Health Update

The first few weeks of a weekly exercise program is very exciting, but then many people find they are not accomplishing their goals as fast as they had hoped. Soon afterwards, the enthusiasm drops, results fade, and the confidence in acquire the goals and maintaining the end results diminishes.

The average person lasts for approximately six months before losing interest and dropping their routine. Fortunately, there are common factors and patterns to this decline in interest, so once you spot them, you can do something to keep yourself on track and motivated.

Make sure you are realistic about your goals and the time that will be needed to be committed to in order to maintain your routine. Allowing 3 workouts a week at a maximum of 60 minutes each is reasonable and be sure to factor in travel time (if working out at a gym) and shower time so that you are not finding yourself cutting corners due to running late. Get yourself into a routine /schedule when it comes to the days you workout. If a routine is set and adhered to, it will become more of an automatic action and will fit in as a regular part of your life.

There will be times you will not feel you have the energy to do your workout. Instead of skipping it, restructure that day’s routine by doing the exercises, but at a lower intensity or for only half the time. It may help to adjust your mealtimes as well; some find that if they are hungry or have just eaten they have too many distractions to want to exercise.

Finding an exercise buddy will help you stay motivated as well. You will offer support to each other and help the other stay on track on those days that you would rather just stay at home.

Expecting some physical discomfort is normal and common for most who workout weekly especially for the first weeks of your program. Your body is working to improve its strength and endurance so it needs time to adjust. Be sure that it is only discomfort and not actual pain. Pain tells you to stop what you are doing because something is wrong. If you are uncomfortable every time you workout try working a warm up and cool down session. A series of slow stretches and regulated breathing will help.

As your body feels as if it is leveling out and adapting to the level of effort made during the workout, increase the activity level by approximately 10% to help improve your fitness level and add variety to the routine. This will help to evade boredom.

If weight loss, as opposed to toning up, or building strength is you main goal, then being realistic is a key factor of your routine. Initially weight loss will be rapid, from not only increased activity, but from general changes in metabolism caused by changes in diet and water loss. Within a month most people level out in weight loss, and instead of achieving 5 to 8 pounds of loss in a week, they will lose 1 to 5 pounds. On average only 1 to 5 pounds a month will be accomplished after that. This occurs because the body has become use to the changes in other related habits, and also because muscle is now taking the place of some of the fat that has burned off. Muscle of course weighs more than fat and so the number of pounds being dropped will be lessened. Taking measurements may become a more effective means to calculate the success of your results from the workout if this aspect is important to you.

Ultimately, all of us are different and get various results from exercising weekly. It all depends on your current level of fitness, physical condition, type of physical activity, and the time a person devotes to their workout routine. The important thing to remember is that realistic goals need to be set and if they cannot be met, then, instead of giving up, or throwing in the towel, simply revisit your workout routine and make revisions to help keep you active and motivated.