Planning A Successful Diet And Exercise Routine
Planning A Successful Diet And Exercise Routine
Why You Can’t Just Start Exercising and Dieting
One of the biggest mistakes that many people make when trying to lose weight or build muscle, is to approach the objective as something isolated and separate from the rest of their lifestyle.
Too many people think that they can start getting into better shape, simply by changing their diet or by starting to train for X number of hours a day.
What’s wrong with this? It doesn’t take into account any of the challenges that led to you becoming out of shape in the first place and it neglects to account for the obstacles you will continue to face.
Why Aren’t You in Shape?
When it comes to working out, people will spend a lot of time and even money looking for the perfect training program. This is ignoring the fact that they aren’t already doing any exercise – despite being perfectly aware that doing some press ups at the end of the day would probably be good for them.
They want to get into shape and yet they’re not already doing anything to get there. Why is that? It’s not the lack of program – it’s the lack of energy. And most likely that lack of energy is in turn linked to a number of other things, such as their diet and perhaps their sleep.
More often than not though, that lack of energy is to do with stress. It’s because they’re coming home every day from a hard day at work that leaves them feeling harassed, energyless and potentially depressed.
Likewise, we’re stressed, tired and rushed because we have so many other commitments. These include things like clubs and activities, taking the kids to school, making food and cleaning the house…
How a Complete Lifestyle Change Helps
With all this in mind then, it’s not enough to just try and add 5 40 minute workouts to your week, that just won’t work! Instead, you should focus on your whole lifestyle to put yourself in a position where you do have the energy and the time to make these big changes.
That means focussing on getting home from work quicker and on being less stressed while you are working. It also means improving your sleep by learning to switch off and by maintaining a more comfortable sleeping environment.
It even means dressing better so you feel more confident at work and thus more energized when you get home.
To get into shape it’s not enough to change one thing. Everything must change.
Creating A Positive Mindset For Exercise
Creating A Positive Mindset For Exercise
Do you hate exercising or is it just not a priority in your daily life.
Everyone should be doing some type of exercise for the health benefits.
Exercise reduces the risk of cancer, longer life span, lower blood pressure and an enhanced mood are just a few of its benefits.
Making exercise part of your daily routine requires the right mindset. If you are dreading exercise you will be constantly looking for reasons not to and never benefit mentally and physically from what exercise has to offer.
Exercising For The Health of It
The following are 5 strategies you can use for creating a positive exercise mindset:
Set realistic goals
Many new to exercising set out with lofty goals – run 3 miles the first day. The next day they are sore and eventually give it up as something they can’t do. If that same person would have set a smaller more realistic goal, maybe a 30 to 45 minute walk the first day, and then increase it by 10 minutes per day with an eventual goal of running 3 miles per day, they would get into the habit of exercising and actually look forward to it.
Get a fitness partner
Exercising with a partner or friend increases your accountability to each other, thus making it less likely that either one of you will cancel a workout. You don’t want to let your friend down nor does s/he want to let you down, so both of you exercise together whether you feel like it or not. Please it give you someone to talk to while exercising.
Do something cardio
Weight lifting or strength training can get boring. While it is a necessary part of exercising and should be in your exercise program, concentrate on doing cardio activities. Whether you choose running, cycling, walking, swimming or tennis, you always have options to add some variety to your workout to keep from getting board. Plus, varying the type of cardio you do also works different muscles or the same muscles differently.
Eat healthy
The second half of the equation to getting fit and healthy is to eat properly. Keep in mind you can’t out exercise a bad diet. Concentrate on eating whole grain, lean meats and fish, and fresh vegetables and fruits. If you are concerned if you are getting the proper nutrients, schedule a consolation with a dietician.
Do yoga
Exercising is as much a mental state as it is physical. If you want to try something that brings your mental and physical beings closer together, try yoga.
Yoga for Mental Health
The Mental Health Benefits of Yoga:
Positive thoughts
Mental clarity
Renewed sense of enthusiasm
Improved sleep
Less stress
Low-impact, joint-friendly exercise anyone can do.
Adding yoga to your daily routine will change your exercise mindset.
Use the above strategies to change your mindset and change your life.
How To Lose Fat With Cross Training
The goal to lose a greater amount of fat and weight may drive you to look for different exercises and different nutritional programs. Remember that fat loss and weight loss are a combination of both exercise and nutritional intake. However, doing one thing over and over again can get boring and definitely will reduce the amount of fat your body burns for fuel.
This is because your body and muscles will get used to doing the same motions. This repetitiveness will reduce the efficiency of calorie burn as your body becomes accustomed to the way in which it is being used. This repetitive muscle behavior will also reduce the amount of muscle that your body develops over time.
Instead, it is important to change what you are doing over a period of time to keep your muscles confused and burning calories and fat consistently. And one way of doing that is to use cross training. Cross Training is a method of usine two or more sports in order to improve your fitness and performance. But cross training is also important without performance to reduce repetitive injuries to your joints and increase the benefits from the fitness programs.
Reducing your fat requires both cardiovascular work and strength and weight training. You can cross train between kettlebell workouts to get both cardiovascular and weight training or CrossFit to achieve the same thing. Incorporate dumbbells or weight machines once a week and mix up the other cardiovascular training you are doing during the remainder of the week as well.
Walking, at a fast intense pace that increases your heart rate and breathing, is a good way to reduce the workload on your joints and reduce your risk of injury. Biking is non-weight bearing on your hips and knees but will still work the legs and heart. Rowing has the same benefits but may be more stressful on the knees than biking or walking.
One of the problems with consistently doing the same program is mental boredom. Mixing it up during the week, including team sports such as basketball pick up games or volleyball, will improve your mental outlook about your fitness program and therefore your motivation to keep going to achieve your goals.
RESOURCES
ACE Fitness: What is cross training and why is it important
http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/36/what-is-cross-training-and-why-is-it/
Active: The Best Cross-training for Runners
http://www.active.com/cycling/articles/the-best-cross-training-for-runners
How To Reduce Fat With Cross Fit
Historically, CrossFit Training was started by Greg Class, a high school gymnast, and his wife Lauren Glassman. In 1995 it was brought into recreational and public gyms. In that same year, Santa Cruz police department hired Lauren Glassman to be able to train the troops.
For seven consecutive weeks, the “Gagetown Infantry School” was focused in various tests in fitness categories that include strength, agility, stamina, flexibility, balance, accuracy, speed, power, coordination and respiratory endurance.
In other testing CrossFit training also rendered good results using the above criteria – all of which are necessary in burning fat and reducing overall fat on your body. (1)
CrossFit is principally a strength and conditioning program that many different police, and tactical operations team use to achieve a broad based overall level of fitness that is not specialized, but instead gives the athlete the tools he needs to be in the best overall fitness achievable.
The program itself doesn’t change based on the ability of the athlete. For instance, the type of work done for an elderly individual recovering from cardiac disease or an elite athlete will be the same. The regimen stays the same, the intensity is scaled up or down to accomodate the needs of the individual.
The program using plyometric jumps and nontraditional weight equipment, such as kettlebells and sandbags. Because the program is somewhat explosive, it also increases the risk of injury to the athlete. It is important to work with a personal trainer who is very familiar with the program to learn the moves well before doing it on your own.
CrossFit incorporates both the cardiovascular and the strength training needed to require your body to start burning fat instead of the carbs that are easier to burn. This higher intensity exercise will also burn more calories overall in a shorter period of time.
(1) CrossFit Journal: CrossFit Training for Law Enforcement
http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/61_07_CF_Train_Law_Enfo.pdf
RESOURCES
ACE Fitness: What is CrossFit Training and is it Appropriate for the Average Person
http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/648/what-is-crossfit-training-and-is-it/
How To Work Your Abs When You Are Obese
3 Great Abdominal Exercises For Obese People
Heavier people need to do special abdominal exercises for obese people to avoid injury. Many of the popular exercises people do today are too much for someone not in shape. Some abdominal exercises for obese people are even especially designed for those who have trouble standing for long periods or getting up and down from the floor.
Because some obese people have special exercise needs, abdominal exercises for obese people that they can do while sitting are ideal. Sitting exercises are less likely to put strain on joints like the knees. An obese person may already put a lot of pressure on their knees, so low impact exercises are best.
The first sitting exercise may seem like a very easy one. But for some obese people it’s enough to start them down the road to getting healthier. And when done regularly, this exercise will start to tighten and tone the muscles of anyone who does it. It’s good for thin people and obese people, as well.
Sit in a chair and keep your back straight—don’t slouch. If you have hand weights or dumbbells, then you can hold them in front of your chest. If not, you can hold a can of soup in each can, or start out without anything at all.
Hold your abdominal muscles in and slowly turn your upper torso to the right, while keeping your hips firmly planted on the chair and facing forward. Use your stomach muscles to turn your body back to the center position. Do the same thing now, going left. Start out just doing 12 to each side and build up. The heavier the weights you hold, the more it works the muscles.
Another of the great abdominal exercises for obese people is simply to sit in the chair and lean over like you’re going to touch your toes. Make it a small movement, don’t lunge forward, and slowly draw back up. Make sure you’re using your stomach muscles and not your back.
You can also do these a little to the side to work the sides of your tummy. Just instead of leaning straight forward, turn your torso lightly and go straight down a little to your right, then back up. Once you’re raised, then turn and go down a little to your left. Slowly raise back up.
You can also cycle through all of them for the best results. Go straight down, to the left, to the center, to the right, then back to the center. Do these until you’ve done the center one 12 times, then build as you get stronger.
Another great exercise if you can lie down on the floor on your back is to do simple leg lifts. Bend your knees then straighten one leg. Raise that leg straight up several times, then switch. This tones the neglected lower stomach.
These are some of the best abdominal exercises for obese people that don’t take long to do, but if you do them every day you’ll see a difference.