Restarting an Exercise Program - How to Get Moving Again!

Low Carb Eating asked a bunch of fitness experts on how to get back into the swing of an exercise program. They had plenty of advice!

Getting Out of Your Own Way

by Kristin Anderson, Fitness Expert

Restarting a health or fitness program can seem almost impossible. Mentally, it’s not a novelty anymore and physically, you’re not starting at the peak of your physicality where you had the most confidence. These factors generally lead to an attitude of procrastination or not following through after a week or so of restarting.

The absolute most important aspect to get back on track with your health and fitness is to get out of your own way and just get started. Make that your only focus for a few days. Don’t overwhelm yourself thinking about the entire week, month, year, etc…stay focused on a few days at a time.

For me, I find that buying new fitness gear, clothes, or shoes that I REALLY like will help get me out the door. Once you get going and start to experience the success of your choices, the motivation starts to get easier.

Your second most important step is consistency. Involving others or having community in your goals is a really effective way to keep yourself consistent.

The third critical key to success is honesty. Know the nature of the beast (yourself) and what is realistic for you. Be honest with how much you actually are working out or eating right compared to what you know that you need to do. Writing down your food and exercise habits in an honest way is truly the magic bullet that we all search for- I guarantee it. I know it sounds to easy to be true but it’s not.

You hold the keys to your success- believe in that. Tell yourself (out loud) that you are “ready to be the fit and healthy person that you always wanted to be.”

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By practicing a wide range of off-ice training methods including ballet, pilates and track & field, former professional figure skater Kristin Anderson discovered that performing a diverse training regime leads to a more well-rounded athlete. She uses her mixed method approach in her San Francisco and Los Angeles pilates studios and has carried her training philosophy over to her fitness company, The Daily Trainer, and her work with the M-Train mobile fitness application.

 

Making the Most of Your Low Carb Exercise Plan

by Brooke Griffin, Fitness Universe Champion

1. Increase your cardio work-outs: Increasing your cardio will help your body burn more calories which will lead to weight loss and getting your body in better shape. Whether it is going for a walk or jog, riding a bike, playing with the kids, or working in the yard, get out often and aim to increase the intensity and the length of time that you are doing these activities to see maximum benefits.

2. Eat 5-6 smalls meals a day: Eating smaller amounts of food more frequently increases your metabolism leading to additional weight loss. You will feel more energized and be less susceptible to hunger cravings. Aim to eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours to prevent drops in your blood sugar levels which leads to overeating.

3. Never miss out on a healthy breakfast: When we eat breakfast we are revving up our metabolism to start burning calories. Studies show that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and people who regularly eat a healthy breakfast maintain a healthier weight than those who do not. If you want to drop body fat than eat a healthy breakfast everyday.

4. Strength Training: Start to incorporate some form of strength training into your weekly routine, preferably three to four times a week. Strength training leads to an increase in muscle mass resulting in an increase in your metabolism and a reduction of body fat. Strength training is the fastest way to tone and tighten your body. There are dozens of exercises and strength training routines available that can be done at a local gym or in the comfort of your own home.

5. Increase your water intake and stay hydrated: By drinking more H20 you will keep your body feeling energized and hydrated and be less likely to drink high calorie soda, juice, and alcohol which can pack on the pounds. Water is also a great appetite suppressant, as often when we think we are hungry, when we are actually just thirsty.

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Brooke Griffin is a fitness expert, certified personal trainer and wellness coach out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Brooke has contributed to numerous fitness publications including Oxygen Women’s Fitness Magazine, appeared local and national media, and her health and wellness tips have been heard on national syndicated radio. She blogs about current topics in the health and fitness industry at http://www.brookegriffin.com/. She is currently the Fitness Universe Champion and has most recently authored her first health and fitness book.

 

Start Working Out Gradually

by Ellen Miller, Personal Trainer

When an individual wants to start a fitness program, they have to start out slowly and listen to their bodies. If something does not feel right, it is most likely that their body positioning is off. If they wake up sore the next morning then they over worked and then they tend to take off the next few days.

If you start losing weight and inches your first week on an exercise program, that is motivation in itself.

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Ellen is a certified fitness practitioner/personal trainer and has been teaching lifestyle changes for almost 30 years. She works with those who have never worked out or have not worked out in a long time using IsoBreathing, the "kindergarten of exercise." Ellens blog is at isobreathing.wordpress.com.

 

Lifestyle Exercise

by AJ Johnson, Actress & Celebrity Wellness Coach

• STOP separating your healthy life from the rest of your life...Exercise should be as much a part of your daily lifestyle as brushing your teeth—yup—you shouldn’t even have to think about it! Thinking and feeling like it is its own compartment—meaning life goes on with or without it—is dangerous! Make movement a daily part of your life!

• Make small, realistic goals—goals that are reachable with even minimal focus and discipline but will lead to success and bigger goals. Aim for a 2-3 pound loss (which can be done in 1-2 weeks) instead of even 5 pounds. Aim for dropping 1 dress size instead of dropping 4 dress sizes out of the gate. Walk 15 minutes per day then grow to 30 minutes per day in the next week and so on...Deciding to do 1 hour of cardio after doing none? WRONG!! Setting goals that may be out of reach is setting yourself up for failure!!

• Make sure your motivation is motivating!! Find the REAL motivators in your life...If it’s easy to NOT keep your discipline, the goal you’ve set is not important enough, not special enough, not motivating enough.

 

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When she is not sharing the screen with Julia Roberts, Ving Rhames or Sylvester Stallone, A.J. is one of the most world renowned lifestyle coaches and wellness advocates around. Others living in THE AJ ZONE are Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Beyonce, Destiny’s Child Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Dallas Cowboys-Terrell Owens and Roy Williams and more. Her zest for health and wellness and her passion for philanthropy lead her to create THE AJ ZONE, Inc. where she contributes to the wellness movement with her“No Excuses” straight-talk approach.

 

Fitting Exercise into Your LIfe

by Debbie Mandel, Author, Fitness & Stress Management Expert

Exercise is a great stress reducer and you get immediate gratification by releasing inflammatory stress hormones and increasing the feel good chemistry of endorphins. You find that “Exercise alleviates Anxiety” and so, after exercising you are calmer, more optimistic and empowered. Feeling good with improved focus inspire you to do it again the next day because you reap the good mood for up to 12 hours! Another benefit is that exercise helps you organize your day around good health and you are less likely to self-soothe with junk food – no more guilty eating.

Exercise does not have to be boring like a treadmill going nowhere. In fact, for exercise to be most beneficial physically and mentally, you need to change it up.

• Outdoor activities like walking, jogging, biking, hiking help you reset your natural rhythm and you get some Vitamin D to release serotonin and boost your immune system.

• Housework counts if you mind your muscle. Turn on the music and move with alacrity.

• Watching TV? Use commercial breaks to exercise. Pushups on the floor, off a counter or off the wall, march or jog in place, leg lifts, dips off the coffee table, chair squats, and crunches. You will be surprised how many commercials there are and how long they last!

• Visit your local community center or gym to take fun dance classes like belly dancing, hip-hop, salsa, and zumba. Go with a friend or go alone and you will make friends. Group exercise has a social component and makes it a little competitive – if they can do it, I can do it!

• Follow a video, the exercise channel, or take a weight training class to get stronger and empowered. I always say, “Lift weights and lift your spirits” for a better quality of life concerning activities of daily living.

• You don’t need to exercise in a solid block of time to reap the rewards. 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there ( best to have three 10 minute sessions within a day) add up for health benefits, stress reduction and improved focus. You will be lowering your blood pressure and elevating your mood throughout the day.

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Debbie Mandel, M.A.is an Author/Radio Host/Websites Host/Speaker/Fitness and Stress Management Expert. She wrote Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life, Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul, and Changing Habits: The Caregivers' Total Workout. She serves as stress management and wellness expert on several websites, and Her “Turn On Your Inner Light” Radio Show airs on WGBB 1240AM (Long Island, Tuesday Evenings 7:00pm – 7:30pm).

 

How to Start a Walking Program

by Laura Dion-Jones Casey, Pro-Health Activist, Motivation and Lifestyle Expert and Certified Wellness Coach