“I want to get fit.” That phrase is often repeated, particularly as we approach the new year and all the resolutions that it will bring. But what is fitness?
A lot of people would say that a marathon runner is fit as they do a lot of cardiovascular work. However, Olympic 100m sprinter would also be described as fit, yet both exhibit different body types.
What about someone who is a yoga teacher, or a competitive weightlifter? All of these people could be described as very fit individuals but all have different qualities of fitness depending on their sport or job.
So what does fitness mean to you? The reason I ask this question is to get you thinking about your own fitness goals and what you would like to achieve. Perhaps your goal is to run your first 5k, or perhaps it's to lose weight for an upcoming occasion, or simply to look more shapely in the mirror.
It's important to work out what you want to achieve, so you can work towards that goal in a dedicated
fashion.
From experience, most people – especially when around the start of a new year – are looking for a fresh start.
Their fitness may have fallen by the wayside, perhaps because family and work commitments have created a stressful environments and not allowed them to exercise as much as they'd have liked or planned.
One of the most commonly cited barriers to exercise is the time factor. Work and family commitments make it hard for us to juggle all our tasks of the day, so that finding time to exercise seems like an impossible task.
The easiest habit I teach people is to set their morning alarm clock for 20 minutes earlier than they normally get up. At first, this might seem difficult, but the more often you
commit to it and actually get up earlier, the less of a challenge it will be.
Beware of the snooze button on your alarm clock. This little device seems to have been designed to kill productivity and destroy the best laid plans mute. I know a lot of people who consciously plan to snooze two or even three times before actually getting up.
Make a promise that you will set your alarm 20 minutes earlier then get up on your first alarm, and I
guarantee you will be impressed with not only will you work out, but your productivity will be boosted for the day.
This 20 minutes can be invaluable to starting your day off right. A five-minute warm-up, 10 minute workout and
a five-minute cool down can make a huge difference to your fitness and wellbeing.
Get up early and try the workout below twice a week for the next month.
Warm up
30 seconds jumping jacks
30 seconds high knees
30 seconds jumping jacks
30 seconds high knees
Rest 30 seconds then repeat for a second round, taking five minutes in total.
Work out
30 seconds work: 30 seconds rest for rounds of bodyweight squats
30 seconds work: 30 seconds rest for two rounds of push-ups
30 seconds work: 30 seconds rest for two rounds of alternating lunges
30 seconds work: 30 seconds rest for two rounds of sit-ups
30 seconds work: 30 seconds rest for two rounds of hill climbers
Cool down
Five minutes of stretching
A good indicator that you are getting fitter is that the number of repetitions for each exercise in the 30 seconds will increase, so keep a journal and during in your 30-second rest periods, take a note of the number of repetitions you've done.
Each time you repeat the workout, aim to beat your last score by one or more.
Also for variety and if part of your goals is to improve cardiovascular fitness, you can substitute the 10-minute home workout for a 10-minute walk, jog or run. Use your watch as a stopwatch and walk, jog or run for five minutes away from your house before turning back. Then each time you repeat this workout, aim to get a little further in the five minutes outward journey. Again, record results so you can
compare and check back on progress.
Alternate between the in-home and outdoor workouts and you'll soon see an improved fitness level, all for the price of 20 minutes. Now, that seems like a good deal.
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