12 TIPS FOR JUMPSTARTING FITNESS
1. Make a reasonable workout schedule. Maybe 5 days of cardio and 3 days of strength training is not reasonable for this time of year for you. Do not fall into the all or nothing mindset. Instead try for 3-4 days of exercise per week. Schedule those sessions and stick to it.
2. Look at your progression. Check to make sure that you've made progress with your current routine. Nothing will keep you going like the inches that have fallen off already, feeling accomplished will motivate you to continue so that you don't fall backwards. On the otherhand, it's easy to let the holidays interrupt your fitness routine if you feel like your current routine is not even working anyway. So, if you haven't seen any changes, don't give up, re-focus, skipping workouts will not help you reach your goals. Follow these tips and you will reach your goals!
3. Review you technique. It is good at any level of fitness to review how you are executing your movements. If you have improper form you may not even be working the muscles you are trying to work! Also, watch your speed, going slower when lifting weights gives your muscles time to recruit more muscle fibers, you will see better strength gains and tone with less chance of injury. If you workout in a club, don't be afraid to ask a trainer, if you workout at home do it in front of a mirror or have a trainer come to your house.
4. Learn how to do periodization. Periodization is when you change many variables in your routine such as reps, type of resistance, speed, amount of rest in between sets, amount of weight used, sequence of exercise , training type, etc. You should consider making this change every 4-6 weeks. You should see more changes in your body quicker because of the variety, it keeps your body guessing and working hard.
5. Make sure you haven't been overtraining. Signs of overtraining can be an increased resting heart rate and elevated blood pressure, aching joints, decreased strength, or fatigue and irritability. You may need additional rest days, it is common to reach a plateau or not reach fitness goals when you are overtraining. You can do activites such as yoga, stretching, or light pilates as a form of active rest on your rest days.
6. Evaluate your stress level. It is common to become stressed during the holidays with all of the extra financial and social responsibilities. Stress and lack of sleep can both prevent you from losing weight or gaining strength. So, you may need to figure out how you can organize your life so that you can get more sleep and feel less stressed. With more sleep and less stress you will be able to find time and energy for more effective workouts.
Acive rest, plenty of sleep, and a new exercise routine will help you reach your fitness goals through the holidays.
7. Add high-intensity training. According to Wayne Westcott, research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass., carefully trying some high intensity training will engage both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Lets use bicep curls for example. If you typically lift 10 pounds for 12 reps then rest for 2 minutes, you've fatigued your fast twitch fibers of your biceps because they fatigue quickly, but your slow twitch muscle fibers are not fatigued. So, to fatigue those slow twitch fibers drop your resitance 10-20% and carefully squeeze out 2-5 post-fatigue reps immediately instead of resting. In our bicep example you would drop the weight to 8 pounds and shoot for another 5 reps. immeadiately after the 12 reps of 10 pounds.
8. Check your nutrition. First of all keep a food journal for at least 3 days straight, most people are suprised when they actually write down all the food they eat in one day. Look at the types of food you are eating, are you getting high quality foods, lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegies, and water? Could there be too much fat, sugar, processed foods, sodium, or soda? How about calories, I feel that everyone should check their daily caloric intake regularly, it can be suprising. I see many people who don't eat enough calories and many that are eating thousands more than they need. What about eating before or after your workouts. You should consider eating high quality carbohydrates and protein 1-3 hours before your workout and then again about 30 min.- 1 hour afterwards. Always consult a nutritionist/doctor/dietitian if you think your diet needs a makeover.
9. Introduce plyometrics. Of course, do not add plyometrics if you are not ready, this is for more advanced exercisers, but even beginners can modify plyometrics as longs as they do not have any injuries and consult a trainer for proper form. Plyometric exercises are movements such as jump squats, lunge jumps, side leaps, etc. You can do these exercises in between strength training sets to totally fatigue your system and to challenge your muscles in a new way.
10. Change your Cardiovascular activity. When I see people in a rut, it is usually their cardio that has been the same for months. If you only have a treadmill change from walking to jogging intervals, running to sprint intervals, or change your incline. If you workout in a gym switch machines, try out the elliptical, stair steppers, join a spinning class, or an aerobic group exercise class. Try boxing, its a great cardiovascular workout! Whatever you do, change it, you will definately see improvements!
11. Set realistic holiday goals. Do not set an unrealistic weight loss/strenght gain goal for the holdiays. Do not force yourself to workout 7 days and never touch a cookie during the holidays. The bottom line is if you set yourself up for failure you will fail. Try and workout as much as you can within the boundries of your party plans, holiday shopping, and travel. Watch your portion sizes, but don't deprive yourself completely. Having a realistic approach will keep you going, if you are trying to loose weight shoot for 1 pound a week instead of 2 and you will succeed to reach your goal and possibly surpass it!
12. Find yourself a qualified trainer. The holidays are the best time to find a trainer. A trainer will help you stick to a workout schedule, push your body beyond what you would do on your own, watch your form, change up your routine, monitor your nutrition and progress, and make fitness one less thing to stress about.
Have a happy and fit 2009!
NOT ALL EXERCISE AND NUTRITIONAL PROGRAMS ARE SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY NEW EXERCISE OR NUTRITION PROGRAM. THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IN IN NO WAY INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUE FOR MEDICAL COUNSELING.