The greatest challenge to overcome in your quest to improve your health, fitness and wellbeing …surprise, surprise is yourself. You will need to remain focused for a prolonged period of time.
Forming habits requires a degree of repetition. While this is pretty self explanatory, many people struggle to overcome the many perceived barriers to change in terms of health and fitness. It is much simpler to take the easy option and miss a workout or eat out again. This is why many people come to BMF.
Brainwave 1: Find the fun in it
Exercise should not feel like torture but is also does not mean it will be easy.
In order to change your body, you need to experience ‘overload’. This means that you need to keep challenging your body in order to increase your fitness levels. This can be achieved by increasing the number of classes you attend in a week, the number of repetitions you perform of each exercise, the amount of time or the speed at which you do your train (i.e. running, cycling, swimming). Any of the above will place an increased stress on your body. You will however improve your fitness levels if you rest and recover properly after each workout. Does this sound like fun?
BMF is also an enjoyable form of exercise for anyone starting out because of camaraderie that exists and the variety in our classes. We all enjoy working in teams; this stems back to our tribal roots. Enjoyment often is stimulated in overcoming challenges and progressing with your fitness alongside other people. This sense enjoyment is evident at every BMF session and is one of the key reasons why people become hooked. There is nothing better than knowing that the person next to you lungs are burning, legs are like jelly and are hurting just as much as you on a winters evening. The one thing on your mind both is your mind is the pint at the local warm Pub with the rest of the parks members in 15 minutes. You just don’t get see or feel this at your local gym.
Brainwave 2: No pain, no gain?
While exercise should be challenging in order to encourage the body to adapt and therefore improve, it should not lead to any injuries.
Many people, particularly those new to exercise can become over enthusiastic because of the physical changes that they experience. You may suddenly feel like you can complete high intensity exercise workouts on a daily basis or are not satisfied when they don't feel the same fatiguing sensations.
Our bodies can only truly complete exercises at 100% intensity for a number of seconds. Exercises completed over the course of an hour-long session are performed below maximum intensity. You should therefore focus more on your technique and try to work as hard as possible but not push yourself to the point of nausea.
It is also important to remember that exercise itself is just the stimulus for change. The body adapts when it is resting, so long as you give it quality rest and provide the nutrition required. During a exercise you are aiming to complete a progressively more challenging workout each time you train. However if you continue to come to train without adequate rest you will see a reduction rather than an improvement in your performance. This is called over reaching. If you still continue to 'fight through the pain' and fatigue, you may enter a state of overtraining. This is a state commonly associated with overuse injuries and regression rather than progression in your fitness.
Brainwave 3: Eating right
Food is 90% of the health and fitness battle. You can make great changes just through making small adjustments to your eating habits alone. While changing any habits may seem like a daunting task, there is a wealth of resources available to guide you.
BMF works in partnership with the Food Doctor who have provided us with a 21-day kick start plan for new members . By following a series of simple guidelines, not only can you provide yourself with the nutrients needed to achieve your goals.
By eating a regular mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates you will reap the benefits of your physical training routine. You will have both the energy to perform and the nutritional foundations needed for recovery. This exercise and nutrition relationship will help you to achieve your goal.
Brainwave 4: Be realistic
Rome wasn't built in a day. Unfortunately, while over used there is some truth in that saying.
Although not everyone will perform at the next Olympics, there is nothing to say that you can't make big changes to your body and mind.
A healthy approach is to aim to improve on yesterday. By repeating this process you will start to feel like you have made great improvements over a course of weeks, months and years. It is also important to consider where you want to be. Utilise the SMART acronym to help you set your goals more effectively.
Specific – I want to lose 2 stone
Measurable – Dy dropping from a 3 clothes sizes
Attainable – Is it within my reach? Yes as I’ve managed it before
Relevant – Does the goal matter? Yes, happiness is a non-elasticated waist-band
Time bound – I want to achieve this goal by the end of summer 2014. Stick to 3 meals a day no snacking and January without booze.
Setting unachievable goals can lead to quitting early. Make sure that you look at yourself rather than other people, particularly those in the media when setting goals. You are after all aiming to improve your current physical state, not theirs.
Talk to one of the BMF instructors to get sensible advice about the changes needed to achieve your goals. They can offer you guidance on the exercise, nutrition and rest requirements, which are vital to achieving you health and fitness goals.
To make change requires patient, commitment and enthusiasm. Start this year the way un intended to finish it and be able to say for once that 2014 was your year. Try a free BMF class today.