Glowgetter.co.uk - January 2010
Top tips to get in shape
By Laura Williams, personal trainer and Pilates teacher
Start gently If you go hell for leather when you’re starting out, or new to a certain exercise, you’re likely to wind up injured or, at the very least, exhausted. No matter how energised you feel for those first few workouts, keep your effort level at around 7 out of 10 (1 being low, 10 high). (If you have ongoing health issues, see your GP before starting your exercise programme. If at any point you feel unwell during exercise, you should stop.)
Vary your goals While it’s important to know what you want to ultimately achieve, weight-loss for example, having goals based solely around that one aspect of shaping up is not so good! It means success or failure is always dependent on it. Try to have some goals based around another one, such as improving fitness levels, so you have another way of gauging success of your routine. Try also to set goals that measure your aims in different ways – so for weight loss, how your clothes fit as well as what you weigh.
Make a plan and stick to it Plan exercise sessions in your diary as you would social or work arrangements. If you miss a session, have a contingency plan of when you’ll do the workout later that week. To get results, you need to do no fewer than three 30-minute sessions of exercise a week.
Keep it rounded Whether you’re a marathon runner, yoga fan or want to fit into your skinny jeans, you still need to incorporate the following to really see the benefits of regular exercise: work on boosting cardiovascular fitness with activities such as cycling, swimming or jogging; improving your flexibility with stretching exercises – such as those in yoga, and increasing muscular strength and endurance with resistance training – such as exercises with dumbbells, on a Swiss ball, or using your own body weight in Pilates. Make sure some of the exercises in your routine are weight bearing, such as brisk walking or jogging, to help increase bone density. Exercises that have a mind element to them such as yoga or Pilates are also a good idea to help aid relaxation.
Be patient When choosing a new activity, give it a month before you decide whether or not it’s for you. It’ll take this long to get used to doing something new and to see any decent results, body-shaping and fitness wise.
Enlist some help Chances are, at some point you’ll need a morale boost. Ask a friend to be your exercise buddy (you’ll be less likely to skip classes!). Or, consider hiring a personal trainer – they can help you achieve your goals while taking into account your lifestyle. Any decent one nowadays will do less of the hand-holding-while-you-jog-round-the-park-stuff and will instead encourage you to try new activities, teaching you how to go it alone as you gain confidence in yourself and your new routine.
To book a session or to find out how Laura can help you get into shape, email her at laura@laurawilliamsonline.co.uk
Or call her on 07712 001525.