The
word
This is just the way things have worked out (excuse the pun) for me.
"eye test" by Claire Collier
Exercise was never something I particularly
enjoyed … until now, that is. It was always just a means to an end. I wanted to lose
weight, and that meant I had to do some form of exercise. In hindsight, my reasons for wanting to lose weight and my motivation to do so was misguided and probably the reason I failed so many times. All those years I had
such a negative mindset about exercise that it became a chore, or something that must be endured. It was boring, it served its purpose,
and when it was over, I would resume my rightful place on the couch, eating
whatever it was that I had just ‘earned’. The concept of exercise had always
had largely negative
connotations for me, it was something I didn’t look forward to, and was always
glad when it was over ...... and then something changed. I can't pinpoint when this event happened or if it even was a singular event, but something clicked in my head and I realised I was approaching exercise and weight loss all the wrong way. It wasn't a chore, it wasn't "something that must be endured". It had to become an integral part of my self. It had to be a positive, rewarding experience, it had to be sustainable and it had to be for life.
The greatest lesson that I have learned
over the past year is that attitude is everything. Something has changed for me
since then that has made all the difference. Ever heard the expression "Change the mind and the body will follow?" I knew, at that point in time, that this was the key to my success.
----------------------------------------->I needed to change the way
I thought about it.
Suddenly, exercise was something I wanted
to do. Yes, it was still a means to an end, but, once I changed my approach, I found it was a pleasure to do, and when I
started to push harder, some things became more of a challenge, something I
wanted to achieve. I set goals and I pushed myself as hard as I could until I
achieved them. After that, I would set new goals and keep pushing. That feeling
of accomplishment became something that would drive me to do more, lift more,
last longer, go further, run faster and want to do it all again the next day. This
is still the way I think and it is still working.
My thinking has changed in other ways too.
I don’t earn reward food with exercise. The exercise and the positive feeling I get when I've just finished a workout is reward enough.
Setting goals and striving to achieve them is a critical part of why this works for me now.
Setting goals and striving to achieve them is a critical part of why this works for me now.
There are many different types of exercise.
I don't think it really matters about the labels or names you use to describe them, but broken down into their simplest form, there are three basic
types:
Types of Exercise
Cardiovascular / Endurance (aerobic)
Strength / Resistance (anaerobic)
Flexibilty
/ Balance
Source: A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia
The benefits of exercise to your body and mind are phenomenal, as anyone who does it will tell you. Every single part of your being will benefit from it, and what's more, it is nature's antidepressant.
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Benefits |
All forms of exercise can improve general physical health, mental and emotional wellbeing and your overall physical fitness level as well as help you to lose weight. |
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Burns fat
Increases
heart rate, allowing blood to flow to muscles
Releases
endorphins*
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Strengthens
large muscle groups
Builds
muscle
Boosts
stamina & strength
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Improves
flexibility & balance
Lengthens
muscles and helps them to recover after cardio and resistance workouts
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Examples
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Walking
Running
Cycling
Swimming
Tae Bo
Zumba
Skipping
Jumping
Jacks / Star Jumps
Climbing
stairs
Cardio
Drills
Sports
training
Boxing
Playing
sport
Dancing
At the gym:
Treadmill
Elliptcal
Rowing
Stationary
bike
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Lifting
weights
Planking
Squats
Free weights
Weight
machines
Resistance
bands
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Yoga
Pilates
Stretching
Tai Chi
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* Endorphins are natural opium-like
hormones that are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus of
your body. Endorphins act on your brain’s opiate receptors to block their
ability to receive pain messages from the sensory nerves. This makes you less
sensitive to pain. Endorphins also work on your emotions. They create a sense
of pleasure, making you feel empowered and good about yourself.
Source: www.fitday.com
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Motivation
Something I’ve always struggled with in the
past is staying motivated. So many times, I have started out with a hiss and a roar and then a
few weeks later, have become tired of what I’m doing and have just given up. This has happened more times than I can count. I now know just what I was doing wrong, and it was all in the way I thought about it.
Thinking about exercise in a more positive way can mean the difference between success and failure.
Some simple tips to stay motivated:
1.
Don’t always do the same
things. Mix it up. Alternate between different types of cardio work, different
types of resistance training and different types of stretches. Check out the
examples in the table above. I use DVDs for Tae Bo, Zumba and Yoga. There are
some great workout DVDs around. The even make workout discs for Xbox and
Playstation now!
2.
Find a balance between cardio,
strength & resistance, and flexibility workouts. It makes things more
interesting and your body will thank you for it. Schedule in some form of the
three each week.
3.
Set yourself mini-goals and
larger, long-term goals. To start with, my goals were focused on a) how long I
could run for on the treadmill and b) how much weight I could lift during my
resistance work. These days, my goals are based around specific tasks. One set
of goals that I have achieved recently is to be able to do a plank and a proper
(men’s) push up. One day (this is a brand new goal) I want to be able to
complete a chin up. I’ve included some examples of goals at the end of this
blog.
4.
Do activities that you want to
do. Ride bikes with the kids, have a game of tennis, play with a ball at the
beach or in the pool, join a sports team or club. Exercise doesn’t have to be about spending hours at the
gym if that's not your thing. Make it fun! Something that makes it fun for me is setting that next
challenge and then going for it.
5.
Find someone else to go with.
Lots of people say that they feel more motivated, not to mention accountable,
when they have a ‘workout buddy’. I like working out by myself, meeting each
challenge and pushing myself hard but I also love those days when I get to go
for a long walk with the family or go for a walk or a run with my daughters.
6.
Plan. Get out the calendar or
weekly planner and write down what you intend to do. Add specifics too like
duration and reps if it’s lifting or resistance / weights work. I’ve included a
very simple plan below that works for me. I’ve got heaps more detail in my
actual plan but those are designed for my personal fitness level and strength
capacity. Yours will more than likely look different to mine, so I haven’t
included it here.
7.
Write it all down. Having your
fitness or workout plans and goals written down is a great visual reminder of
what you intend to do. It feels great to tick them all off when you’re done or
when you achieve those fitness milestones. Keeping a chart or a graph to show
your progress is also a great visual reminder. Some people also like to keep a
fitness journal. This is a perfect way to keep a record of what you’ve done
each day, week, month. Months later, when you look back at your journal, you
will be amazed at how far you’ve come.
8.
If you reach a plateau, feel
like you are just ‘going through the motions’, that the workouts are no longer
a challenge or are becoming too easy, it might be time to ‘step it up a notch’.
Try running a little longer, a little faster, lift a little heavier or increase
your reps. Do something completely different for a while. There are so many
ideas out there. Websites like spark people www.sparkpeople.com
are filled with fantastic workout ideas! Reputable sites like this one are
careful to show correct form too.
9. If you can afford to, join a gym or even hire
yourself a personal trainer … they really know their stuff! If not, working out at
home or walking outside still beat sitting on the couch.
10. Last, but not least, think positively, be patient and just keep
going. Some days will be harder than others but the rewards are outstanding!
What to do, when and how often?
At the end of the day, these decisions are up to you. I
do at least four cardio sessions per week and they range from half an hour
minimum to an hour or more. I do strength work in the evenings, in
the ad breaks or while I’m watching TV. I think the family is used to me now,
working away on my strength routines in the middle of the lounge!
I have read lots of different articles
about how often a person should work out and there are many different opinions.
I found this article from the prevention website to be an excellent source of
information, one that I highly recommend and definitely worth a read.
My Routines:
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Cardio
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Gym or Run
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Gym or Zumba
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Gym or Run
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Gym or Zumba
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Rest
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Taebo, walk or run
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Rest
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Strength
Training
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Arms, abs
+ back
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Legs
+ abs
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Arms
+ back
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Legs
+ abs
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Rest
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Abs
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Balance &
Flexibility
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Yoga
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Stretches
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Yoga
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Stretches
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Stretches
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Yoga
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Stretches
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Arms = Tricep dips, bench press, bicep
curls, rows, push ups, plank, arm specific machines at the gym
Legs = side leg raises, squats, leg press,
lunges, rear leg raises, plank, leg specific machines at the gym
Back = Superman routine, plank, yoga,
Abs = Crunches (upper and lower abdominals), vertical leg crunch, bicycles, plank (on elbows and toes), abdominal specific work at the gym (I am yet to use the captain's chair, but I intend to!)
Correct Form for 'Plank' Balance
Correct Form for 'Plank' Balance
Stretches:
I've written some examples of exercise goals below. Gradually, over time the distances, times and
weight will increase.
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Run for ___ minutes on the
treadmill
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Run for ___ minutes on the road
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Run for ___ kilometres on the
treadmill
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Run for ___ kilometres on the
road
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Bench press ____ kilograms
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Bicep curl ____ kilograms
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Do ___ tricep dips
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Do a proper push up
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Do a plank for ___ seconds
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Do a side plank
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Hold a balance for ___ seconds
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Do a ___ minute cardio workout ____ times
a week
Other resources
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness.asp
Enjoy!
Find me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anything-is-Possible/166432330197796
Enjoy!
Find me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anything-is-Possible/166432330197796
