Tip of the Week and Proper Importance Of Gyms & Fitness Goals
When you think of fitness goals and victories you typically think of a number on the scale. Those are good and are motivators but we cannot dismiss all the non-scale victories we see everyday. Non-scale victories can be anything – your pants/shirts fitting looser, hitting a PR in the Gyms in Cumming GA, making wise food choices, etc. These are the victories we need to celebrate day in and day out.
Importance of Warm Up
We have stressed the importance of a proper warm-up before exercising and I hope you have started to implement one into your routine. However, now that summer is approaching and the temps are increasing I want to make sure that when you finish you are not just grabbing your keys and running out. I know you want to get in and get out but it’s very important that you allow yourself time to cool off.
This cool down period should involve a much lower level of intensity. Your heart rate should slowly return to normal and you should start to feel as if you did before you began your workout. Adding a cool-down to your routine will help to reduce lactic acid build-up by giving your muscles time to push it and other substances out of the muscle as well as increasing blood circulation bringing nutrients and oxygen throughout your body. Try and add a cool down period to your works this week!
The Smart Guidelines
Specific: Each goal you set should be clear and easy to understand. It is easy to set broad goals but breaking each goal down into specific things will help hold you accountable to it.
Measurable: Each goal should be easy to measure. You must be able to track your progress and know when you’ve reached your goal.
Attainable: It’s easy to set goals but each goal must be attainable. Find a good balance between a goal that’s too easy and one that is too hard.
Relevant: Set goals according to where you are right now. We are all at different points in life so not everyone’s goals are the same. Find a goal that meets you where you are right now and pushes you to do and be better.
Time-bound: Every goal should have a time limit. If there is no deadline, the motivation will diminish quickly. Set an end date and push yourself to get there.
It is also important back on track is key. When to have accountability. We all fail. It’s part of life. But having someone who will help you get you fail, fail fast. Each day is a new day, each meal is a new meal, each workout is a new workout. Don’t let one bad decision throughout the day ruin an entire day.
Stay Hydrated
Our bodies are up to 60% water so it’s very important that we replace the water we lose from everyday activity and exercises. We need water to regulate our body temperature, cushion our joints and keep our metabolism running so start making drinking water a priority today!
When we decide to make health a priority we immediately focus on diet and exercise. Both of these are necessary steps to achieve your goals but I know many tend to forget the most important ingredient of success water. H2O, the easiest and cheapest way to keep your body running smoothly and optimally.
What Is Foam Rolling?
Foam rolling is a type of self-myofascial release. “Self-myofascial release is a fancy term for self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points…By applying pressure to specific points on your body you are able to aid in the recovery of muscles and assist in returning them to normal function…Deep compression helps to break up or relax tight muscles and adhesions formed between muscle layers and their surroundings.”
When we work out, our muscles become tight and if we leave them tight, injuries can occur. We want to break down that tissue so we can improve our flexibility and range of motion. “It should feel as if your muscles have been worked/released, however you should not push yourself to the point of excessive soreness.”
Focus On Term Goals
With TV today showing so many shows like The Biggest Loser, it’s easy for new clients to expect dramatic results in the first few weeks of a new exercise program. Little do they know that shows like that are not reality and there is a lot more behind the scenes than they are showing. In order to keep them motivated, you want to get them focused on where they want to be instead of where they are now.
It has been shown that clients that lose weight slowly over a longer period of time have a much higher chance of keeping the weight off long term than someone who loses a quick 10-20 lbs in a short few weeks. It can be disappointing at first to only lose 3-6 lbs a month, but if you keep them focused on their end goal they will be your best friend and biggest ambassador in 4-6 months when they have lost 15-30 lbs without making overly drastic lifestyle changes. Remember, the goal is not only to lose weight and be healthier, but also to do it without forcing dramatic changes to a person’s lifestyle and daily routine.
Rather start with small, manageable changes that add up to big changes. This will drastically increase their chance of long-term success. One of the best things they can do is to keep items of motivation on hand, at all times. For example, encourage your client to create a vision board and display it at work or home – doing so will help them remain focused on their goals.
The Little Pebble
Get that pebbles out of your shoe and you can move mountains! Work on the little things and you will see the results. Success is the sum of creating small, good habits.
I love this quote as it relates to fitness and weight loss. We look at our goals and they don’t seem out of reach until we have a setback; and usually, it’s always the same setback.
What’s your vice? What is The thing that stands in your way of reaching your goals, or is always setting you back? Eating out, drinking soda, alcohol, packing your Gyms in Yorba Linda bag, waking up early to work out? Focus on “correcting” that one thing. If you start cooking more, you will eat out less. If you don’t buy wine, it won’t be tempting you from the counter. Spending an hour on Sundays gathering your clothes for the week will help you save time packing your bag. Sleep in your workout clothes if you have to! Just get up and get it done.
I don’t like to use the word “limit” because it tends to have the reverse outcome so let’s change that to occasionally. Give in to that vice Occasionally and get back on track quickly. It’s necessary to be honest with yourself though: this will require Discipline. You will have to create better habits in order to be successful. Don’t let occasionally turn in to daily!
Self-Talk
This is especially true in the Gyms in Cumming GA. When first starting an exercise or nutrition program, it is easy to fall into the negative self-talk trap. This is because it is always hard to start something new. I often hear people say things like “This is too hard” “I’ll never be able to do this” “I’ll never look like him/her.” But when we say things like this, we are focusing on the wrong things.
We are focusing on the outcome rather than the process. You don’t know where someone else is in their fitness-journey and therefore, should not compare yourself to them!
Each Person has his or her own struggles. This negative self-talk is more destructive to you than you realize. Every time you say “I can’t do that” think about how far you’ve come. Whenever you hear yourself using negative self-talk, stop, breathe and correct yourself. Instead of saying “This is too hard” say “I can do this.”
You may not be where you want to be, but you’re closer than when you started. Remind yourself that you are on a journey – this is not a quick fix. Each day, each meal, each workout, choose to be positive. And if you fail, fail fast, pick back up at the very next meal or workout and start again! You can do this!!
