In Shape for Summer

The time to buy yourself a new swimsuit and display your figure under the summer sun is almost here and... you're still wearing your "winter body?"

Don't worry, two months can be time enough to get in shape for the summertime. Just follow my advice and your physical activity program will be both entertaining and effective. 

Throughout my experience as a trainer I have discovered common pitfalls that distance many people from their fitness goals. For years I have collected and defined a series of tips that I now want to share with you; they will save you time, unnecessary efforts and protect you from the deception of false expectations.

It could be a good idea to print this document and post it on a highly visible place (for example, beside your computer monitor screen or on the fridge door) just to have it at hand.

Prior to moving a single muscle, 

DEFINE YOUR GOALS - 

Before you go on a crazy abs spree, run 10 Km or pay a steep fee to join the latest gym, ask yourself, "What do I want to achieve?" Do you want to loose fat, strengthen your legs or arms, be more agile or simply play a tennis match without abandoning on the third game? Remember to be objective. Just as a war is not won at once but battle by battle, it is not a good strategy to set goals that are too high nor ones that fall short of what you want to achieve.

For better results, plan a set of short, medium and long-term goals (for example, what you plan to accomplish by the end of spring, for summer, before year's end or by summer of next year.) Establish a logic succession, it will help you keep motivated and achieving your goals step-by-step. This method helps you gain confidence in your capabilities of reaching your long-term goals.

Fill-out the following table; it will aid you in defining this first step.

• GAIN WITHOUT THE PAIN  - 
  An advert for a known American gym says, "Heaven and Hell are Both in the Same Place." Yet, you do not have to make a sadomasochistic punishment out of your training (unless, of course, it helps you feel motivated). Choose activities that you can enjoy (running, walking, bicycling, tennis, dancing...); it is of utmost importance that you have a good time while doing whatever activity you will be undertaking.                              

There is ample evidence pointing to the fact that you can reach a specific fitness goal through different types of activities. If what you want is to loose weight, you can, for example, achieve that aim not only by jogging or riding a bicycle, you can also choose dancing, walking or playing golf. All these are equally valid options. Why limit yourself to one type of activity? Try out different ones. While at it you might just discover new and exciting options that can be surprisingly enjoyable. At the same time you will be putting to practice one of the basic pillars of well-undertaken physical activity: variety. This will not only aid you in avoiding boredom, given each exercise will activate different parts of your body, you will achieve faster and better overall results.  

• KEEP YOUR TIME ORGANIZATION IN MIND AND DON'T FORGET YOUR PRIORITIES - 
  According to polls done among couch potatoes, their main reason for not exercising is lack of time. This is an important piece of information because it shows that a very important reason why people shun regular exercise is that they feel it forces them to renounce activities they consider more important. Thus, it is vital that you find, or set aside, the best day of the week and time of day for you to engage in your exercise routine so that other important activities are not affected. Once you set a time you will have the basis to achieve the necessary continuity and obtain the results you desire within the time you have set.

• After having defined your goals and how you will achieve them, 
  GET YOUR CUES FROM QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS - 
  The gym is the most chosen option by people who want to get in shape. But, choose it with care. The motivations behind joining a gym are usually a mixture of professional reasons, the need for social interaction and the convenience of its installations. Yet, before you sign up to become a member (unless your basic objective there is to socialize and not to achieve physical goals); see that it offers the following:

1. Activities that are of interest to you and that it facilitates changing from one to another.

2. The times of these activities have to coincide with that which you have set aside for your exercise routine beforehand. The gym should have the flexible schedule, not you.

3. It is important that the center has qualified professional trainers on hand. Remember that you will be in their hands, and bad advice, or the lack of good one, can lead to injuries. Do not hesitate to ask the trainers for their qualifications, as well as which courses, if any, they have taken recently to learn new training and fitness techniques.

4. Evaluate the premises and the equipment available. It is important that they are well kept and clean.

5. Finally, ask about what type of social activities the gym organizes, because they favor good relationships amongst the club's members.  

 

• EASY DOES IT - 
  After a time of inactivity it is very common to try to catch up with lost time by taking training shortcuts. We tend to think that  the more we workout the better, without remembering that all physical improvement is the result of a combination of work and rest. This is the only health-conscious way of achieving lasting results. At times, if you are feeling tired; it is better to skip a session than to go ahead with it. The adaptation theory scientifically demonstrates that either a lack or an excess of activity is bad for you. It is a well-known fact that exhaustion is the result of a combination of both physical and psychological aspects. Thus we should not loose sight of factors. The best procedure is to increase physical activity by 10% each week.