Following a formula for fitness brings results
In Fitness Solutions last week, I wrote about the value of getting the right “dosage” of exercise. Using the FITT-P formula, I laid out how you can design an appropriate fitness plan for any level by establishing the frequency, intensity, time and type of your workout, along with a recognition of any necessary precautions. It’s a formula that I’ve used for every single one of my clients, as well as for myself, since becoming a certified personal trainer in 1990. The plan you come up with will be perfectly suited to bring you results as your body, your life and your goals change.
With this perfect plan in hand, you’d think that it would be simple for everyone to achieve results. You would also be mistaken! The challenge is that while the solution might be “simple,” it doesn’t mean that it’s easy and doesn’t require effort. In fact, it can be very, very hard. The real “succeeders” are those who are able to navigate their way through the tough times and stay on course when they would rather do anything but the exercise plan that they’ve designed or had prescribed for them.
Here are three strategies that will help you to stay “relentless” in your pursuit of better health, better performance and greater fitness.
1. Be very, very clear on where you are headed. If you are going to commit to doing something on a regular basis, you probably want to know that you’re making progress. Without that feedback, you’ll lose interest and give up. When starting a program, I ask clients, “What would you like to be able to do that you can’t do now?” This takes the focus off work and puts it on reward. Once you decide on the destination, come up with milestones along the way that indicate progress.
I once worked with someone who was recovering from a serious car accident. Along with whiplash and lower back injuries, she had torn muscles in her shoulder and suffered from severe headaches. As a performing artist, she wanted desperately to get back to playing the piano in concert. A milestone that she identified along the way to the concert was that she would be able to complete a boxing workout for 20 minutes without a break. Her doctor identified that the muscles required to hold up her hands to box (noncontact) were the same as the ones that kept her on the piano keys. Together, we got her to that point and she went back to performing and teaching music.
2. Have a plan that is progressive and looks at the big picture. It’s easy to lose sight of your final destination, so it is valuable to construct a plan that changes as you proceed. Progression means your routine should challenge you for a period of time before it becomes easy and an update with a new challenge is undertaken. A typical scenario is a plan that begins with basic conditioning and core stabilization for four weeks before moving on to four weeks of strength training and then four weeks of functional exercises that mimic specific activities.
3. Always have a back up plan. With today’s fast-paced lifestyles, it’s important to have multiple options available for achieving your health and fitness goals. I like to develop these options based on available time, location and equipment. You should be able to do a training session in a gym, at home, in a hotel room or even outdoors at a park using standard fitness equipment or alternatives like resistance bands or even just your body weight. I like designing these workouts to last for 15, 30 or 45 minutes based on someone’s schedule.
The only guarantee in life is that change will be constant. To stay on track and ahead of the changes, spend some time planning or consulting with a professional that can create a pre-emptive plan for you so that you too can be “relentless” in your pursuit of better health and fitness.
Medical Exercise Specialist Ernie Schramayr, CPT, helps his clients manage medical conditions with exercise. You can follow him at erniesfitnessworld.com. 905-741-7532 or erniesfitnessworld@gmail.com