Exercise: Why training MORE in 2017 is not necessarily better for you?

Instead of focusing on just “training more” in 2017, let’s think about “training better”. You might find that you actually exercise less, but are far more focused and effective. Here’s some tips as to what to do:

Consistency. Be realistic about what you can commit to, and then stick with that no matter what may come. Does it feel more realistic to do three 30-minute workouts per week than five x 1 hour-long sessions? Perfect. Then schedule it in. Literally put it in your calendar when and where you are going to do your exercise. That way, you have no excuse for rostering things in its place! Then, do your three workouts per week, train hard during those 3 workouts, just for the next four weeks.  Then at the end of the month, re-evaluate to see if you continue or even if you can do more. Consistency is your objective here as that is how we build lifelong habits.

Strength training. What do you naturally gravitate toward when you workout? Chances are you go for a walk, run or hop on a piece of cardio equipment (treadmill, exercise bike anyone?). To accomplish the most from your workouts, strength training (which can be lifting weights OR using your own body weight) to get stronger, should be your number one priority. Muscle burns more metabolically than fat, so it is important to try and build muscle mass, while decreasing your body fat – the best way to do this is through strength training.

Are you currently doing this? If not and you need some ideas, join us on Instagram, where we regularly post workouts that you can do at home or at the gym.

Train with purpose. Always undertake your workout with a purpose and plan, beginning with a proper warm up that activates your body and gears it up for the work ahead. Then strength train hard and with proper form and function, placing an emphasis on full body movements. If you’re strong enough, and have been given a green light with respect to the functionality of your pelvic floor, add in some jumping and other high intensity exercises to raise your heart rate and increase your power. When you train with purpose, you really want to focus on quality NOT quantity.  You will be surprised what can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time, if you focus and “Just get it done!”.

When you train at a higher intensity (even if it is for a shorter period of time) you get some great benefits: it’s efficient (time-wise); you’ll increase your metabolism (which will work at an elevated rate for longer throughout your day!); it has great cardio-vascular benefits; you lose fat, not muscle; and it’s challenging!

Please don’t forget though that at the completion of your session, include lots of foam rolling and static stretching to aid your recovery.  You’ll regret it if you skip this step!

Move, move, move. You know that we are crazy about encouraging you to get more movement, every day! Yes, of course, get your workouts done, but in between these, find a variety of ways to stay moving. Go for daily walks with the kids, pet, partner (or by yourself with your favourite podcast!). Run the flight of stairs in your house every time you go up! Get up off the couch during commercial breaks for star jumps or squats. Conduct meetings or catch-ups on the move – meet your girlfriend for a walk, instead of a coffee, or lunch. Always take the stairs if the destination is less than 5 floors away… really!!! It all adds up – enormously.

Try something new. Training regularly and prioritizing strength training might be brand new for you, so great, stick with this! If you’re already doing this, let’s look at something else that you’ve been wanting to try. For me, it was yoga. I added this into my normal routine about two years ago, and it brought new life and balance to my workouts. My body feels far more well-rounded from the variety and if I miss it, I really notice it. For you, it could be a dance class, pilates or hiking. But it must be fun, something to look forward to.

It’s not a secret that for some people workouts can sometimes be a slog, so it’s helpful to have something refreshing and exciting to do.  Unless you are training for some particular event, there is no need to keep things the SAME.  Keep it interesting!  You actually need to regularly change things up for your body to keep benefitting, so use this to your advantage and switch things up. But, don’t forget to work hard!

Let’s do this, girls and have some fun in 2017.

Anna & Em xo