Need Motivation? Make Your Workout Your Playout

Don't think too hard about it, answer quick.

On January 1st, did you make a goal to lose weight? Have you found this a hard or easy thing to do? It's all in how you look at it.

Almost two months have gone by since the New Year, and many of you who made resolutions to lose weight are finding that's not what you're actually losing. Face it--some of you are losing ground.

If your motivation to get to the gym or workout on the machine is decreasing, there's one thing you can do that will turn your boring routine into something you can't wait to do every day. All you need to do is change your mind.

Take advantage of the pliability of your human brain. No thought is permanent unless you choose for it to be. With conscious effort, you will turn your workout into your playout. What seems like a chore will be transformed into total blast in no time.

Quickly, let's go:
 
1. Decide to be keenly aware of what you're thinking. Whatever it's been, it hasn't been working for you, honey. Let's be real. So stop those thoughts as soon as you notice yourself making excuses as to why you'll get your exercise in tomorrow.

2. Replace each of those thoughts immediately with ones that point in the opposite direction.

What isn't working: "I've done enough today to make up for three workout routines. I don't need to go. Eh, I'll go to Zumba class tomorrow. It doesn't matter anyway."
Put on the brakes. Stop and replace.

What works: "I have done a lot today. I'm tired, but I did a great job knocking it all out. I deserve a treat, and think I'll go play for awhile at the gym. Playing out will make me feel great, and I'll be even closer to reaching my weight loss goal."

While you're busy replacing those self-defeating thoughts with self-empowering ones, get yourself to the gym. As you're driving there, think to yourself how fun the game you're going to play, will be.

If you love a challenge, thinking about how you're going to beat the goal you demolished last week will be an instant motivating tactic for you.

3. You've done it, you're there. That was the first step. Good for you. As you step onto the machine or into the class of the day, continue to keep dutiful watch on your thoughts, and replace the ones that shouldn't be there with the energizing ones that should.

These are three steps that worked for me in the times when I didn't want to get to the gym during my weight loss journey. I've lost 71 lbs. in less than two years. Though I'm almost at the end of my weight loss rainbow, I still use these steps now to get me through. I'll be at that pot of gold in no time.

You can reach your weight loss goals if you believe that you can. You can change a situation you're struggling with too, as soon as you make up your mind to. Choose to do it quickly before you start losing ground. Your pot of gold is waiting for you.

Make your workout your playout. It's all in the way you look at it.

For more inspiration from this author, visit http://www.loveyourbeautiful.com/.

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How Important Are Results In Your Exercise Program?

We are a "results-oriented" society, that's for sure. In business, you hear that nothing matters but the numbers. The "bottom line" is all most people are interested in looking at. So how much emphasis should we, as people who want to lose weight, burn fat, lose inches, gain muscle, increase our cardiovascular fitness, put on RESULTS?
Before I reveal the answer, if you do a quick Google search on just about any weight loss or fitness program, all you will see are front pages with RESULTS splattered all over them: "Lost 15 pounds", "Dropped 2 dress sizes", "Went from 275 to 215lbs in just 6 weeks!!!"
So not only do the results seem to matter, but also the speed in which one gets there... obviously the faster the better, right?
Allow me to put the brakes on such thinking. I am going to expressly state that you should NOT be focused on results!
"What???, did I just hear that correctly? NOT be focused on results?.. that's insane!"
What could POSSIBLY be more important than results, you ask?
Well, I'm glad you asked. Here is the answer: activity.
Activity is the ONLY thing you should be focused on. It really is quite logical if you remove yourself from the hype for just a few minutes and think rationally about exercise, your health, and your life.
#1. You do not have complete control over your results. You DO have complete control over your activity.
Why should your peace of mind and sense of accomplishment hinge upon something outside of your control? If you don't lose 40 pounds in 3 months, but you DO keep up an exercise program consistently during that time, are you going to tell me you've failed?
#2. Activity is the only thing that matters because if you keep it up you will not fail to achieve a worthwhile result: increased health.
If you decide to walk 2 days per week, and do a more vigorous exercise 3 times per week, is this not a significant achievement?
But if you don't eat much, don't do any exercise, and you've lost 15 pounds, is this a good achievement or a bad one? Well, you seem to have gotten results, so that's good, right?
However, what you've failed to realize is that those 15 pounds of "weight loss" came from a loss of muscle mass, bone density, and maybe some water weight (from the diuretics you took). And how much healthier is your cardiovascular system now (since you've done virtually zero exercise)? How much stronger are your bones, muscles, and joints now that you've lost muscle mass and bone density? How much less prone to injury are you?
Results said "15 pounds lost = Good" However, you are weaker, less fit, and less healthy.
#3. Activity is always good, even if no "results" show up.
Consistent exercise will strengthen every part of your body. As you get older, your bones and joints will be stronger. What may have been able to cause you an injury before, has now not affected you. Now you don't have that broken bone that you might have otherwise sustained. When you suffer an injury that keeps you confined, it puts a serious strain on your health and well-being. Plus, did you know that you can be "fit" and yet still have "extra pounds"? So being concerned with your "weight" but not your activity actually makes NO sense!
So, since we like the "bottom line" so much, here's the bottom line:
Don't be overly concerned with the bathroom scale or the tape measure. DO be concerned with what you're doing on a regular basis. You either have activity or you don't. If you have it, and its consistent, then GOOD for you! If you don't have it, then it doesn't matter how much you weigh, you need to get active, and right away! Keep track of your activity; use a calendar and put an "X" in every day that you do at least 15-30 minutes of some sort of exericse. If you have a more "X"'s than not, then you should feel good about yourself.
Now of course, you might want to think about increasing the effectiveness of what you're doing, but that's more of a "tweak", not the sum and substance of your exercise program. So as you're setting goals for yourself, or New Years Resolutions, or what have you, make it your aim to get on a consistent pattern- a LIFESTYLE - of exercise and fitness, NOT a date to have 20 lbs disappear.
The former leads to a better, healthier, happier body and mind; the latter leads to frustration and discouragement. Fight the trend of the age: don't be obsessed with results; BE obsessed with activity and consistency.

Please be sure to visit my site http://www.kickboxingathome.com for more articles. Also, if you're interested in a highly effective, fun, and unique way to work out your entire body, at home, then read all about my Home Exercise System that consists of nothing more than you and a heavy bag. Its a great way to get, and stay, toned, in shape, and athletic. Read all about it at my site; I give you a ton of information about the program so you can tell if its something you want to get involved in or not. I'll see you there!

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Physical Activity Guidelines

As mentioned in my previous article, the earliest epidemiological evidence of physical inactivity being a health problem was established in the 1950's by Jeremy Morris. However, it was not until 1978 that the first physical activity guidelines were written and published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). These guidelines highlighted that the key to developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition was vigorous intensity physical activity 3-5 days per week for 15-60 min per day.

Conversely, when taking a closer look at the studies that these recommendations were based on, it appears that the studies' methodologies to some degree were flawed because of their selection of participants and small sample sizes. The majority of the studies up until 1978, when the ACSM recommendations were published, used mainly young male college students and small sample sizes of approximately 20 students. Therefore, this leads one to question the results from these studies as they perhaps may not have been representative of the general population. Also, this recommendation of vigorous intensity physical activity could possibly have been a result of the usage of young and fit males who would likely be expected to need a higher intensity workload to increase their cardiorespiratory fitness than for example middle-aged or older adults. In addition, these guidelines were based on exercise training for enhancing one's cardiorespiratory fitness. Therefore, not necessarily suitable for the general public who may only want and need guidelines in order to maintain good health.

Consequently, the ACSM guidelines were amended in 1990. The new guidelines made a point to say that the 1978 guidelines might have been wrong about the intensity they recommended and moreover made an obvious distinction between physical activity for fitness and physical activity for health: "It is now clear that lower levels of physical activity than recommended by this position statement may reduce the risk for certain chronic degenerative diseases and yet may not be of sufficient quantity or quality to improve o2max. ACSM recognizes the potential health benefits of regular exercise performed more frequently and for a longer duration, but at lower intensities than prescribed in this position statement".

Therefore, from the ACSM (1990) guidelines and up until now, the intensity has been lowered to 50% of maximum heart rate reserve (MHRR) and to even as low as 40% of MHRR for people with low activity/ fitness levels. This may have been a result of different factors such as research showing that people are more likely to be active if it consists of low to moderate intensity rather than vigorous intensity.

Also, from the ACSM (1990) guidelines another stimulus was amended. The starting duration for physical activity was increased by 5 min to compensate for the reduction in intensity. ACSM (1990): "improvement will be similar for activities performed at a lower intensity-longer duration compared to higher intensity-shorter duration if the total energy costs of the activities are equal."

Already by 1995/1996 the guidelines were amended again, but this time not by the ACSM, but by the U.S. Government. These had taken new research into consideration. Therefore, instead of only recommending being physically active 3-5 days per week it was now most or preferably all days per week with a minimum of 30 min per day. In addition, it was highlighted that these 30 min of physical activity per day could be split into intermittent bouts of ≥8-10 min. However, not much research has been done on less than 8-10 min and therefore it is plausible that even shorter amounts of physical activity create health benefits. Although, Dr. Michael Mosley in his "Truth about Exercise" does suggest that exercising for only 3 minutes per day can possibly increase one's aerobic fitness.

Nonetheless, these overall amendments can be seen in the light of a general change in the physical activity guidelines. The ACSM guidelines from 1978 and 1990 were seen as being too specific and perhaps more geared towards exercise training which consequently may have made people think that if they could not keep up with those guidelines there would be of no or limited benefit. Therefore, the guidelines have progressively changed from being individual and specific to being more societal, lifestyle and health oriented. This change has also resulted in an increase in health promotion interventions addressing the need for people to become more physically active, not only for their own benefit, but nevertheless to reduce the costs that physical inactivity both directly and indirectly causes.

Yet, it was not until the guidelines, "At least five-a-week" in 2004 were published that it was made apparent what exactly was meant by the terms moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity. Until then there was no clear definitions and examples of the types of intensity in the guidelines which therefore can have made it more difficult for the general public to understand the guidelines and people may even have misinterpreted them.

Additionally, there has been no real consensus in the guidelines of whether or not to include flexibility. This might be due to the fact that flexibility is difficult to assess and therefore evidence shows contradictory results of whether stretching is beneficial for health and decreases risks of injury in the general public. The majority of the research is performed on athletes and therefore in sports performance settings which may not be representative of the general population.
Another evident matter that needs to be addressed when discussing physical activity guidelines and their evolution is that studies that have been the underlying evidence for the guidelines and furthermore the ACSM guidelines have used the words "physical activity", "exercise" and "physical fitness" interchangeably. This can therefore cause possible misunderstandings as to whether physical activity has different or other health benefits than physical fitness. Thus, there are still many questions to be answered about the frequency, intensity, durations and type of exercise/ physical activity the general population should be doing on a daily/ weekly basis in order to remain healthy.
Thanks for reading.

Anna

Global Future Fit is a residential summer weight-loss camp for Children, Teens and Young Adults aged 11-21 years. It is based at the University of Brighton in Eastbourne and runs from the end of June until the end of August.

It is not a fat camp, bootcamp or fad diet, but an educational and fun camp that builds the foundation for a healthier and happier life.

I'm currently doing an MSc in Exercise and Nutrition Science and besides that I'm a certified personal trainer and exercise to music instructor. I have many years experience working with children and young people and I'm passionate about helping as many as possible regain their health, confidence and motivation!

Please visit http://www.globalfuturefit.com or contact me directly at anna@globalfuturefit.com for more information.

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Fitness Tips: How To Stay Healthy?

With time, the routine life and eating habits of people have changed a lot. Many people work 
from home today and have least physical exercise which leads to decline in their fitness. One should take on strength training to keep their fitness going. There are several fitness tips that one can follow which can improve their mental and physical strength tremendously.

There are small things which you can incorporate into your busy schedule to let you keep going. It is very important to plan your daily schedule which should include a simple exercise too. Setting goal is very important. Your week may be a lot busy due to all kinds of work, but you can very well dedicate your weekends to maintain your health and fitness. You can balance the schedule by doing less rigorous workout during the week and intense ones during the weekends.

Another of the fitness tips can be to include your friends too in your fitness plan. When you work out together it may give better results. Eating healthy is also a very important thing to do. 'Eat healthy and exercise regularly' should be your motto. You can search for various videos on the internet or can buy the DVD's available in the market to carry on your plan.

Many dieticians and experts are of the view that people who enjoy mini meals during the day are likely to be fitter. This phenomenon leads to better digestion as it leads to better digestion. The diet should include lots of proteins and other nutritive elements. Having a balanced diet is the one of the most popular fitness tips. Food with fats should be avoided.

For better fitness, experts recommend drinking lots of plain water. It not only will keep your body fit but will also keep your skin fresh and lively. Fresh fruit juice is also recommended.
Another fitness tip can be to stay active physically. Even when you are in office, you should avoid sitting regularly and can take small breaks to relax yourself. You can also park your vehicle at a little distance from your destination, which can help you to walk a considerable distance.

If you want to live a hail and heart life, following a fitness plan is very important. Following the above mentioned tips can help improve your fitness to a great extent. Staying fit is never about eating less, it is about making your diet healthy and exercise regularly.

Taking on strength training is a good way to stay fit. There are various fitness tips that you can follow to maintain your health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Kumar_Khandelwal

All You Need to Know About Dieting

Everybody is on a diet for a reason - to lose weight, build muscle, to tone the body for health reasons and many more. If you are on a diet, then there are some things that you have to keep in mind. The common belief is that fat in foods is what fills you up. This is not true. Many think that a plate of greasy food will digest slowly and therefore clears out slowly. What happens in fact is that the protein is what fills up people more and not the carbs or fat. If you want to eat a larger quantity but don't want to fill up, then fiber based foods like vegetables, fruits and even whole grains can work better.

People believe that skipping meals like lunch or dinner will help them lose weight. What really happens is that it does not give you the nutrition you need and you tend to get crankier. Your body goes into overdrive looking for nutrition and burns away calories at a faster rate, which is not a good thing. Eating well balanced meals at regular times each day is what will help you get a well-toned and healthy body.

For any one going on a diet, it is important to know that there are good foods and bad foods. There is no doubt that a baked dish will trump a deep fried one any day, but what is important to know is that going on binge on a certain food is not going to help at all. If you feel you are going to binge with a certain treat in the house, then it is best to skip picking that treat up. Or at least have only a small portion in the house.

For those people who follow the low carb diet, it is said that the body will throw out fat. There is research however to prove that this does not really happen. Those who avoid carbs completely end up cutting out on calories that are actually needed and this does not lead to wholesome nutrition. In the long run, your diet will be doing more harm than good.

Another benefit, which not directly related to your health is that a good diet will help you save money. You won't be spending it on food that is not good and you will find that the good stuff is generally not as expensive as what is considered bad for you. Know your diet well before you get into it.

Joshua "Coach" Kozak has been a fixture in the world of health and fitness for over 10 years. Lose Weight Fast with HASfit's lose weight diet! Gain mass and size with HASfit's weight gain diet!

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