Getting fit staying fit- it’s all in the mind-set!
Now its January you can be certain gyms, classes and parks everywhere will be full of people making their new year’s resolution to get fit in 2017.
Although they may be full of determination now, according to statistics only 8% of these new-found fitness enthusiasts are successful, in making their new fitness routine a lasting success. So what causes the other 92% to give up?!
Negative thinking
The answer is mind-set. Many people have deep-seated negative views about exercise and their ability to do it. These people have learnt throughout their lives to view exercise as a chore, a punishment or something that is difficult to do well. Often people believe they are no good at sport or exercise, they class themselves as “not the sporty type” and doubt their ability to succeed at anything physical.
For some bad experiences with PE teachers or fitness instructors have scared them off exercise, and they associate it with being treated unfairly – anything but fun. Although they may start a new form of exercise, they view it as a chore and their heart isn’t in it long term because they feel they would rather be doing something else.
The fitness industry hasn’t done much to help this either! In the past fitness experts have advised us to exercise in a very prescriptive way. We have been told to do certain amounts, at a certain intensity, breathe hard and sweat or what we are doing won’t count.
Thankfully there is growing evidence to show that for all of us “something is better than nothing.” Every flight of stairs. Every step from the car park or bus stop it all counts. Perhaps it’s time to stop thinking of exercise as difficult, unachievable and not fun?
Positive thinking – exercise is fun!
Perhaps to be successful, people who chose new year’s resolutions need to start something that is active but also FUN, something they will enjoy! By thinking positively about our exercise time and our ability to be good at it, we become more motivated to exercise and put the effort in. If we remember moving feels good it will help turn our negative mind-sets and views of exercise into something positive. Ok the first few minutes of exercise can be hard but often at 10 minutes or 10 steps we are feeling warmed up, physically and mentally good and glad we started.
These days fun is being taken more seriously by instructors too. Most have started to recognise that if their clients dread exercising and find it too hard, they will lose confidence quickly and drop out from the exercise routine, not good for instructor or client.
To help stick at our new year’s fitness resolutions we all need a “positive mental attitude”. How we view exercise and the activities we chose is important for our long term commitment. If we are positive about our choices of exercise, believing we will have a good time when we work out, we can actually look forward to our time in the park, or gym or class.
Imagine, thinking “I really want to go for a jog – it will make me feel less tired and stressed.” Perhaps if we look forward to doing our new forms of exercise this January we can keep the routine up, and make successful changes to our health.
Self-Belief
Self-belief is also important when it comes to starting a new exercise routine. Whether you’ve resolved to start a class, jog through the park, or spend half an hour in the gym twice a week – if you believe you can perform well and feel good in the process, you will be more likely to complete your workouts and see progress. Believe you will fail, inure yourself or struggle and of course TV is more appealing.
The same can be said about the whole idea of a new year’s resolution! If you expect yourself to fail and quit by February then of course you will quit. If you truly believe you can keep the exercise going and make lasting changes expect to still by working out next January.
If we understand that our mind-set and expectations about exercise influence how we feel when we do it and think about it, which further influences whether we sustain it, then we can start to use positive thinking to help us stick to that new year’s exercise routine. We can look forward to experiencing pleasure and meaning from exercising and being active – what could be better than that?!
Festive Fitness Tips 2
December is a time we are used to getting together and celebrating with friends and family. This can often mean temptation to eat less healthy food than usual, and less time to exercise. Here are more of my fail-proof tips for staying on track with your health and fitness plan this Christmas and new year.
1: Aim to get at least 10minutes of exercise each day
And make your week as varied as you can exercise wise- whether this 10 mins is a brisk walk round the block, 10 minutes of Pilates or 10 minutes dancing to party music on the radio, look for opportunities to be active.
10 minutes really is achievable for everyone and you will feel better physically and mentally for getting your body moving.
2: Take some time to yourself each day
Keep your mind healthy and limit stress– try a 10 minute walk, reading a chapter of your book or taking a long relaxing bath Stress is not good for our health, especially for those looking after their weight.
When we are stressed the body releases more cortisol into bloodstream. If cortisol is regularly present in our system, this “stress” hormone can lead to increased fat storage especially around our mid-section, blood pressure fluctuations and sleep disruption, hence mental health is just as important as physical.
3: Make your health a priority.
Do you really have to take every chocolate offered to you, or buy all of the extra chocolate, cake and sweets?
Avoid buying high sugar, high fat food so you wont be tempted to “eat it all up” after the big day! Practice saying no to repeated offers of less healthy food – as practice makes perfect, if you really can’t resist limit yourself to just 1-2 chocolates/biscuits, so you can have fun but not ruin your hard work this year.
Tips to keep fit this festive season
Family to visit, presents to wrap December can be a busy time. With so many things to do and only 24 hours in a day it can be hard to find time to exercise, especially when xmas related events start clashing with your usual classes.
However there are many ways you can get some time to exercise, here are my 5 tips to staying fit this festive season.
- Walk or cycle everywhere– if you have to go shopping, visit somebody or commute somewhere do it the active way by walking or cycling instead of going by car or bus. To get maximum benefit from your exercise aim to go at a pace that gets your heart pumping and increases your breathing rate.
- Keep to 10 minute workouts – When time is sparse put aside 10 minutes in the morning or evening to do 3 -5 Pilates exercises and a little cardio. This will keep your muscles strong and your cardiovascular system in shape, so you feel fit and able to return to your usual routine in January.
For an idea try 1 minute jogging on the spot, followed by 10-15 reps of each of the following Pilates exercises:
- Shoulder bridge, 2. half roll up, toe taps, 3. clam, 4. Superman.
- Use your diary – Booking a class or writing time to exercise in your diary can help you stay committed to exercise.
By looking at your diary at the start of the week you will be able to see which days you have the most time to exercise. Try booking a Pilates class or arranging to go swimming with a friend. By committing to something and then putting it first when last minute event invites come up –you will be more motivated to follow through with your December exercise plans.
Good luck – i know you can acheive your goals and stay motivated – just stay positive and make time for yourself. Claire x
Book December and January Pilates classes at treat Norwich here
