Yesterday I posted a video clip with half a dozen or so simple easy to do at home exercises to start you off gently on your journey to health and fitness. I am hoping that you started almost immediately with your new regime and have made a commitment to yourself to do these again today, tomorrow, the next day and the day after that too!
Below I have a listed a handful of key pointers that you need to bear in mind now as you kick-start your exercise regime, and make a concerted effort to shed those extra kilos, get slim & trim, and make a real difference in your life.
Make your daily exercise routine a DAILY routine! Start as you mean to go on, and get serious about your fitness goals. This is as much a mind-set as it is about putting your body to the test.
Never
put off 30 minutes or so of exercise because you are too tired, had a late
night, are feeling a little under the weather, or will do extra tomorrow! That
is the slippery slope, and if you make excuses one day, you are just as likely
to make excuses the next! Don't do it - you owe it to yourself to be strong, be
motivated, and be committed. Never, never, never give up what you have started,
and you body will thank-you for it!
Get
yourself a training buddy. If you are out there exercising
alone (especially early on in your new found routine) you may start to make
excuses why you shouldn't train, or just give up half-way. You need a training
partner who can spur you on, motivate you, challenge you, drive you and push
you when you want to give up. It will also pass the time, and make your work
out more enjoyable . . . and it will install as sense of healthy friendly competition.
This is crucial so you stick with your programme and remained focused. Your
training buddy could also be your personal trainer or fitness instructor - it
doesn't matter, as long as you have someone who is committed as you are in
achieving your goals and will share the journey with you.
Increase
your heart-rate and work up a sweat. When you
train you need to push yourself - you need to raise your heart rate for a
prolonged period and you need to work up a sweat. This way you are burning
calories and the longer you do this for, the more benefit you will gain. If you
are in a gym, at the park or pounding the street work-out at such a pace that
you can feel your heart rate increasing and you feel as though your have
stretched yourself. All too often I see guys at the gym on the treadmill, on a
bike, on a cross-trainer or stepper reading the newspaper, flicking through
their social media pages, or glaring up at a TV screen and they are stuck in
first gear going nowhere fast. There is no physical exertion here and I am
wondering . . . why, and what for! Get some motivational music thumping in your
ears and get focused . . . keep your eyes on the prize when you train, and work
up a sweat!
Drink
water and lots of it! While you're training ensure you
have a water bottle to hand with cold tap water. You don't need ice cold water
and you don't need flavoured, sparkling, lo-carb, hi-energy drinks - good old
fashioned plain water is what you need for rehydration during and after your
work-out. It replaces essential fluids lost during your exercise routine, and
flushes out your system. Get into the habit of drinking a couple of litres of
fresh clear clean tap water every day throughout the day.
Sit
in the sauna or steam room after your workout. If you
are a gym user and your gym has a sauna or a steam room then use it immediately
following your workout. You'll sweat a little more, but it will relax you,
cleanse you and leave you feeling refreshed after your routine. Fifteen minutes
is all you need, or as long as you can bear it depending on the temperatures it
will reach. Take a break mid-way through if that helps to cool down, but once
you get used to it - you'll be in there after every work-out . . . I do, and I
love it!
Remember
to take a day off! It is important that your
training and exercise regime becomes habitual, but, it is also important that
you allow your body to relax and repair for one or two days a week. You also
need to spend time on your other leisure pursuits, family, friends and loved
ones. I train Monday to Friday every week and have the weekend off - that's my
routine and it works for me on a personal level with my family commitments. At
the weekends I still walk, cycle and do other less high-impact exercise, but it
is more casual, less structured, and if I do nothing then that's OK too. Your
body needs to recover and this is important so you are energised for the coming
week to aim even higher that you achieved last week.
Run
for the bus, take the stairs, walk to work, get a bike! Outside
of your exercise programme, there is a whole bunch of other indirect exercise
that you can do that will help supplement your fitness objectives. Early on a
very worthwhile investment you can make in yourself is to get a bike! Get a
hybrid that you can use on-road and off-road and cycle you way to work, around
the park or a few km's to meet friends - great exercise and you won't even know
it! Furthermore, get in the habit of taking the stairs every time instead of
the elevator or escalator, walk to work if you can, or get off the bus one or
two stops early and walk the balance of the distance. Do these simple things
every day and it will make a huge difference over time!
Record
your routine. Everyday keep a record of your achievements.
Record how many repetitions you achieved, how much weight you lifted, how many
calories you burned, how much distance you covered, how long your work-out
lasted for. You can keep a written diary, a notebook, get an app. for your
smart phone or tablet, or get a bracelet gizmo to wear on your arm that you can
download later. Whatever your preferred medium, keep a record to track your
progress over time and challenge yourself for more next time!
Weigh
yourself, and record this too! But NOT everyday! It is
important to measure your progress and your weight loss goals are best measured
on your scales - at home or at the gym. To do so though you need consistency,
and I suggest you use the same scales every time, and on the same day of the
week at roughly the same time, and without shoes and socks, and keys, phones
and other stuff bulking up your pockets. I weigh myself always on a Friday at
the end of my last routine for the week - always on the same digital scales at
the same gym wearing shorts, boxers and T-shirt ONLY! This way - I am comparing
like-with-like consistently. Do likewise and you won't go far wrong, and from
one week to the next, or one fortnight to the next you will see more of a
weight drop as a result of your efforts that if you do so more often - and this
is your reward, your pay-off and your motivator!
Tell your friends, your family, your colleagues and your loved ones how well you are doing! Talk it up and don't be shy about your achievements, no matter how small. Tell them what you do in the gym, tell them about what you did this week, the milestones you achieved, and what you're gonna do next week. This will give you even greater confidence and inspire you to do more when more people have some ownership of your commitment and your goals. Don't hesitate . . . communicate!
WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate,
before it's too late!
-Steve, at WhyWeight-
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