December 15, 2008
Just the right push to succeed!
Choosing the Path
Sometimes it just takes a small obstacle to send our fitness routine into a tail spin. It can be a new job, the holiday season, the colder weather, or an activity-stopping injury. It doesn’t take much…and we can find ourselves with the feeling that we need to ‘start over’.
This is completely normal and expected…our fitness goals can be cyclic, so don’t beat yourself up. No one is perfect. The key is to start over with our fitness plan. Remember Step 1? Define Your Starting Point & Goals. This sounds easy and most people over-simplify it. But it’s the foundation of our plan and needs some time and thought.
First, figure out where you are (or have slid to). For example, I’ve let my routine slip a bit. The key “metrics” of my slump are my increased BMI and slower running times. With a few simple measurements and a new log book, I can sketch out where I am (body weight, BMI, running times, and calculated body fat). Check out the fitness resource page to access these simple calculators and look-up tables. Now you know where you are.
Next, figure out where you want to go. Most people have ‘fuzzy’ goals like lose weight or get in shape. Your goal needs to have some teeth to it. For example, get to a body weight of ?? or break ‘X’ minutes in the 5k. A defined goal is something we can see, plan for and work towards. Write it down. Now that you know where you are and where you’d like to be, plan the path, envision your success and start the journey towards your success!
Reaching Your Goal
OK…so the first article sounds easier than it is. You’re right. But it’s not impossible. It takes dedication, persistence, and hard work…but you can do it!
Some of the best motivators for achieving our fitness goals are milestones and rewards that help us envision success. For example, the best way I motivate myself is to sign up for a race. Try it. There’s something about that commitment that keeps me getting out of bed and lacing up the shoes. The race itself burns a tiny fraction of the calories that the training takes. Take a marathon, for example. The 26.2 mile race only burns ¾ of a pound of body fat, but the 20 weeks of 35 miles/week training burns 20 pounds of body fat!
Another motivator that works for me: Buy new shoes or a gadget. When I bought the new Garmin 405, I found myself running more and more just to electronically log my workouts and heart rates. I know that it sounds silly, but it pushes me to keep working out, as I feel like I have to justify the purchase…and I also hate large gaps in the training log listings?! Check out the gifts for runners page for some gift ideas for you or the runner in your life. These might just spark the push that you need.
Reaching our fitness goals takes a lot of willpower and desire to succeed. We need to continually picture ourselves where we expect to be. It’s not a dream. It’s a goal. It’s where we’re working hard to be. It’s where we can fully expect our next goal’s starting point to be. Believe it. Go get it.
Exercise of the Month:
Walk!
Body dips are a great tricep, chest and shoulder exercise that can be done with minimal equipment. Using a stable chair, place your hands on the front corners and place your legs out in front of you. If you’re just starting out, try this with your knees bent (as shown). For added weight and benefit, keep your legs straight with your heels touching the ground. Slowly lower your body weight by bending your arms and keeping your elbows close to your sides. Raise your body back up to the starting position (arms straight) as you exhale. Do a comfortable set of repetitions and take short break between each set. Try to work up to 3 sets.
Sound Off!
If you have any feedback (positive or negative), success stories to share, or suggestions for future articles, please feel free to drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you and we take all feedback, suggestions...and yes, even criticism very seriously. We’ll use this information to improve our newsletter and The Fitness Motivator site to help you and others like you attain your fitness goals.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!!
Sincerely,
Mike
www.the-fitness-motivator.com
Encouragement to Succeed!
P.S. - Please feel free to forward this to a friend!