The Hot Mommas~Fit and Fab MISISON TEN

Find Greater Success through Challenging Your Fitness Routine

This is the week I challenge us all to take our routine to the next level. Our bodies are very adaptable and they tend to get used to the stresses that we put upon them. If we want to continue to see results we must continue to change things up and challenge ourselves.  All fitness levels need to do this in order to continue to push to the next level, but also to continue to stay on track.  If we are content to do the same routine month after month, year after year our bodies will get to a certain peak and plateau. We may never see improvement at this point, and in some cases, we may see a fitness decline.  This is often the situation for those who have rapid success and then find that things become much more difficult. Struggles with weight loss, body toning, and performance enhancement all occur when we allow our bodies to be stuck in the same exercise plan.   The general recommendation is to change your routine every 10-12 weeks.  In most cases you do not need an entirely new workout – you may just need to modify the one you already have. 

There are many ways to change things slightly to break through your plateau and find success!  You can change any one or more of the following fitness routine components…

Frequency: Just as the name of this component states – push yourself to be a more frequent exerciser. Add in an extra day of cardio or toning to your schedule.  

Intensity: This component will truly take you to the next level.  Try adding in more challenging strength training exercises.  This can be done by selecting exercises that involve multiple muscle groups, extra coordination or that require more weight/resistance.  To amp up your cardio, try doing some faster aerobic  training, interval training or speed training 2 days per week (continue to get in a total of 3-5 days of cardio).

Time:  The amount of time that is spent on each exercise can be varied to change the way your body reacts to the stress put upon it. For example, if you always perform 2 sets of 10 reps of lunges, try building it up to 3 sets of 10-12.  Another example is simply adding time to your cardio workout. Adding 10 minutes will add in more calorie blasting time, plus it will help you build endurance.

Mode: The mode is simply the type of exercise that you do. For example, try changing up your strength training/toning exercises. If you always use exercise machines or body weight, try using free weights or resistance bands.  Another example, if you always walk on the treadmill for your cardio workout, try mixing it up with a stairmaster or elliptical workout.

MISSION TEN: Take a look at your exercise schedule and determine where it could be enhanced. Once you rearrange one or more components to ensure you are on track to continued success, start your new or improved program. Report back to the Blog or Facebook Post that you have completed the Mission.

NOTE: You can still make subtle adjustments if you have recently started a new routine that will enhance your training. You don’t need to revamp everything, just find a way to challenge yourself this week!

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What's Your Fitness Level? - Help Getting Started OR Shaking Things Up

Fitness is a culmination of lifestyle choices, not an individual set of exercises.   Fitness is a state, not an action.  Exercise, nutrition, mental well-being and general health all play a role in making up our fitness level.  Being physically fit can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.   To some, fitness is being gold medal worthy; to others just the ability to get dressed and walk out the door, performing activities of daily living equates fitness.  This being said, everyone has to start somewhere, it is never too soon or too late to work on adjusting the fitness component of your lifestyle.  It can be simple life choices such as: walking up the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the store or playing games with your children.   Or maybe you are already taking an active role in your fitness level and have reached a plateau, in need of shaking things up a bit.  Don’t be afraid to re-examine where you are and decide what you could do to improve your life.

The importance of exercise seems pretty simple, but can be pushed easily to the side when the stresses of life get in our way.   Exercise can improve everything from our heart health to our mood to our libido.  There are many physical, psychological and emotional effects of exercise.    Since exercise is a key component in Fitness, let’s take a moment to see where we stand on this topic…

If you are new to exercise or need a jump start to get back into a routine it may be a good time to enlist the encouragement of yourself and others.  It is time to set some goals.  Write down a short term and long term fitness goal for yourself and place it somewhere that you have to view it multiple times per day.  The next thing that will ensure your commitment is to tell others about your plan to get in shape. You don’t have to post your intentions on Facebook for your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend to see, and scrutinize your muffin top… No, just tell someone close to you – your significant other or a friend. Pick someone supportive that will check in with you from time to time.   You can feel free to start off small with only a couple workouts per week and increase as your body and time constraints allow.  These workouts do not have to be complex, for newbies just walks or simple exercises in front of the morning news are great!  A great way to stay on track is to find a workout partner, if you have someone to be accountable to, you are far more likely to commit to your goals.  If you are in need of some real encouragement hire a personal trainer to coach, guide and instruct you through the process.    Need help selecting a personal trainer? Feel free to post comments here and I will be happy to answer questions about finding the perfect fit (later Blog Posts will include tips on this as well). 

If you are a seasoned workout king or queen and find yourself in a bit of a rut, it’s time to shake things up a bit.  Your body adapts to the stresses (workouts) that you put it through and eventually hits a plateau at nearly every level.  This means you have to be changing things up constantly or challenging yourself in new ways.  Changing things up can be done in a variety of ways including : increases in intensity, length of workout time, number or repetitions, and/or changing up the mode  of training.  Don’t be afraid to try something new – attend an exercise class and find out that your body may actually be craving some flexibility through yoga or that your core strength can help your run by incorporating Pilates into your routine.  There are countless ways to change things up.  Approximately every 12 weeks your body needs a change of pace.  Start brainstorming new ideas now to keep your body at the top of its game!