Are you crunched for time? If you can spend more than two hours exercising most days of the week you must be preparing for athletic competition. If not, then thirty to sixty minutes three to four times per week performing exercises specific to your age, health, fitness level and goals may be all you need.
Do you lack motivation? Not looking forward to your workout will result in skipping it once in a while then more often until you quit. This is usually what happens if you do not have a workout blueprint to follow. Motivation comes from doing provided you are deriving some benefit. When following a clearly written program which provides for constant feedback you will not need to rely on motivation or will power which are emotionally based and we all know emotions can be wishy washy.
Is your current workout not working out? Change is inevitable. This applies more than ever when you want to achieve your health, fitness and athletic goals. When your exercise routine becomes too much of a routine you reach a point of diminishing returns. This when you lose interest, risk injury if you continue down this path and most will quit before seeking help.
Have you reached a plateau in your training? Your body needs to understand there is a new program in effect. Consistent change over a definite period of time will send a message to your body. If the message is not clear and easy to understand no change will occur. When the message is clear, easy to understand and sustained for a long enough period of time your body will respond to that change. Remember, your body is the result of how you are living your life on a daily basis, the exception, of course being genetics and environment.
Are you exercising too much or too little? You can exercise for health, weightloss or athletic competition. If you attempt an athletic program when all you want is to feel better and function more efficiently with pain free movement you will be doing too much. Exercise programming has to match your desired goals and fitness level or the results can lead to injury, frustration or both.
If you are not a seasoned athlete with a thorough understanding of exercise science resulting from years of study and practical application maybe you could use some help. Whether you get help from a health club professional or from a reliable, trusted online source, always get your physician's approval first.
Roy Gutierrez is a professional fitness instructor certified by the American Council on Exercise. Visit his website http://www.stayfitpersonaltraining.com for a free subscription to his online newsletter. | |
