Ask yourself a better question. By simply asking the question ‘what would a fit person do now?’ you will start to make better decisions. If you look closely I think you will find genuinely fit people will often decline the ‘one for the road’ drink in a pub, they will get to bed a little earlier in the week when nobody is watching and not shirk training on cold and wet days. You need to be aware it’s not an individual decision we are talking about here but a culmination of decisions which leads to the ultimate end goal.
Get out your comfort zone. To develop fitness at some point you will need to challenge yourself. This need not be during every training session. It might just be once or twice a week. Working at a slightly higher intensity, lifting a little more weight or running slightly further and taking yourself beyond your capabilities can lead to huge improvements in fitness. If you are a beginner this can be slightly daunting, but if you do this on a regular occasion it will soon become a habit and you will develop confidence doing it.
Choose the right fuel. Perhaps I talk about nutrition too much, but it is important. At a cellular level the food you eat will become a part of you. It will affect the quality of tissue, speed of repair and regeneration after exercise and it will fuel your performance. You wouldn’t put diesel in a petrol car and expect it to perform. The same is true of you and your body. Choose the right fuel and your body will respond better.
Don’t get weighed down by the scales. There are many ways to measure improvements in fitness. Rather than the number on the scales you could perhaps get addicted to the feeling fit or improvements during training. We all know when we are progressing. The weight you lift feels easier, the run seems to ‘flow’, or day-to-day you just feel brilliant. Try listening to your body a little bit more rather than depending on one single independent measure. It will offer you a far greater insight into fitness.
Don’t tie yourself up in knots doing exercise. If you are a busy person living in the real world you will need to look at rest, relaxation and regeneration a little more. By spending more time stretching, foam rolling or treating yourself to a massage once in a while you will be fitter for longer. Other tips are to manage stress better or sleeping better. Easier said than done I know. By doing these things will make huge contributions to your fitness.
Anticipate obstacles. By looking for opportunities to exercise rather than obstacles you will realise you can fit in a workout. This simple change of mindset and by looking ahead and anticipating obstacles you will be left with no excuses. This is a fundamental of any fit person. We all have family commitments, work, social occasions to work around. By looking ahead yosu can make plans.
Write stuff down. By keeping note of what you are doing, how you are feeling, what you are eating and progressions you will have the ability to compare how your body responds to stuff. This can provide powerful motivation when you get in a training rut (we all get them!) and can give clarity when trying decide what to do next.
Beware of the crabs. I really like this analogy. People can be like crabs in a bucket. Have you ever been to the beach and caught crabs? If you catch a few lively ones they will do there best to get out. One will make a valid effort only to be dragged down by another. Despite getting close to the edge of the bucket when they are close to succeeding another crab will always pull them back or hold them down. This analogy refers to social support. Despite your efforts to succeed if you are surrounded by friends and family who are intent on holding you back achieving your fitness aspirations will always be a challenge. To challenge this you can join a running club or a group of fit people and support each other. If you don’t have access to this or lack the confidence to get out and try take a look online. Social media is full of people who are happy to help. Follow me on twitter (@stevekeywoodPT), type in the #fitteam12 and you will soon realise there are whole communities of fit people to help you along.
I think therefore I am. You ever realised how positive fit people are? Annoying isn’t it! Fit people generally have a great attitude. They generally carry this over to whatever they do. Despite the challenge they do there best. This one is simple - become the sort of person who is willing to give it a go. Only you control your attitude and by changing the way you look at fitness you will begin kicking ass and will start to enjoy it.
Forget willpower - make a plan. If you schedule workouts and know what you are doing and when you will be less affected by mood and energy levels. You would of made a commitment to yourself and will keep it. Willpower is temporary, a plan (preferably written down) is solid and ongoing.
There you have it - Ten Secrets of Fit People - I’m sure there are loads more. If you are a fit person (or even an unfit person?!) and have any more get on facebook or twitter (@SteveKeywoodPT) and let me know.
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