A quick glance at the title might cause you to think, “Wait! We talked about this a couple of weeks ago.” But that’s not true. We talked out HOW you can find time for fitness. Today we’re tackling WHEN you should workout during the day.
Here are two quick ways to figure out when you should workout.
Check Your Schedule
Take some time to write down everything you do for three consecutive days. Although you don’t need a minute-by-minute account, it is crucial to t least jot down what you every hour on the hour. It’s typically best to choose at least one day of the weekend in this exercise.
Why am I telling you to recount 72 hours of your week? Most people are creatures of habit, doing the same thing day after day. Our weekends are similar, too. By jotting down precisely what your days look like, you will be able to find pockets of time that you didn’t realize existed.
You will be able to schedule your work out sessions during that time without disrupting anything else in your schedule!
Stay True to You
Some experts say that it’s best to exercise first thing in the morning because it jump-starts your metabolism. Others caution you against exercising in the evening because it may negatively impact your sleep. There are even those who advocate exercising in the middle of the workday to help boost productivity.
Regardless of what anyone says is the best time to get in a workout, you have to do what’s best for you.
If you’re not a morning person, don’t commit to a 5 am run. If you’re in bed by 8:30 every night, don’t plan to workout at 7:30 in the evening.
Putting it All Together
Though it seems alarmingly simple, looking closely at your existing schedule and staying true to yourself are the best ways to figure out when you should work out during the day. In some cases, you’ll exchange downtime for exercise. In other cases, you may replace watching TV with working out. In all cases, you’ll be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.
Don’t forget to hop on that scale today and see where you are. If you didn’t lose anything, but you maintained where you were last week…that’s a major win!
One of the most challenging things to do when starting your fitness journey is figuring out your exercise regimen, as in what are you supposed to do. You may know what you need to do, but you don’t have much experience in creating an exercise regimen.
The first month of 2020 is over in a little over a week! If you’re reading this post, that means you made a commitment to get fit this year.
Here are four quick tips for creating a manageable and realistic exercise regimen.
Tip #1: Be True to Yourself
This is super important. There are a ton of fitness trends out there. If you do a little research on the best or most effective types of exercise, you’ll find support for nearly everything.
Some will sing the praises of Zumba Fitness. There will be strong advocates for hitting the weight room. Others will say that CrossFit is what’s best. Then there’s the group that’s in favor of pounding pavement, and running for weight loss.
It may sound hard to believe, but all of them are right…for themselves. However, what works for them might not work for you.
To create an exercise regimen that you’ll stick with, it is super important for you to be true to yourself and your interests. If you despise running, avoid joining a program geared to race preparation. Don’t sign up for a dance fitness class if you hate dancing…even if all of your friends are begging you to join then.
Find out what you like to do and create your exercise regimen based on that.
Tip #2: Be Specific
It’s also crucial to know exactly what you want your outcome to be. In the words of Steve Covey, “Begin with the end in mind.” In other words, you need to know your outcomes, or desired results, before you begin creating that regimen.
Creating an exercise regimen without knowing your outcomes is like planning a vacation with no destination.
Tip #3: Start Small
Doing something small every day will pave the way for creating an exercise regimen.
A common mistake people make when attempting to create an exercise regimen is either to work out nearly every day of the week or to really long and intense exercise sessions. Quite honestly, there’s nothing wrong with either of those pursuits. However, they should probably serve as the end goal rather than a starting point.
It’s better to start small. Aim for ten minutes of exercise twice a week that first week. It might not sound like much, but those small successes will feel like major victories.
Tip #4: Be Consistent
If you haven’t exercised in a while, you’re going to need to discipline yourself. You’ll have to work out when you simply don’t want to.
The keys to success here it to keep it at it until it becomes second nature.
Need Some Help?
Creating an exercise regimen is a lot like creating a healthy habit. By clicking “5 Steps fo Creating a Habit” when you complete the form below, you will be well on your way!
Don’t forget to hop on that scale today and see where you are. If you didn’t lose anything, but you maintained where you were last week…that’s a major win!
Busy, busy, busy! Our days are jam-packed with meetings, appointments, and responsibilities. Finding time for fitness is virtually impossible.
We’re so concerned with everyone else that we don’t really look out for ourselves. In fact, we may have every intention of getting in a quick workout. But that intention does nothing but remain an intention.
There are those who have no problem setting aside a specific amount of time for exercise every day. Then there are those who sacrifice their work out to meet the needs of others.
If you’re having a little trouble finding time to workout, I hope you find these tips helpful.
Tip #1: Use Your Lunch Break
Regardless of where you work, you get some type of lunch break. If you’re a teacher or you work in an office, chances are you might have a tendency to work through your lunch. If you’re a stay at home mom or homeschooling parent, your lunch may be surrounded by little ones of a place of solitude. If you work from home, you might forget to take time for your lunch, but we’ll address that another day.
However, you can sneak 15 to 30 minutes of fitness into your day by splitting your lunch break in half. Take the first half to work out. Take a brisk walk around the building (or outside, if the weather permits). Find a quiet space to do some yoga or pilates. Do a couple of my six minutes workouts.
It doesn’t really matter what you do, just get moving for half of your lunch break, then eat a light, sensible lunch before heading back to work.
Tip #2: Have a Walking Meeting
We sit down A LOT when we’re at work.
Instead of sitting in the conference room or the classroom when it’s time for your team meeting, why not take it outside and have a moving meeting.
Research indicates that exercise stimulates your mind, so you may come up with solutions to a couple of problems while you’re moving. Plus getting as little as thirty minutes of daylight can help improve your sleep.
Tip #3: Skip the Elevator
Taking the stairs is one way to add a little more fitness into your day.
Waiting for the elevator – and the subsequent ride to your floor – wastes some really awesome calorie-burning time.
By simply taking the stairs instead of riding that elevator, there’s no telling how many extra calories you can burn each day. You can even incorporate some strength building by taking the stairs two or three at a time. Doing so is very similar to doing a set of lunges.
If you work in a high-rise office building, it might not be feasible for you to take the stairs the whole way. Consider taking the elevator a portion of the way and walking the rest of the way.
Tip #4: Skip the Email
It is so easy to shoot an email to a colleague while you’re sitting there working on a project.
However, walking from your workspace to their workspace does two things: 1) It allows you to get a little more exercise into your day. 2) It helps build a relationship by adding human interaction.
Tip #5: Take the Scenic Route
Another way to sneak some fitness into your day is to go out of your way to complete daily tasks.
Walk to the restroom that’s on a different floor or section of the building instead of the one that’s really close to your workspace. Park in the space that farthest away from the door. Take the long way back fo your desk after a break. Do everything you can to sneak a little more fitness into your day.
Don’t forget to hop on that scale today and see where you are. If you didn’t lose anything, but you maintained where you were last week…that’s a major win!
We’re one week into the new year! If you drive past any gym or fitness facility, there’s one thought that probably crosses your mind…”There’s a TON of people in there!!!” A lot of people resolve to lose weight or to get fit when January rolls around. But losing weight and getting fit are among the top 10 resolutions that are broken.
Why? Mainly because people who haven’t been to the gym in a long time decide to go several times a week. Unfortunately, some don’t really know what they’re doing. Others become intimidated. In both cases, they stop going.
There’s nothing wrong with a gym membership. In fact, if you have the money, like working out in the company of others, enjoy the variety of fitness classes that are offered, and have the opportunity (and discipline) to go on a regular basis then a gym membership is perfect for you.
However, if you’re pretty much starting at the beginning, here are four reasons you may want to get fit at home.
Convenience
Getting fit at home gives you the opportunity to exercise when you want.
Most fitness facilities aren’t open 24 hours. Even when there’s a gym that is open for 24 hours, you typically can’t access all areas and programs whenever you want.
When you get fit at home, you can work out at a time that works best for you.
Comfort
Sometimes working out in public is a little unnerving. You may get the sense that people are watching you and judging you.
Truthfully, they’re probably not paying attention to you. People go to the gym to work out, but that still doesn’t stop you from feeling as though the eyes of others are upon you.
Getting fit at home eliminates those feelings of discomfort because you can more than likely arrange things so that you are working out alone – without an audience.
You can get fit at home!
Privacy
Fitness centers are definitely not private.
You could bump into virtually anyone at the gym. Your kid’s teacher. That weird person you dated once. The neighbor you’d rather avoid.
Getting fit at home preserves your privacy because no one knows that you’re exercising except for you.
Affordability
Gym memberships cost money. There are some places that have a sliding scale, so you can pay what you can afford. But you still have to pay. Some people can budget for that. Others don’t have money to spare.
Getting fit a home helps you save money while working on that new healthy habit.
Don’t forget to hop on that scale today and see where you are. If you didn’t lose anything, but you maintained where you were last week…that’s a major win!
It’s the start of a brand new year, and there are tons of posters and ads with the slogan:
New year! New You!
There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it makes perfect sense to want to start fresh when the year resets…especially if the previous year wasn’t all that great.
However, a common mistake that many of us unwittingly make is making resolutions instead of creating new habits.
To get the most out of 2020, I’m going to share three reasons we should focus on creating habits instead of making resolutions.
Reason #1: Resolutions are Simply Decisions
Most resolutions don’t take a great deal of careful consideration. They’re just decisions.
We simply look at our current situation and decide that things need to change. If we gained weight, we make resolutions to eat better or to lose weight. If we loathe our jobs, we make resolutions to take some course or do something to make sure we’re not stuck in that place for long.
The challenge with resolutions is the fact that a decision doesn’t imply a commitment or include a plan. In fact, we can easily change our minds and rescind the resolution.
Reason #2: Creating a Habit is Like Setting a Goal
It takes time and intentionality to create a habit.
Of course, some habits are formed by people avoiding something on a daily basis, but even that process takes place to over time. It’s not like someone wakes up, decides to stop smoking and kick that habit in one day.
I’m sure there are some who have quit cold turkey or go from zero to 60 when it comes to creating new habits, but for most people, it’s a process that’s not too different than the SMART goal-setting process.
Ensuring that the new habit that you are creating is smart, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound will lead you to be far more successful than if you simply made a resolution.
Reason #3: Habits are Trackable and Measurable
Resolutions are all or nothing. Either you do the thing you resolved to do, or you don’t. There’s no middle ground. There’s little room for improvement. There are no steps to success; it’s either done or it’s not.
Creating a habit isn’t like that, especially if you use the SMART goal-setting process. As you’re creating a new habit you can set yourself up for success by building short term goals or checkpoints within your long-range goal.
That way you’ll have a lot of small successes that will serve as encouragement and inspiration as you continue toward making that habit part of your new daily routine.
Next Steps
If you’re ready to transform your resolutions into habits, you can sign up for my free email course! In a few days, you’ll be well on your way to creating a life-changing healthy habit. Just complete the form below and click the box in front of “5 Steps to Creating a Healthy Habit!”
It’s the first Wednesday of the year! Hop on the scale and determine your starting point. This is the perfect way to track your new habit!
Today’s Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in will be a little different. I will be talking about HIIT vs Tabata (or High-Intensity Interval Training and Tabata Training).
A couple of weeks ago, I talked about my specialty area: Bodyweight Training. Tabata training is my preferred method for incorporating bodyweight exercises. People are often confused when we talk about Tabata training. Most of them have never heard of it. Some of them even ask me how Tabata Training is better than High-Intensity Interval Training, and they typically walk away. They say that they prefer High-Intensity Interval Training, and Tabata Training sort of sounds like a gimmick to them.
What is High-Intensity Interval Training?
High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is a form of exercise that’s gained quite a bit of popularity lately. In short, HIIT is exactly what it sounds like, but it’s easier to explain by breaking it down.
The word “intensity” refers to the amount of force, strength or effort it takes to do something. In terms of exercise, there are low, moderate and high intensity levels.
“Low intensity” exercises require minimal effort. They can be done for prolonged periods of time without leading to exhaustion. Things like walking or dog or pushing a sleeping baby in a stroller. On a scale of 1 to 5, low-intensity exercises would definitely be a 1.
“Moderate intensity” exercises require a little more effort, but why still aren’t that strenuous. A brisk walk or a light jog would fall in this category; these are exercises that you can do for a while. However, you would have to pace yourself, so you don’t tire out too easily. Moderate intensity exercises would score a 3 on a 1 to 5 scale.
“High intensity” exercises require all of your energy and effort. Since you give your all during these exercises, you won’t be able to perform them for very long. These are difficult exercises, like burpees or mountain climbers. They would be the highest on the one to five scale.
An “interval” can be defined as a space or span of time. So interval training is an exercise form consisting of an exercise period (or interval) immediately followed by a resting period. The intervals repeat in an AB pattern.
Putting It All Together
High-intensity interval training alternates between strenuous exercise and rest for specific periods of time.
Generally speaking, the resting interval in HIIT is a bit shorter than the exercise interval. That’s because it gives the body just enough time to recover but not enough time to relax. There is no specified amount of time for HIIT intervals. One can exercise for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds. Or you could do a 60 second “on” and 30 second “off” workout or some other combination. The key to maximizing your HIIT workout: make sure you’re able to go all out during the exercise interval. That’s where Tabata Training comes in.
What is Tabata Training?
Tabata Training is a HIIT format adapted from a 1996 study conducted by Dr. Izumi Tabata and a group of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. The results: workouts with short bursts of high-intensity exercise had better effects than workouts with longer moderate-intensity exercises.
A Message from Dr. Izumi Tabata
In the featured video clip, Dr. Izumi Tabata said, “Tabata Training is a form of high-intensity interval training which enables us to improve both aerobic and anaerobic cardiac systems simultaneously.” In other words, Tabata Training allows you to strengthen your heart and develop your muscles in less time than a traditional workout. However, Dr. Tabata stresses that the exercise interval should bring people to the point of exhaustion for them to receive maximum benefits.
Dr. Tabata stated that when the papers were published in 1996 and 1997, he expected that high-level athletes would participate in the training. He was surprised that many members of the general population are creating their own Tabata workouts.
What’s the difference?
I want to recap the common questions associated with HIIT and Tabata Training are:
What’s the difference between Tabata Training and HIIT?
Which method is better: HIIT or Tabata Training?
There’s really no way to answer those questions because (1) Tabata Training is a form of HIIT, so there’s no difference between the two. Beyond that (2) HIIT and Tabata Training follow identical formats of exercise/rest/repeat, so it’s not possible for one to be better than the other.
Perhaps a better question is: what is the most effective form of HIIT? The answer – without a doubt – would be Tabata Training!
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
Yesterday was my birthday! So I thought I’d weigh in on how to handle birthday treats. That way you’ll have a guilt-free birthday when you’re on your fitness journey.
When you’re younger, birthdays are the best! There are parties with your school friends. Parties with your other friends. Family celebrations. And TONS of presents.
When you’re older, birthdays sort of lose their pizazz! They do nothing more than remind you that you’ve gotten year older.
That’s why I did some research several years ago and discovered a bunch of places to go for free stuff on your birthday. Then I looked a little deeper and found even more free stuff for your birthday.
I joined pretty much every birthday club on my lists…and a few more. As a result, I have nearly twenty birthday coupons to redeem and most of them are food-based. I’ve been struggling with how to celebrate my birthday responsibly without overindulging in sweets and other foods that I probably shouldn’t be eating.
Even though you may not have as many coupons to redeem, I’m sure you can probably relate to the challenges associated with food-based birthday celebrations – whether you’re celebrating your own birthday or the birthday of a friend or loved one.
I’ve come up with three tips for guilt-free birthday celebrations.
Tip #1: Allow Yourself to Celebrate
Healthy eating doesn’t have to only consist of fruits and vegetables. It’s okay to eat sweets and not so healthy foods…on occasion. If you have a ton celebrations to attend or coupons to redeem, simply set some limits and decide what will and will not do. Giving yourself permission to celebrate actually releases you from guilt and enables you to truly enjoy your day!
Tip #2: Pace Yourself
Although your birthday only happens once a year, you can redeem some of your coupons up to four weeks after your birthday! That means you won’t have to cram all of those desserts and free meals into one day. You can space them out over a month, so that you’re still able to maintain a sensible eating plan and avoid feeling guilty.
Tip #3: Share Your Gifts
Let’s be real for a minute. One person doesn’t actually need to consume five free desserts, three free drinks, two free meals and three free appetizers on their own. That’s a ton of calories – most of which will do more harm than good. If you share your treats with friends, you’ll have the opportunity to have a totally guilt-free celebration and still enjoy your special day.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
Every personal trainer has a specialty, a niche, an area of fitness that is near and dear to their hearts. It’s not that they have no regard for other specialties or think they have no value. It’s just that something about that specialty area stood out to them pretty early in their career.
Some are really into Crossfit. Others have a passion for functional fitness. This week, I’m weighing in on my specialty area: bodyweight training.
What is Bodyweight Training?
In the event that you’re unfamiliar with this area, bodyweight training is precisely what it sounds like. It is a form of strength training where you use your bodyweight to tone, strengthen, and condition your muscles rather than free weights or machines.
Before I give you the reasons why weight training is amazing, in my opinion, I want to give a little bit of a backstory.
As I’ve mentioned before, I gave up my gym membership nearly two decades ago. Although my main reason for letting my gym membership code was due to the fact that I wasted tons of money by only going once a month every other month or so, I also gave it up because I simply didn’t feel comfortable. I felt as if people are ogling me or sizing me up. I’m sure that probably wasn’t the case, but it certainly felt that way.
Discovering Bodyweight Training
I really wanted to exercise in the comfort of my own home, but I didn’t have the equipment. Somewhere along the way, I’d bought into the notion that you had to lift weights or exercise on cardio machines to get fit, but I was wrong.
When I finally released the gym membership, I bought some of the equipment that I used at the gym – minus the machines, of course. I had a mat, a stability ball, and several sets of dumbbells. I thought that I would use that equipment to help me stay in shape. However, since I use them about as much as I used my gym membership, I proved to be wrong once again.
Somewhere along the way, I rediscovered bodyweight training. I remembered the exercises my sports teams did when I was a high school athlete. We did very little weightlifting, but we were amazingly fit. In fact, my junior year of high school was the time that I remember being my most fit and most flexible, and I don’t recall spending any time in the weight room.
As I prepared to weigh in on this topic, it occurred to me that there are four main reasons I’m sold on bodyweight training.
1. There’s No Need for Any Equipment Whatsoever
The main reason I’m sold on bodyweight training is the fact that you don’t need any equipment to workout or get fit. Of course, you can use things like gliding discs, resistance bands, or figure 8 tubing to enhance your workout, but you don’t actually NEED those items. You can learn how to use your own bodyweight to get amazing results, and I’m excited to show you how.
2. You’re Able to Workout Any Time, Anywhere
One major flaw that both weights and exercise machines have in common is the fact that you simply can’t take them with you. BUT your body goes everywhere that you go, so no one can say that they don’t have the right equipment to workout. As long as you have yourself, you have everything that you need.
3. Positive Changes are Easy to Identify
When you do bodyweight exercises, it is easy to sense when you’ve gained strength or increased your fitness level. You can easily tell if there is less discomfort when you do plié squats. You’ll quickly notice that you can hold your plank longer than you did the week before. You will see that your legs don’t give out as quickly on you during wall sits as they used to. In as little as four weeks (maybe sooner), you’ll be able to identify major progress on your fitness journey.
4. Bodyweight Exercises are Practical than
I will readily admit that weight lifting is effective, but nobody does bench press type moves during the course of a day. However, we do a little squat every time we sit. Whenever we stand from a sitting position, we do what resembles a sit up. Bodyweight exercises are more practical because you can mimic activities are you do you do during the course of a day.
Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
I think most people shudder at the idea of weighing themselves on a regular basis. I’m guessing they’re a little intimidated by what the scale will tell them, and they’d rather be kept in the dark. However, I can honestly say that participating in a weekly weigh-in can have a really positive effect on your fitness journey. I’m sure you’ve figured this out by now, but this week I’ll be sharing two reasons to weigh yourself at least once every week.
There was a time when I weighed myself every day. That’s right! I hopped on that scale every single day for about two years. I’m not sure where I got the idea, but during that time I was also counting my calories. I became quite obsessive about the scale as well as extremely and carefully monitoring everything that I ate. My daily weigh-in filled me with a great deal of stress because I simply didn’t know what to expect, and a two-pound weight gain in a 24-hour period would cause me to significantly reduce my calorie consumption, which was not good at all.
I realized that the way I was doing things simply wasn’t healthy, so I made the decision to cut back on the weigh-ins quite drastically and dropped down to once a week. When I did that, I noticed a number of benefits that were not evident when I weighed myself every day. It didn’t take long for me to see that those benefits were not just experienced by me. They were universal, and I’ll share two of them with you right now!
Sense of Anticipation
When you weigh yourself once a week, it gives you something to look forward to. After devoting seven days to your fitness journey, you’ll really want to see how your hard work has paid off. Whether you’ve faithfully logged your meals for the week or you’ve been able to keep up with your exercise plan, you’ll be excited to see how you measure up.
Movement Motivation
Knowing that you’re going to hop on the scale may motivate you to move a little more each week. You’ll more than likely start experimenting with different types of exercise to see how it impacts the scale. If you happen to have a week with very little movement and see that you gain a pound or two that week, I’m pretty sure that will definitely inspire you to get moving a bit more.
Hopping on the Scale! After today’s blog, I really hope you can see the value of weighing in. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!
