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.

Rethink what you know about fruit

Too many times I hear from people that fruit is this or that (ie. high in sugar, high in calories, etc).  I'm not sure where that misguided information originated but I can tell you it's simply not true.  If your an active individual, fruits should be your best friend.  Not only does it provide the body with much needed vitamins and minerals, it also is a great source of natural sugars.  If your unfamiliar with natural vs processed sugars, here is the skinny, the body is very efficient at digesting and converting natural sugars into usable energy.  When was the last time you heard from someone that they were feeling sluggish and tired (an effect of ingesting too much processed sugars) after eating fruit.  Did I forget to mention, that they are also so damn delicious too!! 

Skipping breakfast may lead to higher risk of heart attack, heart disease

Just wanted to take some time out of my day to post this link that was sent to me about the importance of eating breakfast. Great 3:30 min video that highlights the risk of skipping breakfast. We all have 4 min to spare in the day, do yourself a favour and check out it out - it just might change the way you view breakfast. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/skipping-breakfast-may-lead-to-higher-risk-of-heart-attack-heart-disease-study-1.1378307

Lychee, a small but powerful berry

If you been in your local market as of late you've probably notice that Lychees are in season again.  Known only to be available (fresh) in the summer time, this fruit is a rare delight.  If you haven't already tried one, do yourself a favour and pick up a pound or two. 

Lychee, translated from Chinese as ‘gift for a joyful life’, surely lives up to its name. The lychee fruit contains vitamins and minerals that promote a healthy diet, it is sweet and delicious and it has been enjoyed joyfully by natives of southeast Asia for centuries.

Anyone who eats the lychee fruit immediately falls in love with it. But if the fact that lychee is so delicious doesn’t not convince you to try it, maybe hearing some of the health benefits of lychee will make you give this tropical fruit a second look.

 

Health benefits of Lychee

1.  Lychee fruit contains 66 calories per 100 g, comparable to that in the table-grapes. It has no saturated fats or cholesterol, but composes of good amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

2.  Research studies suggest that oligonol, a low molecular weight polyphenol, is found abundantly in lychee fruit. Oligonol is thought to have anti-oxidant and anti-influenza virus actions. In addition, it helps improve blood flow in organs, reduce weight, and protect skin from harmful UV rays.

3.  Litchi, like citrus fruits, is an excellent source of vitamin C; 100 g fresh fruits provide 71.5 mg or 119% of daily-recommended value. Studies suggest that consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

4.  Further, it is a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, and folates. These vitamins are essential since they function by acting as co-factors to help the body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats

5.  Litchi also contains a very good amount of minerals like potassium and copper. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids help control heart rate and blood pressure; thus, it offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.

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The Surprising Health Benefits of the Cantaloupe

You might have read that I was recently hit with a bad case of food poisoning.  To say the least, the two weeks I lost because of it was not a highlight of my month.  But, with every con, there is a pro waiting to be discovered.  Luckily for me, I think I may have discovered it early.  Once I started to get back to my normal routines, I began to think about the food I was putting into my body.  More importantly, why I was putting it into my body.  After a short ponder, I realized I was no expert in this area.  Therefore, I did what most of my generation do when we need to know the answer to a question, I googled it lol.   

I choice to start my search with what I was currently eating at the time, a cantaloupe. 

The cantaloupe is a species of melon found in the Cucurbitacae family.  For those that like fun facts, sorry to say, that is my first and only fun fact about the cantaloupe that I will be sharing.  Now lets quickly fast-forward to the fun stuff, the great benefits of the cantaloupe.  

1. Great Source of Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene

If you are looking to incorporate vitamin A sources into your diet then cantaloupes will make a great addition to your diet plan.  In fact, cantaloupes contain concentrated amounts of beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A.  Both nutrients are essential for the maintenance of healthy eyesight.  In a study that included more than 50,000 women whose ages ranged from 45 to 67, it was found that those who consumed high amounts of vitamin A on a daily basis reduced their risk of developing cataracts by as much as 40%.  Those women who ate cantaloupes as a regular part of their diet also had a lower risk of surgery from cataracts.  On the contrary, women whose diets included a lot of salt, butter and unhealthy fats had a higher risk of cataract surgery.  Research has also shown that there may be a possible link between beta-carotene and cancer prevention.

2. Great Source of Vitamin C

Aside from being a significant source of vitamin A, cantaloupes are also good sources of vitamin C.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant which functions in the water-soluble parts of the body.  As you might know, antioxidants help fight free radicals in your body.  Free radicals spread damage to your cells, causing diseases and signs of aging.  Vitamin C also strengthens your immune system by stimulating your white blood cells.  Your white blood cells are responsible for killing viruses, bacteria and other foreign elements that seek to enter your body.

3. Promotes the Health of Your Lungs

A recent study showed that consumption of a vitamin A-rich food like cantaloupe is also beneficial to smokers.  If you’re a smoker or someone who is constantly exposed to second-hand smoke then you might want to make cantaloupes a regular part of your diet.  One of the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke reportedly created a vitamin A deficiency in the body.  When you start incorporating more vitamin A into your diet, the deficiency is reversed and you also lower your risk of developing lung diseases like emphysema.

4. Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

Cantaloupes are also rich in a compound called adenosine.  Adenosine is typically administered to patients who have heart disease since this compound has blood-thinning properties. When your blood is thin, you can prevent blood-clotting in the cardiovascular system.  The folate present in cantaloupes and all types of melons also help in preventing a heart attack.

5. Reduces Stress

Cantaloupe might also be an ideal fruit to eat during those times when you are feeling anxious and stressed.  Cantaloupe is rich in potassium which normalizes the heartbeat and promotes the supply of oxygen to the brain.  As a result, you feel more relaxed and focused.

Hope everyone found this interesting.  Stayed tuned for more about other foods, mainly their benefits lol.

   

SYMFIT Team hikes scheduled for the last Sunday of every month

If you're a reader from Vancouver, BC come join me and the SYMFIT team for our monthly hikes.  There is no charge to join in on the fun.  Come out and say hi, meet some new friends, and feel free to pick the brains of two elite personal trainers.       

Hiking Notes: Please Read

• Hikes begin at 10:00am from a predetermined place
• Preregistration is required: to register for a hike please email dj@symfit.com or leave me a comment (and i'll get back to you personally).
• All Levels Welcome (Black Tusk is available for intermediate-advanced hikers)
• All hikes and trekking require proper footwear, hydration packs, and are guided by one of your coaches

The Hikes:

Lions Hike | Sunday May 26, 2013
Chief | Sunday June 30, 2013
Black Tusk | Sunday July 28, 2013
Garabaldi | Sunday August 28, 2013 

For more info CLICK HERE - There is in fact a typo with the time on the page, it should  say 10 am.  Everything else on that page is correct.  Website is not 100% complete yet, we are slowly putting the final touches on it - check back soon!! 

Finding Your Groove Again When Your Training Gets Disrupted

Sometimes we can find a groove in our training, during this time we’re motivated to workout every day, we’re feeling optimal and hitting our fitness goals – what could be better! – And then everything comes to a screeching halt.  Any number of unforeseen events can come along and pull you away from your groove: Getting an illness, an injury, a family emergency, personal crisis, prepping for a special event, moving, your favorite running route getting blocked off, or a relaxing holiday that becomes extra relaxing.

When this happens, best advice I can give - Go easy on yourself.  Many people tend to revert to berating themselves when they lose the path.  Beating yourself up is not going to get you any more motivated.  There’s nothing more taxing that feeling guilty and ashamed.  Instead, you can choose to embrace it and find a way through it.

Recently, I acquired an illness that disrupted my whole system.  My favorite physical activities - yoga, running, & fitness were inaccessible to me for a few weeks, after having been in a comfortable groove for some time. I had a choice: I could wallow and think wistfully about the good old days, or… I could find a way through this. In choosing the latter, I was faced with the task of being willing to try new forms of movement that wouldn’t compromise my injury or cause me pain. It was an opportunity for growth, in that I practiced willingness, adaptability and stretched out of my comfort zone.

 Here are some lessons I benefited from (and teach my clients):

1. Reduce your attachment to one way of doing things.

Although you may be really connected to the routines you have, or one type of movement; it is really essential to apply a key life skill here: the ability to adapt. Shake things up every once in a while by squeezing in a different workout.

2. Create a backup fitness plan.

Think of a fitness back-up plan as an insurance policy: Our fitness activities keep us in top form (emotionally and mentally as well) for handling life’s events and challenges.  If you relied solely on one activity, then everything would fall apart if that gets disrupted in any way.  If your body is used to output, you may risk becoming a little depressed when it stops movement; so be sure to have a small list of alternative ways you can get movement in, and most importantly, practice these every once in a while.  Schedule in one “Plan B” workout every 2 weeks, even if it’s not your favorite.  It’s kind of like a ‘fire drill’ practice: its good to be prepared for anything.

3. Be willing to get creative within your limitations.

Even though you may have found what works for you, if you are disrupted or limited somehow, then it’s time to think outside the box. There are many, many opportunities for physical movement, or high-impact mini-workouts for those who face time constraints.  For instance, ask fit friends about their workout preferences.  Also, consider asking a personal trainer to help you discover new exercises or activities - they are great resources for bringing in new forms of physical movement into your life.  Don;t be afraid to ask me lol :)

4. Tolerate a learning curve for your new forms of movement.

If indeed you have said yes to an exercise back up plan, be aware that you may take some time getting used to it.  All mastery requires a stage of awkwardness.  Also, keep your ego in check.  It may convince you that because this new movement is awkward or difficult, that it’s not worth pursuing.  Ignore it and keep on moving.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” - Bruce Lee

All throughout life we will be faced with distractions, disruptions and unforeseen events. Nothing can ever stay comfortably predictable. The facts: committing to physical wellness involves much more than finding a routine you like and sticking with it.  The ability to adapt with the punches, combined with determination, topped with a consistent readiness to step out of your comfort zone -if need be- are traits of individuals who live active lifestyles.  Hope you found this interesting and helpful :)