Many ask me how to get the most out of their fitness program, and unless you are a professional athlete trying to shave 2 seconds off your sprinting time, the answer is simple – whatever works for you. If you have more energy in the morning, you should exercise in the morning. If you like doing your cardio before your weight training, then that is what you should do.
Fitness is all in the details. This week, to blast a few extra calories and tone your upper body, do 10 push-ups before getting into the shower, everyday. Do them however you like: on the bathroom floor with your knees on the bath mat, or high on your toes with your hands on the edge of the tub or sink. Whatever your preference, commit to 7 days of perfect push-ups (lead with your chest, not your chin!), and watch your body change…
Fitness is all in the details. This week, to blast a few extra calories and tone your lower body, take the stairs instead of the elevator…twice. That’s right, climb every staircase twice to keep the heart pumping and your leg muscles toned. You can skip every other step on the way up, climb up sideways, or run up using every step. Whatever your preference, commit to 7 days of double-time on the stairs, and watch your body change…
Having trouble getting motivated to work out? Try this on for size: first thing in the morning, put on your exercise clothes, and don’t take your morning shower until you have exercised. If you are an after-work exerciser, change into your workout clothes BEFORE you leave work. Even if you have a few things to do first, it will be harder to talk yourself out of exercising if you are already dressed for it.
If you haven’t exercised today, your day is not yet complete. Whether it is a trip to the gym, a hike with friends, an after-work stroll through the neighborhood, or some quick calisthenics before bed, make exercise a part of your daily routine (like brushing your teeth or putting on your shoes), and watch your fitness goals become attainable.
It is easy to focus on all the things we aren’t doing – skimping out on workouts, eating too many sweets, sleeping in in the morning despite the promise we made last night to get up before work to the gym. But all the negative self-talk and guilt only perpetuates itself, so this week – today, in fact – turn your focus towards what you WILL do to make your body feel better.
Music intervals can not only make your cardiovascular workouts more fun, but they crank up your rate of return by requiring your body to adapt to different speeds: After a 10-minute warm-up jog, run fast for one song and at a slower pace for the next one. Continue this for at least five songs, or listen to a radio station for 30 to 60 minutes, running at a medium pace during songs and alternating sprinting and walking through commercials. This can also be applied to biking, walking, elliptical, etc.
For each of us there exists an “achilles heel” – that thing we find ourselves struggling with when it comes to achieving our fitness goals. Let this week be about embracing your inner power – the power to change – and letting it help you overcome your weaknesses, whatever they may be.
In the News
Check out this great feature that ran in the Long Beach Post about our 3rd anniversary!
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