For each of us fitness is as unique as our fingerprint. If we were to ask each of you why you exercise and what keeps you going, there may be some overlap in answers, but no two would be identical. That is why there is no perfect exercise program or schedule that is going to work for everyone. Being successful long term and establishing exercise as a permanent part of your lifestyle involves some trial and error, willingness to adjust and adapt, and ONE SMALL STEP at a time.
Most of us begin to exercise to try to change, or to undo, something that has occurred over a period of time. It is important as you are working toward your goals that you remember that whatever it is that you are trying to undo almost certainly didn't happen in 2 weeks, or even 2 months, and it is not going to "undo" itself in 2 weeks or 2 months. Change takes time and requires patience but eventually a lot of little changes add up to big change.
Many of our newer Warriors are in the beginning stages of establishing long-term healthy lifestyle changes. Most of our newest participants began in October, and if you remember a recent post, research has shown that establishing a new habit takes 66 days. Congratulations! You have surpassed 66 days and have established a routine of exercising at least two days per week.
Now what? Many of you have asked what you should be doing for exercise on the days you are not doing Metabolic Training. That answer is going to be different for each of you, but again, whatever you choose as your next step, needs to be a small manageable step. One that is maintainable as a lifestyle change.
Here are some suggestions for moving toward a healthier lifestyle where you are active or exercising most days of the week. If you are currently participating in Metabolic Training but not exercising any other days, the best place for you to start is to walk. That's it. Just walk! Start with what will work for you, 10 minutes 2 times per week, 20 minutes 3 times per week. Eventually work up to 30 or more minutes at least 3 times per week.
If you are one of our Metabolic Warriors and are currently doing some type of cardio exercise on a regular basis and are ready to increase your challenge, you can visit the Members page of our website for additional suggestions. From there you can download three different workout suggestions. One of the programs guides you through how to take your cardio program up a notch or two by turning it into a High Intensity Interval workout. The example given is on an elliptical machine but you can apply it to any other cardio activity, even walking or hiking. For example, if you are currently doing a steady, moderate intensity walk or hike, you can turn it into an interval session by warming up for 5 minutes and then power walking or hiking for 30 seconds followed by recovery. Or use the hills to your advantage. Power walk or jog up the hills and then return to a moderate or recovery effort level until the next hill.
The Members page also includes two strength programs. One can be done without any equipment, using all body weight exercises. This program is also a good option for keeping up your fitness program when you are traveling (no equipment or gym required, so no excuses). The other can be done at a gym or with minimal equipment at home. Both programs include functional movements and are designed to compliment your Metabolic Training. If you choose to add one or both of these programs to your fitness schedule, make sure that you are still allowing for adequate recovery. This means that you would only want to add one, or at most two of these workouts to your weekly schedule.
All of the suggested workouts can be tweaked or progressed to assist you in moving toward your goals, and as YOUR Personal Fitness Trainers, we are available to help you reach those goals. If you have questions about how to best combine some of these workouts with your current Metabolic Training please ask. You can access these programs by going to www.smartfitnessaz.com and clicking on the SMART Member tab.
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