Get Unstuck

Already committed to your health and fitness but still are not satisfied with your weight? Maybe your goal is to firm up and you’re not sure what type resistance exercise is best for you.

You might be wondering how to effectively fight gravity so that the excess belly fat, underarm wing or “buthigh” area—pronounced buh-thigh, (a good friend termed the area just below the rear end), doesn’t fall any further.

If you are one among the regular exercising minority, you are already half way there. The challenge now is to design a workout that pushes you to step outside the box. That means mixing up the routine by adding time, duration, intensity or variety.

One of my husband’s favorite quotations is; “If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always gotten.” If you keep doing the same type exercise everyday and never switch it up, chances are your body will not change.

Almost a year ago, I suffered from injuries resulting from a serious car accident. I had to be off my feet for more than six weeks. Within just a few weeks, my muscles began to atrophy. I’ll admit, having to have someone cater to your needs week after week, had its advantages. However, I began to realize the work that was going to be involved in restoring my body needed to begin sooner than later.

I started to try exercises that did not involve my injured leg. I would do gentle yoga stretches; I would try balancing on my good foot to keep my core strengthened. I would hop through the house to get from place to place—when no one was looking. I did some physical therapy exercises with a strap that a friend sent me. I was certain that the slightest of movement would not only make the work later more tolerable, but it would also help rehabilitate my foot.

Instead of using my injury to give up on being fit, I used it as an opportunity to test my body’s resilience. And resilient it was. The only thing I could have done that was worse than pushing my physical limits was to be idle.

When I could finally put weight on my foot again, I was elated, but it wasn’t the same. Sure, I could walk—a little —but not enough to actually burn any calories or restore my muscles to their previous state.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I found a workout I COULD do. I knew I could lift weights and work on upper body without hurting my foot. In order to maintain a firm foundation incorporating stretching and core strengthening was imperative. Almost a year later, and after my commitment to create a “new normal” way to get fit, I am stronger than I’ve ever been.

You may not be recovering from an injury, but it may be necessary for you to revamp your exercise regimen. If you need to lose more weight and enjoy walking, try going faster or longer. If you run, try speeding up for two minute intervals three or four times during your run.

If you lack flexibility or ache much of the time you may want to try a slower paced exercise like yoga. You get the resistance of body weight and lubrication of joints mixed with lengthening of muscles ligaments and tendons.

If you enjoy lifting weights, change up the routine by adding moves that work the muscles in different ways. Also, you may want to increase your repetitions, try exercise bands or heavier weight. Any weight bearing, (resistance), exercises will strengthen bones and increase the number of muscle cells in your body.

Muscle cells are very small and compact compared to fat cells, so for quick results, decrease the amount of fat consumption while weight training. If you want to bulk up, you need to lift heavier weight. If you carry much of your weight in the belly, you need to do more fat burning exercises like brisk walking, jogging or other aerobic activity.

If you are in a fitness slump, or feel stuck, remember to keep your mind open for new ways to challenge your body. If you aren’t completely satisfied with your weight, the way your clothes fit or changes to your body that come with age then do something about it. Your journey on the road to health and well-being should never end.