There are lots of hints and tips which I share with my clients, many of them I’ve discussed here on previous blogs. In truth, I could have made this list my ‘Top 100 Exercise Hacks’ but I feel that might have made for quite boring reading.
The truth is that training and fitness is not an exact science as we are not all exactly the same. Our starting points vary dramatically (age, size, ability…) and our goals are not always common ones so it’s never a case of ‘one size fits all’ when I’m fulfilling my role as a Personal Trainer.
That said, there a few basic areas relevant to everyone who has decided to ‘up their game’ in the fitness department, so a selection of these is what I present to you now: -
1. Start slow and steady
Enthusiasm is a great thing, and it will be one of the main drivers in the success of your fitness journey, HOWEVER it is essential that you approach any training programme calmly and don’t simply exercise madly on your very first day. Be more like the tortoise than the hare. Apply common sense and appreciate that, if you’ve lived a fairly sedentary life up to this point, your body will not thank you for taking it from 0 to 100mph on its first real outing!
Your aim is to be a master of your own fitness and becoming the master of anything requires the honing of skills over time. Find your pace, feel comfortable in what you are doing and then gradually increase the intensity by small amounts, checking-in with your body during and after your activities to see how it’s doing.
2. Escalate the importance of your training sessions in your life
All too often, training is the moveable item in the diary and tends therefore to get bumped when any other work or personal need arises. Now, I’m not for one minute saying that training CAN’T UNDER ANY CIRUMSTANCES be missed (after all, emergencies are emergencies) but it should at least have the same weight as, say, a doctor’s appointment or a business meeting. Essentially you should be of the mindset that you will not change your allocated exercise slot unless you actually have no other possible option.
This may seem a little extreme but, believe me, exercise is always the first casualty of a busy lifestyle and sadly, it is when you are at your busiest (possibly experiencing your highest levels of stress) that your fitness is of utmost importance to your physical and mental well-being.
3. Don’t focus on weight loss
Weight loss is never a given, and not achieving it immediately can knock your enthusiasm and commitment. Make the exercise a habit first, then focus goals onto areas such as weight loss when you’re a real fitness convert.
If you’re just starting a workout plan, it’s best not to start a diet at the same time as your body will have more demands on it and you’ll simply feel exhausted before you even get going. Remember that you didn’t put your extra weight on overnight, so it’s not simply going to disappear overnight either!
Give your body time to adapt to your new training routines and then consult with your Personal Trainer about improving diet and nutrition.
