15 Tips to Restart the Exercise Habit (and How to Keep It)

As a trainer, I've heard all the reasons to why someone has failed their program.  Want to guess what is the most common?

Loss of Motivation.

Once you have an exercise habit, it becomes automatic. You just go to the gym, there is no force involved. But after a month, two months or possibly a year off, it can be hard to get started again. Here are some tips to climb back on that treadmill after you’ve fallen off.

1. Don’t Break the Habit – The easiest way to keep things going is simply not to stop. Avoid long breaks in exercising or rebuilding the habit will take some effort. This may be advice a little too late for some people. But if you have an exercise habit going, don’t drop it at the first sign of trouble.
2. Reward Showing Up – Woody Allen once said that, “Half of life is showing up.” I’d argue that 90% of making a habit is just making the effort to get there. You can worry about your weight, amount of laps you run or the amount you can bench press later.
3. Commit for Thirty Days – Make a commitment to go every day (even just for 20 minutes) for one month. This will solidify the exercise habit. By making a commitment you also take pressure off yourself in the first weeks back of deciding whether to go.
4. Make it Fun – If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it is going to be hard to keep it a habit. There are thousands of ways you can move your body and exercise, so don’t give up if you’ve decided lifting weights or doing crunches isn’t for you. Many large fitness centers will offer a range of programs that can suit your tastes.
5. Schedule During Quiet Hours – Don’t put exercise time in a place where it will easily be pushed aside by something more important. Right after work or first thing in the morning are often good places to put it. Lunch-hour workouts might be too easy to skip if work demands start mounting.
6. Get a Buddy – Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to the exercise habit.
7. X Your Calendar – One person I know has the habit of drawing a red “X” through any day on the calendar he goes to the gym. The benefit of this is it quickly shows how long it has been since you’ve gone to the gym. Keeping a steady amount of X’s on your calendar is an easy way to motivate yourself.
8. Enjoyment Before Effort - After you finish any work out, ask yourself what parts you enjoyed and what parts you did not. As a rule, the enjoyable aspects of your workout will get done and the rest will be avoided. By focusing on how you can make workouts more enjoyable, you can make sure you want to keep going to the gym.
9. Create a Ritual - Your workout routine should become so ingrained that it becomes a ritual. This means that the time of day, place or cue automatically starts you towards grabbing your bag and heading out. If your workout times are completely random, it will be harder to benefit from the momentum of a ritual.
10. Stress Relief - What do you do when your stressed? Chances are it isn’t running. But exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, releasing endorphin which will improve your mood. The next time you feel stressed or tired, try doing an exercise you enjoy. When stress relief is linked to exercise, it is easy to regain the habit even after a leave of absence.
11. Measure Fitness - Weight isn’t always the best number to track. Increase in muscle can offset decreases in fat so the scale doesn’t change even if your body is. But fitness improvements are a great way to stay motivated. Recording simple numbers such as the number of push-ups, sit-ups or speed you can run can help you see that the exercise is making you stronger and faster.
12. Habits First, Equipment Later – Fancy equipment doesn’t create a habit for exercise. Despite this, some people still believe that buying a thousand dollar machine will make up for their inactivity. It won’t. Start building the exercise habit first, only afterwards should you worry about having a personal gym.
13. Isolate Your Weakness - If falling off the exercise wagon is a common occurrence for you, find out why. Do you not enjoy exercising? Is it a lack of time? Is it feeling self-conscious at the gym? Is it a lack of fitness know-how? As soon as you can isolate your weakness, you can make steps to improve the situation.
14. Start Small - Trying to run fifteen miles your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks to build the habit. Otherwise you might scare yourself off after a brutal workout.
15. Go for Yourself, Not to Impress – Going to the gym with the only goal of looking great is like starting a business with only the goal to make money. The effort can’t justify the results. But if you go to the gym to push yourself, gain energy and have a good time, then you can keep going even when results are slow.

You Asked, We Answered: Answers From A Personal Trainer

Recently, me and my business partner DJ Mckay held a "ask a personal trainer anything"  over Facebook regarding health and fitness.  Here is one of the questions asked and answered.


Is the P90X program any good? 

Yes, and no.

The P90X program does a lot of things right. Its primary focus is “muscle confusion” which is great for breaking through plateaus. Its variety of exercises keeps things fresh and sustainable. The emphasis on the mid-belt (core) section is better than most other programs I have come across.

What this program does lack is that it only has one gear (overdrive). Training at a level 10 all the time is counterproductive to you achieving your goals not just because of “burnout”, but on a hormonal level as well (cortisol excretion).

Instead of “overdrive mode” all the time, a far more superior approach is to constantly train at various intensities (Eg. one day sprint, next day walk).

Another thing missing from P90X is the lack of training specifically for skill-based fitness. Along with toning/building/losing fat, training to improve speed, dexterity, balance, coordination and flexibility is a MUST. Skill-based training will have a serious positive impact on your life. Also, even better than just shedding fat is shedding fat and gaining flexibility and athletic performance (even if you are not an athlete).

Is P90X for you?

P90X is for someone who already has laid down a solid base of fitness. If you haven’t gotten your ass up off the couch since Adam Sandler was in a good movie, start with walking around your block a few times a week, doing some pushups and situps, and eating better. Begin at the beginning.

Verdict?


P90X is a good addition for someone who has a solid fitness base or is an athlete, however the program is not complete.


Hope this helps someone!


Stay tuned for more questions answered and for more information on when our next Ask a Trainer Anything period will be.
 
#DOSOMETHING #BREATH #MOVE #TRAINLESS #PLAYMORE #SYMFIT

A Personal Trainers Workout: Day Four At The Gym

With the success of my last workout I was very anxious to get back into the gym.  To make sure I did the workout (and push myself during it lol), I invited a friend along as extra motivation - thanks again Shannon!!!  Without further ado here is the routine we choose to do:

Warm Up:  Light Jog

Done Together:
Clapping Plank  (Need Partner for this)
V-Bend Sit Up (while supine) - 180 roll - Superman (while prone)

Alternating Stations:
1) Burpees with a 180 twist
2) Good ol' Fashioned Kettlebell Swing
1) Good ol' Fashioned TRX Row
2) Split Squat Double Kettlebell Press
1) Floor Side Oblique Crunches
2) Kettlebell Double High Pull

Done Together:
Kettlebell Turkish Get Up

We were both feeling tired and drained that day, so we only did 2 sets (will push for 3 next time), about 12-20 reps (depending on exercise, basically pushed till failure).  Best not to rush into things.  With the chatting, the routine took us about 45 min to complete.

Just like my last routine, I dare you to try it if you think your ready for it lol :)  And as always, if your unsure about a exercise, msg me and I will give you feed back on how to achieve it.  Have fun, play hard, and remember to stretch for 10-30 min after your workout (it's just as important as the workout itself).

A Personal Trainers Workout: Just getting back into the swing of things

So as some of you might know - I was down and out the majority of December with concussion issues and clod/flu symptoms (both together was a nightmare lol).  Long story short, I became a hermit (something that I am not too accustomed to).  Yes, it does mean an early Christmas break for me.  WooHoo, right!?!?  Wrong.  As many of us have come to realize, with good there is always a bad.  Bad in this case being melon collie (from boredom and being antisocial - social media doesn't count as social to me), bad nutrition, and no activities (ie. working out, running, swimming, yoga, etc).  

Thankfully, January has rolled in finally - it could not have come faster lol.  Over the past week I have been trying to get back into my normal routine.  I am a fairly active guy so it's very unusual for me not to perform.  Actually, frustrating may be a better suited. The first week was VERY tough for me (physically, mentally, & emotionally).  But I persevered through it (thanks to supportive friends - thanks fuckers!).  Now that I'm onto the second week, everything is moving along close to where I left off.  If I dare say it, I may be back into full fledged beast mood soon lol.

This is my first workout of the new year (third if you count my "shit the bed" workouts from last week) that I am proud to share with you.  I did it with no hiccups or rest in between.  Three sets each (except warm up), 10-15 reps (varies depending on exercise), took me just under an hour to complete.

Heavy Rope skipping (warm up)
10 min Row (not a warm up)
Prone Side 90 degree Rotator Cuff Raises on inverted bench
Prone Straight Arm Extensions on inverted bench
Hanging Lat Pull Ups
Hanging Straight Leg Oblique Crunches
Good ol' Fashioned Plank
Single Bottoms Up Kettlebell Clean and Press
Olympic Cleans

I dare you to try it if you think you can handle it lol :)  Please keep in mind that some of these exercise are a bit on the advanced side, so to forego injuries, msg me and I will send you an easier alternative which will help you get to the desired exercise.  Have fun, play hard, but be safe kids!

11 commandments of mental health

1. Think positive; it's easier
2. Cherish the ones you love
3. Continue learning as long as you live
4. Learn from your mistakes
5. Exercise daily; it enhances your well-being - true story!
6. Do not complicate your life with unimportant matters
7. Try to understand and encourage those around you
8. Do not give up; no one said life would be easy
9. Discover and nurture your talents
10. Set goals for yourself and pursue your dreams
11. Love and share with others

Short and simple... Have a wonder day kids :)

How to Find Your Mid-Foot - For Runners!

For the last few years, more and more runners and training professionals have been touting the benefits of running with a mid-foot landing, rather than the more common heel-strike. Many agree that a mid-foot landing is more natural. Have you tried running in place with no shoes on? You’ll never land on your heel.

The human foot is an amazing structure, built with 26 bones, 33 joints and over one hundred muscles, ligaments and tendons. The arch is a beautifully designed spring mechanism that feeds energy to our calves, quads and hips and lets us run gracefully and painlessly, if we just let it do its job.

The running shoe we see most often today has been around since about the mid 80s, when more of the general masses started to take up running. The athletic shoe industry figured that the average jogger might want more comfort than the serious athlete, who had up until then influenced the market toward a more lightweight racing shoe.

Major shoe companies decided to add cushioning and a raised heel to the running shoe, leading to the heel-strike form. Essentially they made running feel like walking. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time.

Since then we have seen an explosion of runners, but we have also seen an explosion of knee problems, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, and the list goes on. Many believe that the super-cushioned, gel-filled, motion-control features of the modern running shoe have dimmed the natural movement of our feet and disrupted our skeletal balance, causing unnecessary injuries.

Because of this, some runners are setting their feet free. Some go completely barefoot while others are choosing to lighten up on their footwear, wearing shoes closer to what runners wore in the old days, with little to no cushioning and no pronation control. No bells and whistles.

Runners today are taking back their mid-foot and reaping the benefits with less injuries and more enjoyable runs. If you're up for the challenge of finding your mid-foot and improving your running form, here are some tips to follow:

1. Lose the shoes.

Bare feet are your best teacher. If you aren't comfortable going totally bare, try some lightweight footwear. You can choose anything from running sandals, to water shoes, to a high-tech pair of minimalist running kicks.

The things to look for in a minimalist shoe are:

• no significant lift from the toe to heel (4mm or less) or none at all (often marketed as "zero-drop")
• very little to no cushioning
• an extra flexible sole
• plenty of room for your toes to spread and move

If you absolutely cannot part with your cushioned trainers, that's okay. You can still improve your running form with these next tips.

2. Stop landing on your heel.

The key to good form is contacting the ground with the front half of your foot first. This is more difficult to do in heavy trainers, and next to impossible to avoid when barefoot. The exact contact spot varies from person to person. Some land on the ball of their foot (forefoot landing), but most land somewhere in the middle (mid-foot landing).

Your heel should still touch the ground briefly. However, it should not carry a large weight load. Most of your weight should be directly above your mid-foot. As soon as your heel makes contact, your arch and lower leg muscles can gather the spring they need to move your body forward. This way you can land much more lightly and bounce out of each stride rather than pound the ground.

3. Stand up straight and shorten your stride.

Remember what your mother told you: don’t slouch. A slumped-over runner wastes energy and allows for over-striding, which means extending the leg so far ahead that the foot lands in front of the body's center of gravity.

Over-striding can lead to a host of problems, joint pain and knee injuries in particular. So keep your back straight, lead with your chest and bend forward only slightly at the ankles.

Shortening the length of your stride and increasing your cadence can make it easier to straighten up and resist over-striding. The average heel-striking runner tends to use longer strides and a cadence of 90 to 120 beats per minute (BPM), but the recommended cadence for optimal mid-foot running is about 180 BPM. That's three beats per second.

Get this cadence down and it may help achieve and maintain your correct form. Help yourself out by downloading a playlist of songs at 180 BPM for your iPod or carrying a small metronome with you.

4. Relax.

Finding your mid-foot can make you a more graceful and energy-efficient runner. But there's nothing graceful about running with stiff, robot-like limbs. Loosen up.

Relax your shoulders, neck, hands, toes, and even your legs. Extra tension in your muscles wastes energy and can cause a lack in flexibility and extra soreness. Bend your knees, shake out all the stiffness and let your body choose which muscles carry you forward.

5. Listen to your body.

Switching from a heel-strike to a mid-foot strike is serious business. In the long run, good mid-foot form is easier on your joints and spine and strengthens your ankles, feet and lower legs. But it is a big change for your underused lower leg and foot muscles.

It is important to start slow—even slower than you think. Build mileage gradually and always listen to your body when it says stop. Most knowledgeable barefoot runners recommend starting with no more than 1/8 to 1/4 mile at first, and increasing distance by 10 percent each week.

For longer distance runners, this may seem ludicrous. However, learning a new running form is the equivalent to being a new runner. With that said, every runner is different. The smartest thing you can do is be patient, pay attention to how your body feels and avoid injuries by taking it easy during your transition period.

6. Learn from the Masters.

Finding your mid-foot takes a little more finesse than just throwing off your trainers and heading out the door. Fortunately, there is a wealth of advice out there on running with good form. I myself pick the brain of Timothy Smith, of Natural Runners Vancouver.  Check him out - http://www.facebook.com/thenaturalrunner.  Don't hesitate to send any questions you may have to him.  He's helped me out big time with my running - I feel like I can go longer with my power, balance, and agility than before :)