What's the best time to workout?
In one of our previous posts we discussed that the best time to workout is whatever time is best for you. Now with having to be confided to the comforts of our home for the time being and not being able to go to the gym (if you do workout at the gym), your routine is probably all out of wack. So what do we do about this? By now you've switched to home workouts to keep yourself going. I suggest doing your workouts as early in the day as possible if you can. Doing your workouts earlier in the day will release endorphins and give you more energy as you go throughout the rest of your day. Your workout will be done and out the way so you don't have to think about squeezing it in later in the day. If unexpected tasks or distractions come up during the day, you don't have sacrifice your workout. It'll already be done! This may be a challenge at first if you're not used to it, but our bodies are good at adapting. We're creatures of habit. By establishing a pattern, after a few weeks it'll become a habit. Give it a try, and comment on the impact it has on you!
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I want to go back and revisit a post from two years ago about consistency. Especially in these times, I think it's an important topic. We can all agree that when it comes to getting something down pat, to make something a habit, it's about consistency.
It's the Consistency Factor. And when we create a pattern, a pattern that is for our good, it'll take a whole lot to break us out of that pattern. If you've always wanted to get into a workout routine, but felt that you didn't have the time, now is as good a time as ever to begin your pattern of working out. Some tips on getting started: take it easy and keep it simple. Don't try to workout every day of the week and jump to 1 hour workouts. Start with 2 or 3 days and for 20-30 minutes for those days. All you're trying to do right now is to build a pattern, make it a habit. Go for a walk a few days out of the week. It's a nice simple workout if you are just getting started with your workout journey. For my intermediate and advanced readers, you can use some of the objects that are right in your home. Place a chair behind you to do sets of squats. Walk up and down your stairs about 3 times. You'll be surprised how quick you feel the burn. Working out can still happen. It's all about if you want to make it happen. And if you do, there is no magic pill, no drawn out secret, it's just a matter of consistency. I wanted to go into some more depth about home workouts and how to structure them. If you're used to using equipment and all of a sudden don't have access to that equipment, it could be quite the adjustment.
However if you follow a simple guideline of how to structure your workouts, you'll still be able to keep going without missing a beat. These guidelines are the same as you would structure a workout that you'd do in the gym. 1) Warm-up (3-5 minutes) 2) Workout (10-30 minutes) 3) Cool-down (3-5 minutes) And if you are confined to your home, make sure to take frequent movement breaks throughout the day. Walk around the house and get away from any screens for a few minutes. Step outside and take a breath of fresh air. These simple steps will help with your physical health and mental health. Those short breaks throughout the day, those quick resets, will do wonders for your energy level throughout the day. Try it out and let me know how it works! FEEL GREATER LOOK GREATER BE GREATER Great news! We have been selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 200 Fitness Blogs on the web! You can find it here at blog.feedspot.com/fitness_blogs/. Not bad for just really getting things going a few month ago. That's all thanks to you. I appreciate all the feedback and support as we journey to greatness together. So now, on to more of the good stuff. To combat some of that cabin fever we may have going on right now I've put together a little document here of 5 stretches you can do in the morning to get your day started on the right path. You can hold each of these stretches anywhere from 10 seconds to 1 minute depending on your fitness level and comfortability. You can do them each morning so you can stay in the game and keep your body sharp! Be Greater! If you're stuck at home and you're used to going to the gym to workout, it can be a difficult adjustment to start working out inside.
Good things about our bodies though is that they adapt pretty fast. We can get those workouts right from home. Even if it's just something quick. Try to do a high intensity workout. Here's a little sample: Pushups (8-12 reps) Plank (20 secs- 1 minute) Crunches (8-12 reps) Bodyweight Squats (8-12 reps). Depending on your experience level, you can go for the lower rep or time range. Aim for the higher route if you're ready to get after it. This will be a little something to get you going and get you to do some kind of exercise at home. No excuses, just greatness! Do you find yourself wanting to go to the gym but just don't have the time? Or you plan to when you start your day?
Then appointments get in the way, then there's work, and family, you know, life. You look at the time and the day has gotten away from you. Well, I guess there goes the gym. But it doesn't have to be. Even if you can't make it to the gym. You can still workout at home. You just have to take whatever time you can and get to it. Have only 25 minutes? 15 minutes? 10 minutes? If that's all the time you have, then use it. Something is better than nothing. Do that workout while you're watching your favorite show or watching the game. We are busy. There are a lot of things going on. But our health and fitness is a priority. And if it's not, we need to make it a priority. If we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of others or attend to the things we need to. So no matter how much, or how little time we have, let's make the best of it and ensure that we take just a little portion out of our day to workout. FEEL GREATER LOOK GREATER BE GREATER Ever heard the saying that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it?
Well when it comes to workout and taking care of health... I guess if it was easy, then everybody would be doing it. Health isn't something that we wake up out of bed in the morning, and without even trying is all of a sudden just perfect. We have to put some work into it. There is so much information we can find online and from books on health and wellness. We find the newest diet trend, the latest exercise craze. All that information can be a good thing, but it can also be an overload. But do we make taking care of ourselves harder than it needs to be? We know the basics. Move, and don't sit on the couch all day. Don't eat junk food all the time. And yes, there is more to working out. Much more. But if you struggle with starting a workout routine or sticking with one, let's just start with the basics. Let's just start by moving. If you have the option of taking the elevator or the stairs. Take the stairs. If you have the option for that piece of cake or a salad, make sure 8 times out of 10, you select the salad. And if you slip up, don't beat yourself up over it. It's alright. Just start fresh the next day. Keep it simple and start with the basics. That'll ensure that you can at least ease into your workout journey. Just take it one step at a time, one day at a time. The results will follow. FEEL GREATER LOOK GREATER BE GREATER! With the advancement of technology over the years, it has allowed for a boom in the industry of fitness and wellness. No longer do we need to have access to a gym to better our health. We can get that access from anywhere and anytime.
In the health and fitness industry you may have heard the terms training and coaching. You may be thinking to yourself, "aren't they the same thing"? There are similarities, but what a personal trainer and what a fitness coach can provide you are different. It all depends on what you need. I started in fitness as a personal trainer, still am, but have transitioned into coaching because it allows me to help more people and help with all aspects of their health. That's why I talk about spiritual, emotional, and mental fitness along with the physical. A personal trainer focuses on your physical health. Usually you meet with your trainer at a gym or they may come to your home. They build you a workout program and guide you through a session safely. They may give you "homework", a workout or two to do on the days you don't meet with them. A fitness coach focuses on your overall health, going deeper than just physical fitness. A coach will design a workout plan for you and provide regular check-ins, maybe weekly, to keep you on track. They'll give you guidance on how to improve factors that affect your health, such as your sleep, eating, and thoughts. So what's best for you all depends on what you need. Here at Vanbar, I provide coaching because I believe and know your overall health comes down to being able to balance and improve other areas of your life beyond just your body. Evaluate where you are and what your needs are. If you are unsure, we can chat. It'll be my pleasure to help out! ... FEEL GREATER LOOK GREATER BE GREATER Working out can be tough. As we talked about last week there are plenty of distractions that could get in the way. There are plenty of excuses that can attempt to enter our mind. Even when we do get to working out, we may find a little groove and stick to a routine for a few weeks, or a couple of months.
But then it stops. Why is that? Well why do we workout in the first place? It may be to lose weight or to put on more muscle. That's great! It gives us some motivation, some reason as to why we want to commit to working out in the first place. And we can rundown all the physical benefits of working out. But there are so many other benefits it has for us. One of those being the impact it has on our mind. And our mind is the most important. If we can get our mind in tune, our body will follow. We shouldn't just workout to reach a certain weight lost target or to have 14 inch arms. Working out shouldn't just be a destination, it is a journey. How we keep that journey going is renewing our mind each and every single day. We have to think positive thoughts, we have to think confidently about who we are. We have to block out any and all negative sources of energy that are in your atmosphere. Because when you have your mind on your side, there isn't anything that you cannot accomplish. So to make change that will last, start with your mind. Get your mind right. When you get your day going, speak out loud how your day is going to be. Speak how you're to have a GREAT day. Speak out at least one step of how you are going to reach that goal that you set. Let your mind work for you, it's waiting to be used. Does this story sound familiar to you: You tell yourself that you're going to workout, but other things come up. So you tell yourself you'll do it tomorrow. Then tomorrow comes around. That doesn't quite work out so you tell yourself once again that you'll do it tomorrow.
Then tomorrow turns into a few weeks. Then months. Then you come to the realization: you don't have time to workout. As a fitness coach, time is arguably the number one problem I hear when it comes to working out. However a lot of the time, we use that "time problem" as an excuse. I was told a few years ago by a mentor that we make time for the things that we prioritize. Whatever we consider as valuable, we will make the time for it during the week. Doesn't matter how much time, but we will make sure that we invest some time into the things we prioritize. So a question we need to really ask ourselves is this: do we really not have the time to workout, or are we just saying we don't have time so we don't have to workout? Look, I get it. Working out is not easy. It requires a commitment. But so does spending time with your family or friends, or your faith, or your career, or developing a skill. They require a commitment from you. And if working out, if your health and wellness is important to you, you can make the commitment. It doesn't have to be 6 days a week in the gym for an hour. It could be 3 times a week for 20 minutes while you're watching your favorite show right from your comfy and cozy home. We find a way to make it work. As with anything we don't have to do it alone. You have those around you as your support group. Or a coach (now where can you find a coach...). It all starts with dropping any and all excuses and if you want it, make the time for it! FEEL GREATER LOOK GREATER BE GREATER |
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