The Fitness Struggle
I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t been my fittest in a while now. I’m not sure if I can completely blame my travelling either. Last year I was just MEH about it all. I’d have my great days and productive mornings where I’d walk out of the gym with my tops soaked. Other times I’d walk in, do a half-hearted rep and walk out again. Results come when there is consistency and that’s exactly what was missing from my routine. Couple that with one too many “cheat days” and you have a recipe for disaster. Now that the “new year’s resolution” gym members have given up, and February is nearly over (I know!), it’s safe to say that many of us (myself included) have become a little bit lazy with our workouts.
For those that don't know, I’m a qualified fitness instructor and have seven years of experience working in the health and fitness industry (in various roles)… wow! That’s a lot of free gym. Why am I telling you this? There was a time I was up and about training hard and I was actually consistent. I don’t really tell many people about my qualification these days and it’s partly because I think I don’t have the “look”. Many people will say I’m silly, I look fine, I’ve got an athletic build and I train hard etc. but I know me, and I've been slacking. Badly! I have my moments where I am really committed and really healthy and then a few days, weeks, months later, I’m back to square one. I say all this to show you that It’s normal to fluctuate and that's fine, but as someone with quite an extensive knowledge of fitness and training, there are things I’ve learnt that can help you snap back into the routine quicker AND maintain it.
It’s easy to get onto yourself, whether you’re a fitness freak or someone in general, but we aren’t robots! It’s OK to take a break but it’s more important to know how you will keep your routine and stay consistent once you’re back in the game. Maybe you’re really fit but you’ve hit a plateau? Once you’ve reached a certain level of fitness it becomes increasingly difficult to push your body harder. The key here is to switch up your routine every one-three months (max) so that your body doesn’t get used to the workout and it becomes less challenging (it also prevents the workout from feeling monotonous after a while - another reason people give up). Some people follow the F.I.T.T principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type) and will switch up two of these every couple of weeks. If you’re someone who does the same thing every session, this may be the reason you’re not seeing change!
If you’re new to the fitness game or aren’t a regular exerciser, you’ll find that by increasing your work-out days and increasing intensity (I’m talking from a walk to a jog and run) you will see a difference quite quickly. It is always at the start of anything where you’ll see the best improvement (which is why so many PT’s benefit from those who have never trained before - it looks good). It also means that people have the misconception that the rate at which you saw change initially will remain consistent in the future. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s kind of like the honeymoon stage of a relationship; it fizzles out over time. This is often when people give up or lose hope, however, you must always remember that consistency is key (I say it a lot but there are no truer words). Of course, as time goes on, your body will start to adapt to your new lifestyle and exercise will become less of a shock to the system. That doesn't mean change isn’t happening either! Slow and steady wins, but it’s this lack of motivation and impatience that makes many people yo-yo with their diet and training.
This brings me to my next point… Diet! I think diet confuses a load of people into believing you must cut out whole food groups, starve yourself or partake in the many, many FAD diets out there, but this simply isn’t feasible in the long run! You should certainly watch what you eat, (which you can monitor and track using apps such as MyFitnessPal) but the extreme method is not the way to go - and you often end up putting on more in the long-run. I’m going to say it again… consistency is key! Even cutting out small parts of your diet such as sugar and junk will see a difference in your physique! (as long as you stick to it). Food prepping also helps; especially for people with limited time, and will help prevent you from snacking unnecessarily. Diet contributes to around 70% of your fitness goals so it isn’t something that should be easily dismissed. Many people believe that eating well means eating expensive, but there are certainly ways of eating good on a budget - as my uni friends learnt from me (keep your eyes peeled for future posts on food for tips).
Another misconception is time and days off. Many people believe that you have to spend hours and never rest! When I was little I was really big. I was taller and bigger than people my age and exercise was the last thing on my mind. I got into it though… I became addicted (no really! I’d spend whole days in the gym…madness) I think there was one point where I didn’t leave the gym unless I had burnt 2000 calories a day (you heard that right) and this was unhealthy (too much of anything is bad for you!). I was training too hard and giving myself no rest days (if I did “rest” it was swimming many, many laps) As a result, I managed to pull both my hamstrings at the same time because I would not rest! Having a high pain threshold also didn’t help as I kept thinking it was just DOMS and would train through it. I think I was addicted to DOMS (for those that don’t know, it stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - you know, that pain you get after gym?). My point here is that the most effective gym sessions aren’t necessarily long. Some of my best sessions have been under an hour and it’s easy to believe that if you’re not working out for long, you’re not training enough. False. Sleep and rest are also key to seeing results. You have to sleep sufficiently to allow your body to recover (easily said by the insomniac). Rest days are also key because if you’re pushing your muscles to grow, you will be tearing them. By not taking a day off to rest, you’ll be hindering growth… listen to your body!
As you get older, time becomes more precious and it can be hard to fit everything in between busy schedules. For the average working person, this means fitting in a session either before or after work, which could mean a ridiculous start to the day or very late night. It’s easy to let the days go past and, if you’re like me and not in the mood, it’s more appealing to skip the session than to give it a go. The truth is, sometimes the sessions I plan to skip are my most effective so try not to give up at the first hurdle; it’s better to do something than nothing… slow movement is still movement! A lack of understanding was probably one of the key reasons why, after many years, I had lost my drive and motivation.
Myself & former NFL player Marquice Cole at Boxpark Wembley In January
Recently, I’ve been switching up my training with more HIIT workouts (High Intensity Interval Training). I mentioned the types of classes I have been doing in my last post which has pushed me back into training more regularly. I’m working more consistently and training harder in a shorter frame of time which works around my busy schedule. As a result, I am not mentally giving up if I only have a few hours spare as I know an hour is all I need. Successful training is all to do with mindset and discipline and these are skills you can apply to every aspect of your life. I’m usually an early bird so last year I resumed my 5:30 am runs (they say successful people wake up early and a sis is out here trying to claim that success!) which meant that by 9 am I was already pumped and ready for the day. If you’re not an early bird, that’s fine. You can fit in anything you desire when you manage your time effectively. Put it in a diary or set alarms and stick to them so that you’re not borrowing time put aside for gym.
Lastly, you don’t actually need a gym in order to stay fit. If you have not got access to a gym or time, utilise the things around you: most of us are not too far from local parks and you can use them for jogs or outside work-outs. Home workouts are also great to do when you can’t get out and there are many body-weight exercises that we can try out. The internet is also a great source of information so use it and expand your knowledge. Last month I joined a group of people for an impromptu American-styled workout at Boxpark Wembley. If you do have a gym and you’re unsure of how to do things, ask an instructor there. Most instructors will give you a quick introduction and show you what each machine does and how to use it (feel free to hit me up too and I will be sure to point you in the right direction!). Just remember, as long as you’re burning calories ( calories burned > calories consumed) and staying consistent, you will see a difference. There are no excuses and anyone can get fit!
Here are some tips to help you get back on track:
Switch up your training - add circuits and HIIT training into your routine.
Find a fun sport - Boxing was mine (and fantastic cardio) but other examples can be swimming (great for recovery), Tennis, Football etc.
Have a training partner or join a class - You’ll be more motivated and often train harder!
Eat better and drink more water (You don’t even have to make dramatic changes).
Find a place to train that suits you! I’ve mentioned home workouts, the outdoors and gyms but the gym world is a massive place. Are you into luxury/ somewhere the family can join with swimming and a spa? David Lloyd might be your place. Do you need a 24hr gym? Pure, Anytime Fitness and The gym are just a few examples. Are you into bodybuilding? Check out Muscleworks. Do you have a specialised goal such as boxing, cross-fit or power-lifting or maybe you just want a fitness studio or yoga place? Check out the gyms in your area or near your workplace (there are many I haven’t mentioned) and ask yourself what you want to achieve first to help you get started!
If all else fails… do it for the Gram! (It’s a joke but in all seriousness, you tend to push that little bit harder when the camera is rolling!) Better still, use your followers to keep you accountable. My friend (hey Sebastian!) used to offer £5 in cash or donation to the first person who didn’t see him post his 5:30 am starts… It’s a fun way to keep you pushing!
Whether you just want to improve your health and fitness or you have personal goals you want to accomplish (a celebration, wedding or for summer), start making changes (big or small) from now! I’m not sure about you, but the sun has been teasing us recently in London and if that isn’t motivation that summer is round the corner (a LIT one - I’m claiming it!) then I don’t know what is! I’ll be keeping you posted on my fitness journey so stay tuned, and keep me posted with yours! Health is our biggest wealth, so let’s get cracking!
Good luck!
Liz x