hello friends, just wanted to offer some unsolicited fitness advice for those struggling to keep fitness resolutions. im no fitness expert. i merely hold a zumba certificate, which means i paid $300 and danced all day, without dying. this advice comes from life experience, nothing more. currently, physical activity is my life. i live for it. the gym isnt a place i dread, but a place i long to be. that wasnt always the case. at most, i have been 40 lbs. overweight (at 5 3). at best, i ran the san francisco marathon. anyone can set and achieve fitness goals. anyone. 1. no one is judging you like you judge you. more often than not, fit folks are in your corner, because they know its about the journey, not the end result. many were once were you are, at the beginning of a long journey. 2. if youre obsessed with dropping pounds, and only have 3 hours (per week) to devote to exercise, choose cardio, in the beginning, but dont neglect strength and flexibility, long run. once you lose a few, cycle those in. to see quick results, do cardio or cardio-based strength-training is a great jump-start. it also means you get to focus on one thing, so youre not overwhelmed, which leads to quitting. 3. like anything, the more you put into it, the better the pay-off. what do you do well? did it happen overnight? no. neither will this. 4. get some workout clothes you love, no matter your size. think about other activities. you have clothes to go to work, to shop, and for church. we might ignore activities if we dont have appropriate attire. this is no different. invest in some sunday best. youll have fewer excuses and nothing to wear wont be one of them. 5. find a workout you love. if you hate your current routine, you havent found the right one. when i had to interact with people all day, i loved running. now that i rarely speak to anyone, im all about group fitness. if you hate your workout, nix it. try new things until one feels like the one. its just like love. youll know, instinctively. from fencing to synchronized swimming, theres something for everybody. find your something. 6. if you have chosen an isolated activity, such as treadmill, running, or biking, music is paramount. invest time/ money in music you can get lost in. it makes a huge difference. 7. ignore product. celebrate progress. no matter how fit, most athletes, like most people, possess empathy. they know its really about progress. in every gym, there are people recovering from car accidents, strokes, depression. and there are olympic hopefuls. besides, if someone is cruel and judgemental, do you really need to their approval? hell-to-the-no. no. 8. dont overwhelm yourself with lofty goals. increase goals over time. if you hate exercise, goal one, learn to love exercise, and forget the rest. if you dont like exercise, your first goal is to find something you like, not im going to exercise every other day. 9. do not compare yourself to others. the race is between you and you. 10. body composition can have little to do with actual fitness. im a thick (uber curvy) woman, and i lift as much/ more than dudes in my strength class. its not a smaller size contest. thats not even what its about. 11. dont give up. its never too late to begin a fitness program. its not about a beach body. its about a body thats more fit than the day before. ignore the messages that its all about looks. find another motivator; there are plenty! 13. even serious athletes experience periods of inactivity. if you gave up for 2-4 weeks, dont wait until the next new year to start anew. 14. the pain will go away. yes, at first, exercise hurts like hell. your lungs suffer. your muscles scream. and your ego takes a beating. do you really think people would run 26.2 miles in pain? no. they do it because, more and more, the body requires more to feel exhaustion. 15. dont neglect form. its everything. if youre only able to do 5 girl push-ups, with perfect form, versus 10 regular push-ups, choose form. no one is going to judge you for being overweight. many will judge poor form. if youre 450 lbs, thats okay, as long as your body is positioned correctly for the given activity. 16. exercise classes are excellent, because. youre practically got a personal trainer in your teacher. show up early and ask for help. 17. if an instructor/ gym rat makes you feel bad about yourself, avoid them. as with real life gym cruelty is the exception, not norm. dont let one jerk influence your perception of fitness enthusiasts. as with the general population, there are good and bad. 18. make your own rules. these tips worked for me. that doesnt mean itll work for you. find a journey that makes sense. 19. half of training is pre-training. if yore not properly hydrated, or have low blood sugar, its going to hurt. drink tons of water before and during. if you didnt eat, prior to, down a banana. your car wont run on empty. neither will you. 20. its going to take months for changes in your body to occur. improved mental wellness (less stress) happens immediately. focus on the immediate pay-off. those daily pay-offs will lead to a secondary pay-off, changes in your body.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:34:38 +0000
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