In my last written post, I addressed some methods to "live into" your fitness goals by balancing your diet more and practicing the ideal image you have for your fitness. Here's the exercise portion of the equation:
Start with you.
The first thing you must realize before adopting a fitness routine that works for you.None of us are living the same lives. We're built differently, live in different places of the world with different climates and general lifestyles, and we all have different responsibilities to fulfill. So it's foolish to think you can apply one general rule to your life and expect the same results as everyone else. You've got to consider your needs and limitations before you can effectively start working toward your fitness goals.
Starting with you means first looking at what you've done with fitness that has and hasn't worked, and looking at what fitness might be able to fix for you. For me, this meant recognizing my that I am very injury-prone when I log too many running miles. I've probably had to take off six-to-eight months total out of the what will be ten years of running in June, not counting time off for being sick. And taking time off for injuries made major setbacks for my fitness goals, both with running and otherwise. Once I was done with high school track and cross country and moved on to college, however, I was able to exercise on my own time for my own ends, which meant I could finally run as much as or as little as was good for me, and be more proactive to prevent injuries. I adapted my workout routine, trying new things to suit my class schedule, the weather, and to try new things. I incorporated swimming, biking, lifting, and an abdominal routine into my workout routine. I use these workout forms as cross training, or something one uses to supplement his or her main means for fitness. I practiced them sporadically in high school because I was so fixated on running, but regularly taking the impact of running off my bones and joints, and strengthening the muscles an joints running ignores, has eliminated having to take time off for shin splints and stress fractures. So pay attention to how your body works and what it can handle, and build your workout plan from there.
Look at, set your goals.
Once you have a good idea of what your body can handle, and what it needs to keep going with fitness, you're ready to look at your goals. Figuring out what you're working with first allows you to be realistic about what you want to achieve. It also makes achieving your goals feel more natural, instead of a forced effort. You've got to keep in mind that you're working with a specific set of needs and abilities when you're making your goals, too. Being in tune to that is a constant process with successful fitness. For me, the Holy Grail of fitness was to have six pack abs. I had a flat stomach all through my cross country years, but I could never achieve the six pack abs. I did countless crunches and watched what I ate more that most of my peers, but just couldn't get there. Most cross country runners have no problem with this because they're built with a tall, thin frame, which has never been the case for me. I'm tall, standing at six feet, but otherwise have a very medium build. I can gain muscle fairly easily and have what I would consider a normal metabolism. It might be slightly faster because I'm still in my twenties, but I certainly can't eat whatever I want and maintain the level of leanness I prefer. The problem with my goals for a six pack went back to "starting with you" to meet your fitness goals. Instead of viewing how I was built as a hindrance to my goal, I should have viewed it as a way to help me achieve my goal. Because I couldn't realize that, I was fighting against something I couldn't change, but which could help me immensely in achieving my goal if I just embraced it. So I started lifting more regularly, changing my lifting routine periodically so my body didn't get used to it and plateau. I used fitness articles and advice from fitness magazines and websites, such as Men's Fitness Magazine, bodybuilders.com, to vary things to keep challenging myself and to keep myself from getting bored. I actually was able to exercise my abs more regularly and efficiently because I was more fixated on total fitness, and on achieving it by capitalizing on my physical strengths. I was gaining muscle, and adding muscle is adding something extra for your body to maintain with calories, which meant my body was burning more calories, and I was finally reaching that next level of leanness I could never get to. Along with the basic dietary changes which I outlined in the previous article, I finally achieved my six pack, which I have maintained for almost two years, although I will say that I am still working to improve it. Focusing on total fitness rather than obsessing over one goal not only helped me achieve my original goal easier, but led to other exciting fitness gains and goals I never anticipated, and made things happen more naturally.
So the lesson for this week's Tuesday Tune-Up is to start with what your body needs to keep going with fitness, and what you can capitalize on, rather than obsessing on that seemingly impossible goal you've been chasing. Focus on using your strengths to develop total fitness, and you might finally reach your goal. Until next time, Rize up and start doing something to capitalize on your fitness strengths to reach your goals.
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