally experienced in everyday life and to conquer new challenges. Have the courage to leave your old comfort zone, and step out into the discomfort of new territory, then you can achieve the healthy body you have always dreamed of…
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of people are being led astray by incorrect information, beliefs, opinions, and practices recommended by health care professionals, fitness instructors, and coaches who do not fully understand exercise and its requirements.Many governmental agencies and fitness industry institutions promote the supposed health benefits of general physical activities over planned structured exercise. In an effort to gain compliance, these organizations have lowered the requirements of exercise to such a level that virtually every activity that involves mere movement of the body qualifies.Such misinformation has caused many people to miss the real benefits that a proper exercise program can deliver or, even worse, to end up injured in the pursuit of health. Others become frustrated by lack of results or confused by conflicting information and choose to do nothing at all.Suddenly there are all these experts saying things like, just park the car a bit further away from wherever you are going, or just do some gardening or housework. The most misleading of all is the notion that walking alone is enough to strengthen and condition the body and that is all that is necessary. Well listen up, we all have legs and we all walk, legs are the things that move our body and walking is what you do when you need to go to the shops or somewhere. How did it suddenly become an exercise program?The truth of the matter is that if you want to lose weight, get fit, increase your strength or change your risk for heart disease you are going to need to work your body much harder than simply going for a leisurely stroll.If it were that easy why is the world now facing an epidemic of overweight and obese people, sky rocketing levels of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other life threatening illnesses and conditions labeled lifestyle diseases? One of the greatest global health threats of the modern age is our sedentary and inactive lifestyles.People who have health disorders which can be treated with physical activity should not be mislead into believing the “walking is all it takes for a good health” myth. This myth has given many a false sense that a stroll through the neighborhood is all you need to stay strong, fit and healthy. Instead of pushing people to become more active, it has merely provided an excuse to do as little as possible.The other misleading type of information is to just “do something you enjoy”. What has fun got to do with an exercise program? Getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning to exercise before work is not any fun at all. Sometimes it is dark, cold and wet and it takes commitment and discipline to roll out of bed when it would be so much easier and nicer to stay in bed. Absolutely no fun there!Well, here’s the truth that no one else in the health and fitness business wants to tell you: change is tough and getting fit takes hard work. In the fitness arena, that might mean better health, higher levels of cardiovascular fitness, increased strength, decreased body fat or decreased risk of disease or illness.In competitive sport it might mean performing a skill or event at a higher level of competency.Exercise training should challenge you to accomplish something not normally experienced in everyday life and to conquer new challenges. Have the courage to leave your old comfort zone, and step out into the discomfort of new territory, then you can achieve the healthy body you have always dreamed of…
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10 Tips to Help you Get your Health and Fitness Regime Back on Track
Liz Harper asked:
Procrastination – The Arch Enemy of Success
The majority of us do it at some point in our life… and hey, some of us might do it every day… procrastination has a way of finding its way into many corners of our life.
At home it usually happens around housework… “I’ll take the rubbish out after the footy” or “I’ll wash up in the morning”…
When it comes to exercise, the excuses are endless… “I’ll exercise after work”… then after work, it’s “oh I feel a bit tired… I’ll exercise in the morning”… then after going to bed too late and sleeping through the alarm, you repeat the procrastination game.
Sometimes the excuses are more elaborate… “I need to buy a new pair of sneakers first and if I’m doing that I should probably book an appointment with the podiatrist to check if I’ll need orthotics”.
But if you are serious about your Health and Fitness, then you must overcome procrastination. Below are ten (10) tips to help you get your Health and Fitness regime back on track.
1. Make sure you set yourself realistic goals. If you work a 55hr week, have a 1-2hr daily commute to/from work, plus family responsibilities, it might be a little bit unrealistic to expect yourself to go to the gym for 1hr, 6 days a week. Chances are, you’d be lucky to get there twice and the remaining four days would be guilt-ridden. Often this will make you abandon the idea of exercise completely.
It is important that EVERY exercise experience is positive. A better approach might be to allocate one gym day per week initially, and a 20 minute walk in your lunch break on another day. It is better to start off with smaller, achievable exercise goals and build up slowly until you are getting 150min/week of cardiovascular exercise.
2. Schedule Your Workout times in your diary or on your calendar. Scheduling workouts at a similar time and on set days can develop a routine. This allows others to learn your routine so they can work around it too. Once it’s in your diary, you treat it as you would any other appointment.
It is important to schedule exercise at a time when you’re most likely to do it. Don’t schedule it into times where you are likely to be too tired or hungry. Personally I find that exercising in the morning is best because you reduce the chance of “not being able to fit in exercise” later.
3. Get an exercise buddy. Find someone else of a similar fitness level to train with, and who is expecting you to meet them at a certain time and place, and then you are more likely to commit to training times that you’ve scheduled in your diary.
4. Get a Personal Trainer. A personal trainer is an even more committed version of the exercise buddy. A personal trainer is an appointment in your diary, that in some cases you will have to pay for even if you miss the session… this can be a great incentive to make sure you turn up! The advantage of a personal trainer is that you don’t need to think of the exercises yourself and you are more likely to train harder than if you were doing it on your own.
5. Document Your Progress. This is a great way to stay motivated. If you regularly review your progress and can easily see your improvements, you’ll be motivated to keep going.
6. Reward yourself regularly. Bribes work with kids… why not you? If you make the bribe good enough, you’d be surprised what you might do. Try getting a group of friends together with similar fitness goals and “pool together” for a super prize! Or buy yourself some new clothes whenever you reach a weight loss goal…Whatever works.
7. Bargain with yourself… say you’ll just do 5 minutes. You might not feel like exercising, but tell yourself that you’ll start your program and only do 5 minutes and then if you still don’t feel like doing it you’ll stop. Most times you’ll finish your program.
8. Take the approach that every bit counts. Incidentals count… hide the remote control! Make yourself take the stairs… park the car further away at the shops or at appointments… get off the bus or train one stop earlier… take the kids to the park and chase them around…or try getting up off the couch every ad break and move around (e.g. march on the spot or do pushups etc)
9. Choose exercise activities that fit with your lifestyle. If you are a busy mum with 3 kids under 3, it is unlikely that you can get to the gym 5 days a week. Similarly, if you are a corporate executive working a 60 hr week and commuting it is also unlikely that you’ll head to the gym straight after work at 8pm each day.
So pick exercise activities and times that fit with your lifestyle. A busy mum might be better off combining her exercise time with activities that include the kids. Pushing the pram off-road (i.e. not on pathways or the road) is an excellent workout for new mums. Or just chase the kids around for an hour at the park. It is also important for kids to learn that exercise is a part of daily life. Exercising as a family can have a very positive affect on family dynamics… like one of the sayings goes… the family that plays together – stays together.
10. Pick activities that are fun. There are so many forms of exercise; you should be able to choose something that you find enjoyable. For example, you might love looking at houses, so walk through a neighborhood full of great houses. Or ride a bike along the beachfront. Or swim or dance… Whatever you enjoy – do it!
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Procrastination – The Arch Enemy of Success
The majority of us do it at some point in our life… and hey, some of us might do it every day… procrastination has a way of finding its way into many corners of our life.
At home it usually happens around housework… “I’ll take the rubbish out after the footy” or “I’ll wash up in the morning”…
When it comes to exercise, the excuses are endless… “I’ll exercise after work”… then after work, it’s “oh I feel a bit tired… I’ll exercise in the morning”… then after going to bed too late and sleeping through the alarm, you repeat the procrastination game.
Sometimes the excuses are more elaborate… “I need to buy a new pair of sneakers first and if I’m doing that I should probably book an appointment with the podiatrist to check if I’ll need orthotics”.
But if you are serious about your Health and Fitness, then you must overcome procrastination. Below are ten (10) tips to help you get your Health and Fitness regime back on track.
1. Make sure you set yourself realistic goals. If you work a 55hr week, have a 1-2hr daily commute to/from work, plus family responsibilities, it might be a little bit unrealistic to expect yourself to go to the gym for 1hr, 6 days a week. Chances are, you’d be lucky to get there twice and the remaining four days would be guilt-ridden. Often this will make you abandon the idea of exercise completely.
It is important that EVERY exercise experience is positive. A better approach might be to allocate one gym day per week initially, and a 20 minute walk in your lunch break on another day. It is better to start off with smaller, achievable exercise goals and build up slowly until you are getting 150min/week of cardiovascular exercise.
2. Schedule Your Workout times in your diary or on your calendar. Scheduling workouts at a similar time and on set days can develop a routine. This allows others to learn your routine so they can work around it too. Once it’s in your diary, you treat it as you would any other appointment.
It is important to schedule exercise at a time when you’re most likely to do it. Don’t schedule it into times where you are likely to be too tired or hungry. Personally I find that exercising in the morning is best because you reduce the chance of “not being able to fit in exercise” later.
3. Get an exercise buddy. Find someone else of a similar fitness level to train with, and who is expecting you to meet them at a certain time and place, and then you are more likely to commit to training times that you’ve scheduled in your diary.
4. Get a Personal Trainer. A personal trainer is an even more committed version of the exercise buddy. A personal trainer is an appointment in your diary, that in some cases you will have to pay for even if you miss the session… this can be a great incentive to make sure you turn up! The advantage of a personal trainer is that you don’t need to think of the exercises yourself and you are more likely to train harder than if you were doing it on your own.
5. Document Your Progress. This is a great way to stay motivated. If you regularly review your progress and can easily see your improvements, you’ll be motivated to keep going.
6. Reward yourself regularly. Bribes work with kids… why not you? If you make the bribe good enough, you’d be surprised what you might do. Try getting a group of friends together with similar fitness goals and “pool together” for a super prize! Or buy yourself some new clothes whenever you reach a weight loss goal…Whatever works.
7. Bargain with yourself… say you’ll just do 5 minutes. You might not feel like exercising, but tell yourself that you’ll start your program and only do 5 minutes and then if you still don’t feel like doing it you’ll stop. Most times you’ll finish your program.
8. Take the approach that every bit counts. Incidentals count… hide the remote control! Make yourself take the stairs… park the car further away at the shops or at appointments… get off the bus or train one stop earlier… take the kids to the park and chase them around…or try getting up off the couch every ad break and move around (e.g. march on the spot or do pushups etc)
9. Choose exercise activities that fit with your lifestyle. If you are a busy mum with 3 kids under 3, it is unlikely that you can get to the gym 5 days a week. Similarly, if you are a corporate executive working a 60 hr week and commuting it is also unlikely that you’ll head to the gym straight after work at 8pm each day.
So pick exercise activities and times that fit with your lifestyle. A busy mum might be better off combining her exercise time with activities that include the kids. Pushing the pram off-road (i.e. not on pathways or the road) is an excellent workout for new mums. Or just chase the kids around for an hour at the park. It is also important for kids to learn that exercise is a part of daily life. Exercising as a family can have a very positive affect on family dynamics… like one of the sayings goes… the family that plays together – stays together.
10. Pick activities that are fun. There are so many forms of exercise; you should be able to choose something that you find enjoyable. For example, you might love looking at houses, so walk through a neighborhood full of great houses. Or ride a bike along the beachfront. Or swim or dance… Whatever you enjoy – do it!
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