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absolute fitness Tip#15

Overcoming Common Exercise Excuses This New Year

You’ve told yourself dozens of times that this New Year is going to be THE New Year you are going to get yourself in shape and tomorrow will be the day you will start exercising. Yet, tomorrow has come and gone, and you still haven’t started moving. So, what’s holding you back? What excuse seems fitting today?

Now it’s time to face those excuses head-on so that you can overcome them and choose to live a healthier lifestyle. Here are some of the most common excuses for skipping exercise along with ways to combat them.

I Don’t Have Time: This is by far one of the most common excuses used. But, it still doesn’t hold water. People that use this excuse are actually saying that exercise is not enough of a priority to make it on their weekly to-do list. If you fall into this category, then it’s time to review your daily priority list. Certainly there is something less important that you are doing for 20 minutes every day that can be replaced with exercise. Take note of the ‘Balance Out the Good and the Not So Good’ article to help determine what is important to you. After all, exercise is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family to ensure that you live a long, full and healthy life.

I’ve Tried And Failed In The Past: It’s true that it can be difficult to get motivated to try something after you’ve failed before, but isn’t your health worth another try? If you’ve been unsuccessful at exercising in the past, then re-evaluate what went wrong. Did you try to do too much, too quickly? It’s very common for new exercisers to be overzealous when starting their workouts and end up either burning out or getting injured early on. Did you set unrealistic goals for yourself? Try to stick with small goals that are truly achievable. For example, that you will work out three times per week for the next month, and remember, there is no such thing as failure, only feedback! Use this feedback to evaluate how next time to make it happen!

I Can’t Afford A Gym Membership: You don’t have to spend a single minute in a gym in order to lose weight or get fitter. Just walking outside is a great place to start. Also, home fitness equipment has become very affordable and accessible. For as little as £20 you can buy some great home equipment that will really challenge your body. A resistance band and an exercise ball or a small Kettlebell allow you to work every muscle group and even get a cardiovascular workout that you can do in the smallest of available space.

I’m Too Fat (or out-of-shape): Unless your doctor has forbidden exercise, then it’s very unlikely that this excuse has any validity. If you are extremely out-of-shape, then you simply need to start with baby steps. Walking is always a great place to start. You may have to start with just five minutes. That’s okay. You can gradually add more time each week. If walking is not an option, then you could try some pool exercises. At the very least, you can start by getting active while sitting. There are many beneficial strength training exercises you can do while sitting. This is procrastination at its best!

I Don’t Have Any Exercise Equipment: Nice try, but it doesn’t require special equipment to get your heart pumping. Don’t underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house. For example, if you have a flight of stairs in your house then you’ve got an awesome way to get your heart rate up with walking or running the stairs, after all, a gym based ‘step’ machine is designed to mirror the stairs! Grab soup cans or milk jugs filled with sand to imitate dumbbells for strength training exercises. Try push-ups and tricep dips and you’ll quickly realize how hard your body has to work when just using its own weight. And remember, the parks and pathways are free and available for speed walking or running whenever you have the time.

I Don’t Know What Exercises To Do: There are literally dozens of ways to learn what exercises will help you. The best way to ensure your workouts are most effective is to hire a Personal Trainer. They can guide you every step of the way so that you don’t waste any time doing exercises the wrong way. Also, there are books, online websites, television shows and videos that offer loads of advice and tips. You are not alone.

I’m Too Old To Get Started: It may sound cliché, but you are never too old to get started. Everyone can benefit from exercising. Even if you are a senior citizen you can reap many rewards from starting an exercise program. Okay, so maybe you won’t be a marathon runner or a bodybuilder, but you’ll be able to walk the stairs easier, play with your grandchildren, improve your balance, improve your strength and more. After all, age IS just a number!

I Just Can’t Get Motivated: Don’t view exercise as a lifetime evil. Set small, short-term goals to help you get started. Start with a promise to just take the stairs instead of the elevator, for example. Then you might move onto scheduling 10 minutes of activity a couple of times per week. Also, make a list of all the positive benefits exercising has on your life. Your list might include giving you more energy, reducing your health ailments and more. The list should be pretty long. Post it somewhere that you will see it regularly and it can serve as a reminder to you as to why you need to work out. Once you start to see some rewards for your efforts, this will spare you on more to see out your plans.

I Hate Exercising: You probably think you hate it because you’ve been stuck doing activities that you don’t enjoy. Many people still have the old “no pain, no gain” mentality and think that in order for exercise to be worthwhile you have to be miserable doing it. This just isn’t true. Consider things that you really like to do. Do you prefer competitive situations? Then consider joining a recreational sports team. Do you enjoy spending time alone? Maybe Yoga or evening walks are for you? There is some form of physical activity for everyone out there, you just have to decide what it is, then, in the words of Nike; Just Do It.

I’m Too Tired: This excuse can create a vicious circle because the more sedentary you are then the more tired you become. Of course, the more tired you are then the less appealing exercise sounds. So, try to nip this in the bud quickly. Exercise can actually make you feel more revived than a nap. Regular physical activity increases your energy level. Plus, exercisers tend to fall asleep faster and sleep better, which allows you to truly feel rested every day.

When you find yourself making an excuse not to exercise, read through some of the above tips again and remind yourself of all the many benefits of working out: lower body fat, decreased risk of many diseases, reduced instances of depression, improved bone density, reduced risk of injuries and many more.

So, there are really no excuses, nothing is impossible, you just have to go out there and do what you have to do.

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absolute fitness Tip#14

How To Avoid Common Fitness Pitfalls This New Year!

The New Year can bring many new fitness and health related goals and ambitions. One way to ensure your 2010 fitness ambitions don’t crash and burn before they’ve even had chance to take flight is to know, and avoid the many pitfalls associated with ‘getting fit’!

Whilst exercising and getting in shape isn’t over complicated, it’s very easy to make mistakes. Often, these mistakes are made due to lack of knowledge, or because the lack of proper technique hinders progression or simply due to rushing ahead to get the workout completed in time available. Regardless of the reason for the mistakes, they can lead to injuries or at the very least be counter-productive to your fitness goals.

Of course it’s most important to know specifically what to do to be successful at achieving your health and fitness goals, but it is also crucial to understand what not to do. So, take note of the following common mistakes and how to avoid them. These tips will help ensure your workout time is effective, maximises results and is proactive towards helping prevent injuries.

Hanging Out Instead Of Working Out
Just showing up at the gym is not going to help you get more fit. Socialising while leaning on a weight machine won’t build muscles. It’s important to enjoy your exercise time but make sure that the focus remains on physical activity. It’s surprising to know how many people just join a gym a never use it! A membership card or the “I have a Personal Trainer” scenario won’t get the hard work done – you need to make sure you use them!

Too Much, Too Soon
Many new exercisers try to lose weight or tone up too quickly, by exercising too frequently or trying exercise programs that are too difficult for their fitness level. Be sure to start with an exercise plan that takes your current fitness ability and time (or lack of) into account. Too many ‘good intentions’ fall due to being unrealistic in achievements within a certain timeframe.

‘Pigs Might Fly’ Goals
Despite what many advertisers and promotions would like you to believe, it’s unrealistic to think you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days or that you can have Hollywood abs simply by doing 10 minutes of crunches a day. This just does not happen! These types of results do take time and effort to achieve, so be ready to graft for it. It’s good to set goals but be sure they aren’t too aggressive and realise it’s okay to periodically re-define them.

Ignoring Professional Advice
It’s amazing to see how many people ignore complimentary advise fitness professionals give out. It’s also interesting to know how many ‘gym goers’ don’t realise how much study, and continued professional development they need to do to stay ahead of the game. This free information is vital towards achieving real results. So, next time a fitness professional or Personal Trainer advises something, listen, absorb, and use it! Working with a fitness professional is great to learn proper technique, how to avoid injuries and to receive the latest fitness information and knowledge.

Over-Exercising
If you start to feel overwhelmed, neglect other important daily activities in order to work out or repeatedly get injured, then it might be due to over-exercising. Realise the importance of balance and that more is not always better. Consider reducing the frequency of your workouts or the intensity of some of them and periodically resting for a few days or a week.

Incorrect Breathing
Sure, breathing is an involuntary bodily function; something that most individuals tend to ignore. But, correct breathing during fitness sessions is very important. Incorrect breathing can lead to lack of oxygen and even faintness. When working out ensure that you don’t breathe too shallowly and try to breathe through the nose and out the mouth.

Selecting The Wrong Size
Choosing the proper weight size when strength training is trickier than it sounds. Lifting weights that are too heavy for you can lead to improper form and ultimately to injuries. Use weights that are too light and the exercise session can be ineffective. If possible consult a fitness trainer to determine the correct amount of weight for your size, strength and goals. A trainer can also help you develop a plan for safely progressing forward on weight sizes.

Not Staying Hydrated
Drinking enough water on a daily basis is important. When you exercise you need to consume even more water. You should drink 1 litre of water for every hour of exercise you complete. Plus you should try to consume 1-2 cups of water about 30 minutes before you begin working out. Hydration plays a key role in all bodily functions, so, carry your 2 litre bottle around with you during the day – and drink it!

Eating Too Little
No, that’s not a typo. Not eating enough can be as detrimental as eating too much. When the body is not fed consistently, it goes into a starvation mode. Five to six smaller meals evenly spaced throughout the day helps keep the metabolism running smoothly. It’s like keeping the furnace ablaze, you need to dribble a bit of fuel in there regularly to keep it burning. Just be sure to control portion sizes.

Fixating On The Scale
If you think the scale doesn’t lie, consider this. Many professional athletes would be considered obese based on their weight alone. In order to realise where you are going, and where you have been, you need to take a number of measurements as a benchmark for progress. Consider a variety of; body measurements, body fat %, fitness levels, strength levels, resting heart rate, blood pressure, clothes sizes, confidence levels, knowledge gains and much more to assess your improvements.

So, now you know a few of the reasons why people fall short of their fitness goals. There are more, but at least if you implement some strategies to avoid some of these common pitfalls, you be going some way to ensure you achieve your goals.

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Get An Effective Workout In Your Own Home

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realising that for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.

For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest gizmo or the great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that’s only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with your fitness level.

To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:

1) What are your fitness goals?

2) How often do you realistically think you will use the equipment?

3) What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months?

4) Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?

5) Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau?

6) Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them?

7) And, of course how much can you afford?

Once you have answered all of the above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don’t get discouraged. You can create a varied and effective home style workout that doesn’t need any equipment, but, for as little as £100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as £40, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body.

Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorised machines, resistance bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond.

To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of the exercise equipment.

If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least £1000, consider the following recommendations:

• Treadmill – The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve.
• Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, to intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorised machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts. You can buy 1 set of adjustable dumbbells which holds up to 13 sets in 1.
• 1 or 2 Kettlebells – provide an overall body workout, with strength and cardio benefits, great fun with lots of variety
• Fitness/Stability Ball – Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening and stretching.
• Resistance Band – Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
• Step Bench – Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.

If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles (or just can’t afford cardio equipment), and can afford at least £100, consider the following recommendations:

• Dumbbell set
• Kettlebell
• Fitness Ball
• Resistance Band
• Jump Rope – Offers very challenging cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.

If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less than £100, consider the following recommendations:

• Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15 pounds)
• Resistance Band
• Jump Rope

If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball you can get an upper body workout, a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around £20.

Kettlebells are really affordable, and do not take up any space as you can easily store them in the wardrobe or under the bed ready for a quick morning workout! These range in price dependent on the size but can start from as little as £15.

Also, don’t underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own “weights” through milk jugs filled with water or sand or sturdy bags with cans in each.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and healthy. And, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.

So, what are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights:

• No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club
• No waiting in line to use the equipment
• Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open
• No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts
• Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day

Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn. But, it’s not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional Personal Trainer to provide additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage, and with the extra money your saving from no gym memberships, you can train with a Trainer more often to really optimise results.

If you need help planning out and researching or purchasing your home gym equipment, why not consider speaking to a Personal Trainer who has prior knowledge and experience in this area like absolute fitness – we are more than happy to help you make the right choices.

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absolute fitness Tip#12

Strength Training Secrets #2

Most women exercise with the avoidance of moving anywhere near the resistance section in the gym, and the thought of free weights training instills fear of massive gains in strength and size. If you're a woman, it's important to not be afraid of strength training. This form of exercise has many health benefits associated with it, including improved health, muscular endurance, improved tone, stronger joints and bones, increased metabolism to name just a few. You won't bulk up (unless you are really trying to). And, resistance training is easy to start. With professional guidance and direction, you can quickly learn how to train properly without the risk of injury, and optimising your valued training time effectively.

Be sure you are training with the proper resistance size and repetition range. Ideally, you should choose a size that fatigues you after 10-12 reps. Remember, strength gains and muscle size are more achieved by volume of training in comparison to worrying too much about completing the correct sets and reps.

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absolute fitness Tip#11

Spice Up Your Workouts With Interval Training

There’s been a lot of buzz about Interval Training. So, you may be wondering what it really is and, more importantly, why you should incorporate it in your fitness workouts. Well, if you want a workout that can help propel you to the next fitness level, burn more calories, increase your speed, improve your power and more, then it’s time to learn more about this effective training technique.

A simple definition of Interval Training is: short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of rest. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout . Here’s a basic example: walk for 5 minutes at 3.5mph, walk for 1 minute at 4.2mph and then repeat this sequence several times.

Most people spend their workout time only performing continuous training exercises. These are exercises where the intensity level is basically constant throughout. An example of this is walking at 3.5mph, at 0% incline for 30 minutes.

Continuous training is very effective and should not be eliminated from your weekly workouts. However, it’s recommended that you include both Interval Training and continuous training sessions as part of your fitness regime.

Why should you include Interval Training? As previously mentioned, there are many benefits to this type of training and execution is relatively simple. Interval Training can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, increase speed, improve overall aerobic power, burn more calories, break-through a plateau, increase workout duration, reach new exercise levels, expand your workout options and increase your workout threshold – just to name a few.

Plus, this training method has useful applications for beginners, intermediate exercisers and even conditioned athletes. There are two basic types of Interval Training. For the majority of exercisers (novices and intermediate) Fitness Interval Training methods are recommended. Athletes can choose a more advanced technique known as Performance Interval Training.

The Fitness training method utilizes periodic increases in intensity. Typically the higher-intensity levels range from 2-5 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also range from 2-5 minutes. And, a critical element in Fitness Interval Training is determining the appropriate level for the higher-intensity periods. This level should not exceed the anaerobic threshold (which is usually reached below 85% heart rate reserve).

On the flip side, the Performance training technique involves periods of near maximal or even maximal intensity (e.g. >85% heart rate reserve – even reaching 100%). The higher-intensity levels can range from 2-15 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also can range from 2-15 minutes in duration.

Don’t let the two types of training and their ranges confuse you. Incorporating Interval Training methods into your exercise routine is actually quite easy. Since the majority of exercisers fall into either the beginner or intermediate category, we’ll focus on getting started with those techniques.

To begin, choose the type of exercise: walking, jogging, x-training, swimming, biking, etc. Next determine your lower-intensity level. This is usually somewhere between 50-65% target heart rate. This will be your baseline, lower-level intensity. Then simply increase the intensity-level up to where you feel like you are working hard to very hard, but avoid reaching a level over 85% target heart rate. If monitoring your heart is not feasible, instead use the RPE scale where 1 is basically at rest and 10 is working extremely hard. For example, if you find that when you are exercising at a comfortable level you rank a 5, then bump up to a 7 for the higher-intensity intervals.

You may choose to systematically raise and lower your intensity (e.g. 2 minutes lower intensity followed by 1 minute higher intensity and repeat) or you can alternate more randomly by raising and lowering the level at your discretion. To increase your intensity, you may choose to change the speed, incline, or some other variable.

Interval Training can be especially helpful in situations where you are trying a new form of exercise. For example, this can be very beneficial when first learning to jog. If you attempt to jog continuously without building up to it, you will probably fatigue quickly and even give up. However, if you begin with intervals of walking interspersed with jogging periods, the workout will be much more enjoyable and effective. Also, you will be more likely to stick with the program and achieve the end result – continuous jogging.

Now that you know the benefits of Interval Training and the basic techniques for it, why not give it a try for yourself. Not only will it provide health benefits and improved fitness levels but it is also a great way to avoid workout boredom. Plus, with Interval Training workouts often are more enjoyable, go by quicker, and improvement results come faster. So why not try spicing up a stale, run-of-the-mill workout with Interval options? You may even find yourself excelling in an activity you were sceptical of even trying.

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