Can anyone believe we’re well past halfway through the year and Spring is upon us?! By now, New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten and we seem to be in the same routines as before. Added to that, we easily blame the winter weather for keeping us indoors and inactive.
You are not alone!!
The majority of patients coming in to our Biokinetics practice admit that their exercise routines have dropped to less than 3 times a week (the recommended guideline) and the reasons range from being too busy at work, too busy with children or the weather being too cold.
I’m concerned by the high number of patients who are overweight or they have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and/or diabetes. These are stepping stones to even more complicated issues such as cardiovascular diseases. It’s very difficult to turn back from there.
As a Biokineticist, I believe exercise is medicine and is the key to a healthy future.
With the problems mentioned above becoming more and more of a reality for the general population, I’ve struggled to come up with a solution. With so many fad diets, diet pills and milkshakes out there, it’s very easy to try take the quick way out.
BUT… is that healthy or a long term solution?
I’ve come up with 2 basic concepts that I feel are the way forward if you want to improve your health through exercise.
1) Enjoyment!
You got to enjoy what you’re doing otherwise it won’t last long.
Granted – when you first start exercising, your body might complain because you’re putting it through something new, that’s to be expected. What I mean is something like if you’re a natural swimmer, why not go and swim at the gym rather than pound out kilometres on the treadmill?
Or if you played team sports, joining a social team/club in the area might be the motivation you need to stick at it (doesn’t that sound better than running all alone at the crack of dawn?)
Another idea is to get an exercise buddy – not only will it help you stick to your planned sessions but it’s great to have someone to motivate you through the tough stuff. They can also keep you distracted so you don’t even realize how far you’ve run or how many squats you’ve done!
2) Progression is key!
I think one of the simple mistakes people make is that they set incredibly intense programs (eg: I will get up at 5am and run 10km a day) that they just can’t keep up with. If you’ve been inactive for a while, your body is absolutely going to hate you and it certainly won’t be a long term solution.
My suggestion is to start slowly and within your limits. Start small and build on it so that you don’t set yourself up to fail, and then give up.
In this way, your body will handle the new adventure you’ve decided to put it through and you may also start to see the benefits of exercise like:
- Weight and cm loss
- Improved muscle tone
- Better sleep quality
- Improved mood
- Higher energy levels (and many more…)
A series of small successes can be very motivating!
Everyone is different so there’s no one exercise plan that works for everyone. You could start off with a 20/30min walk every second day then progress that to walking two days and resting one day, then maybe even a jog or two in the week?
If you’re more of a gym person, it’s no good to klap every machine in the gym or choose the heaviest weights just because the muscle bunny next to you is using it (men – this is where science needs to rule over the ego).
Rather pick 3-6 exercises, perform 2/3 sets of 10-15 reps with a medium weight/resistance (again, everyone is different, this is only a general guideline).
Injuries are very common in the first few weeks of training because people go too heavy and too hard with complete disregard for technique. Despite popular belief, the mirrors in the gym aren’t there for members to check out their flexed muscles, they’re there so you can check your technique is correct.
You could pop in to your local Bio who could assess you and design an individualized programme just for you? Then they can take you through your programme and check that your technique is correct whilst making sure you reach your goals within the near future.
I’m not claiming that this is rocket science or even new advice, rather I see it as guidelines for the normal person who just want to exercise a bit more because they know it’s good for their health.
It’s never too late to choose to change to a healthier lifestyle
Start right now by thinking what forms of exercise you enjoy the most, and who you could get to join you. Then draw up a realistic plan for the next 7 days. Take a little time to consider what time of the day you will do this, each day can be different. Structure it to create the minimum disruption and stress in your life, and the maximum enjoyment for you.
I would love to hear your plans, tell me about it in the comments section below.
Good luck!
