Yep, March is almost over. Your ‘New Years Resolution’ ambition has faded and the reality that you’ve been less-than stellar with your fitness commitment has set in. Let’s face it, you’ve fallen off the wagon. But wait! All is not lost. There is still plenty of time to pick yourself up, and get that bod of yours ready for summer. And hey, maybe if you do things right this time around it will actually stick and the new you can proudly shine through. Truth be told, half the time an exercise program fails is because we aren’t seeing results. After all, results are what keep us motivated to continue the habit. Here are my top 5 fool-proof tips that will help get you, and keep you, on the right track.
1) Eat Breakfast, Eat Often
Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism. Period. When you skip breakfast your body goes into ‘starvation’ mode and tends to store more of what you eat. Your body thinks “Well, you haven’t fed me since dinner last night (18 hours ago) and I don’t know when I’m going to get fed again. I think I’ll hold onto whatever is put in me next… incase they starve me again.” Also, now that you’ve eaten breakfast, EAT OFTEN. That way, your body knows it will constantly be supplied with fuel, so it’s FAR less likely to store access calories as fat. Simply eating breakfast and eating more often will shed pounds regardless as to your exercise program.
2) Find a Workout Buddy
You know the feeling… it’s time to workout and it’s the absolute last thing you want to do. You choose to go to happy hour instead. Fail. But, what if your bestie is already at the gym waiting for you? You’d never leave them hanging would you? Research shows having a workout buddy holds you accountable, and you’re FAR more likely to carry out your exercise plans. Having a buddy makes things fun, holds you accountable, and will help you set aside time to workout. Plus it’s an excuse for you and your pal to get together and gossip about the last obnoxious episode of The Bachelor, or whatever.
3) Be Consistent, Start Slow
Rome wasn’t built in a day, just like your body won’t change overnight. Far too often when starting an exercise program people dive in head first… only to lose their ambition, burn themselves out, or get injured. Start with an exercise regimen that doesn’t consume your life so you can maintain life balance, and your sanity. This way you won’t come to hate your new exercise lifestyle and thus are FAR more likely to stick with it. Consistency TRUMPS short term ambition.
4) Strength & Endurance
Strength training coupled with a cardio routine such as running will increase your metabolism drastically. Weight training builds calorie consuming muscle and cardio burns calories. Putting on a few pounds of muscle mass will increase your resting metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories at rest. Not to mention the calories it takes your body to recover after a tough weight training sesh. Now, add cardio in the mix which burns a ton of calories, and you have a revved up metabolism that has now become a fat-burning machine. Your body and your waistline will thank you for mixing in both weights along with cardio.
5) Ask for Help
This is where you check your pride and do the smart thing- ask for help. People who seek help from a professional are FAR more likely to be successful in their exercise program. A good trainer will keep you motivated, hold you accountable, keep your workouts innovative, and get you on track with your diet. A first time exerciser is more than twice as likely to get results and still be exercising a year later if they’ve worked with a professional. Having a specialist who supervises, supports, and motivates you will help you stay on track with your fitness or weight loss goals.
