Challenge and Change
Already committed to your health and fitness but still not satisfied with your appearance? Maybe your goal is to firm up and you’re not sure what type resistance exercise is best for you. If you have reached a weight loss plateau—it could be you need to shake things up with a new cardio routine.
If you are one among the regular exercising minority, you are already half way there. The objective now is to design a workout that challenges you; a tailor-made routine that includes endurance, intensity and variety.
One of my husband’s favorite quotations by Mark Twain is; “If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always gotten.” I believe this applies to your physical condition as well. If you keep doing the same type exercise every day and never switch it up, chances are your body will stop responding.
If you are experiencing only slight changes to your body with concerted effort, it may be necessary for you to revamp your exercise regimen and adjust the way you think about fitness.
I recently uploaded Jillian Michaels yoga meltdown and six-pack ab workout. After just one 30 minute session, I was surprised how sore I was. It was obvious there were muscles that I had been neglecting. In a few months I could see subtle changes to my waistline and shoulders that I have not seen in years.
My point is this—never stop challenging yourself. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful, but it should enable you to reach your maximum physical potential. Similar to growing in knowledge—we should never truly be done striving to become the best we can be.
You may consider these challenge-to-change strategies to help you realize whatever fitness goals you may have.
If you have reached a weight loss plateau and enjoy walking, try going faster or longer, or jog a portion of your route. When I first started incorporating running into my exercise regimen, I remember thinking that I would never have the stamina to be able to jog for extended periods of time.
I began pushing my limits by choosing a landmark, stop sign or mailbox during my walk as my starting or stopping point for jogging. Pretty soon, the game I was playing worked. Within 3-4 months, I was jogging continually for 40-50 minutes at a time.
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.
In my opinion, a good yoga routine that emphasizes flow of movement using the upper body to support your weight, will sculpt and tone your muscles as effectively as any external apparatus.
There are many varieties of yoga. Hot yoga burns fat while other types are geared toward increasing flexibility. Do your research and choose one that will push you to accomplish your fitness objective.
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.
Like yoga, weight bearing or 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 and increase consumption of protein. Done safely and with regularity, weight lifting can transform your body. In just a few weeks you will also begin to feel stronger and more confident.
If these suggestions only cause you more confusion, a personal trainer may be just what you need. These certified fitness professionals can give you a safe and effective workout that is personalized to your own individual needs. The hottest trend going is group training. Find a few people to join you and get personal training for a fraction of the cost.
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 have other age-related concerns, dare to try something different and watch change happen.
For questions or concerns email: suzannemcginnis@me.com