Stay on track and tips to succeed
6 TIPS TO FITNESS MOTIVATION
Know your starting point.
To set an appropriate goal with specific, measurable objectives, it’s critical to know exactly what your starting measurements are. This could include your weight, body fat percentage, overall body composition and any physical activity that you are trying to improve upon (e.g. push-ups, bench-press, distance/speed for walks/runs, etc.). Once you’ve established these initial metrics, confirm a SMART goal to ensure that your progress and results will be crystal clear!
Take notes!
In addition to writing down your initial starting objectives and goals, keep a fitness journal, or decide on your own personal style for tracking. Not quite ready to track everything? Pick 3-5 things, and track your compliance for these specific habits and behaviors. For example, I keep compliance records of my daily supplement intake, how much water I consume, and whether I get my 5 servings of vegetables each day. Some research studies have found that the single best indicator for weight loss success was keeping a journal!
Schedule it!
How often have you told yourself or others, “I don’t have time to work out?” In that same breath, how guilty do you feel for saying it? We all have the same amount of hours as the next person, but the deciding factor for many of us is making fitness a priority and taking the initiative to schedule it into our days and weeks. You should know before you lay your head down at night what the next day’s workout is and when in your day you’re going to complete it. When we fail to do this, the likelihood of hitting 9 p.m. the next day without a workout/daily movement increases dramatically.
Grab a buddy.
We’ve all experienced a time when we haven’t held ourselves accountable. “It’s raining outside. I don’t really need to get in that two mile run.” “Happy hour after work? Count me in!” When there’s a partner involved, however, it’s oftentimes more difficult to cancel those fitness plans.
Don’t underestimate the power of simple preparation!
Set yourself up for success by being prepared! Get your bag out the night before to avoid forgetting to pack crucial items AND to reap the benefits in the morning of not rushing around.
Workout after work? Change into your gym clothes before you leave your workplace to avoid the temptation of just driving home. You’ve come all this way by setting a goal, scheduling the workout time, and recruiting a partner. Don’t sabotage it now by not being prepared!
Know your barriers!
If at first you don’t succeed…? Try, try again! We all have challenges and hiccups to overcome in our health and fitness journeys. If this isn’t your first rodeo, you may have experienced those same barriers in previous journeys as well. Reflect prior to beginning this challenge, and continue to do so throughout your process.
WHAT IS NUTRITIONAL THERAPY?
This program is for anyone who is looking for guidance on how to eat healthier or someone looking for nutrition advice specific
to medical condition. A personalized pro
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Consultation and assessment
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Plus two additional 30 min. follow up sessions
7 Tips to help your marathon stride
Set Your Goals: What is your goal time? What are your goal split times? Your training schedule should be built around an average marathon mile pace. And just as important, be clear with why you signed up to run the marathon or half marathon. When the training gets tough, you will have to pull strength from your real goal for your marathon.
Build Your Schedule: Marathon training may seem daunting if you don’t take the time sit down with your coach/personal trainer and build out your training schedule. Plan your race at least 12-15 weeks out. The greatest mistake you can make is rushing into your training, which most likely cause over training, and injury. Start with running three days a week. One of your runs can be your easy long slow distance run, one a tempo run, and one a speed/interval training day.
Strength Train: Strength training is a major component to a strong and healthy marathon or half marathon. Be sure to incorporate at least 2-3 hours (ie 2-3 workouts) per week strength training.
Listen to Your Body: Set your training schedule, but also listen to your body. If you are feeling tired, hungrier than usual, extremely stiff or sore, take the day off to allow your body to recover.
Check Yourself: Proper running form plays a vital role in injury prevention and also in your running pace. Have a friend film you running. Pay close attention to your foot strike and upper body movements. Are you heel striking? Heel striking can potentially cause lower back, hip, and knee issues. The mid-foot is where you want your initial contact to be with the pavement. Also, watch your upper body movement. Your elbows should be sliding close to your side, hands relaxed. Running form can always be improved.
Get Outside: Do your best to do one of your training runs per week outside, ideally your long run. You will be outside for your marathon and you want to be comfortable on the pavement on race day.
Fuel Up: One of the most frustrating scenarios of all is to bonk mid run because you were not fueled up properly. Everyone has different body compositions and nutritional needs but typically it is recommended that you eat one hour before your activity. Use your training weeks to figure out your best pre and post run fuel.