Sunday, December 26, 2010

How do I start and stick with a new fitness program?

A very kind friend of mine posed this question to me and I have decided to write up a way to accomplish this. Since it is the time of year where people are now making those resolutions to get and stay healthy in the New Year but the vast majority of people and up quitting by the second week of January.

There are, like most things, many different reasons why people cannot stick with this goal. The most common being that they come to the realization that they have bitten off more than they can chew and want to quit. They get so into it that they don't realize they don't really know what they exactly want to do beyond losing weight.

So here we go, ShinKicker Fitness's own how to design a program that you can stick to!

1. Know your goals. It's kind of hard to design and stick to a program if you don't know what you want to accomplish when you finish it. If you want to lose fat, gain muscle, improve your cardio so you can keep up with your kids or improve for a sport. This will make it so much easier for you to figure out how to go about accomplishing your goals if you know what it is.

2. Know your commitment level. How much time per day or week do you have to work towards your goals. You do not need to spend 3 hours a day in the gym to see results. But you do really need to devote time to it, say 30 minutes 3 times a week to start off and then build from there as you get stronger.

3. Start off slow. Do not start with an advanced level workout if you have are just getting back into being active. The reasoning for this is two fold. You will get discouraged if you are unable to complete it and thusly lose the will to stick with your program. You also could injure yourself and no one wants to get injured. It's just unpleasent to say the least.

4. Know what you have available to you where you are. Do you have a gym handy? Is there a class you want to take locally? Do you have a partner to keep you motivated?

5. Have a workout buddy. It doesn't matter if it's a personal trainer, your mom, dad, sister, cousin, friend or your dog. As I just mentioned in number 4 it does help to have someone to keep you motivated to keep going and accomplish those goals.

6. Have fun. So many people forget this. But if you make your routine fun you are more and more likely to accomplish your goal let alone actually stick with your program. Don't like running on a treadmill because it's boring? Then don't. Find exercises and activities that you love to do and do them.

7. Do not compare you and your results to those of other people. If you do you will find yourself getting discouraged. Every single person is different and will get fit at different rates based on any number of different factors ranging from gender, age, body chemistry and ability. Keep this motto in mind while you work towards your goal. "Your best is not my best. My best is my best." Fitness is 50% book and 50% people. You need to find what works for you and to hell with what works for someone else.

If you can keep these in mind while you decide on your New Years Resolutions. You will increase your chances of accomplishing them by 10 fold.

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