Advice when starting a new fitness program

For those you beginning our boot camp, or anyone beginning a new fitness program, I wanted to take a moment to provide some encouragement.

Everyone has a fitness story, but it’s our stories that shape our identities. I was always a martial arts guy, but I was not always in shape. In fact, after years of teaching martial arts, I was heavier, about 20 pounds more than I am now.  I realized the error of my ways: I was not incorporating variety into my fitness. I was doing the same thing all of the time, and eventually we plateau, or even get worse.

So I made a change and did two things. First, I started taking group fitness classes because I wanted to be motivated, and I knew having people around me would provide that motivation. Second, I invested in home fitness, so even on my busiest work days, I would have no excuse to not do something.

I loved one exercise class more than the others and became certified to teach it. I now teach Turbo Kick, a high energy cardio kickboxing class with a variety of athletic moves all done to music, three times a week at ICC’s CougarPlex in East Peoria. Teaching, I find, helps keep me accountable.

Additionally, I found a chain of home fitness programs that I fell in love with so much that I now “coach” home fitness programs, which means that for people unable to go to a gym (or simply not interested), I provide a format to motivate them at home. It’s simple: we create an online group, like this Facebook page, and we post our daily workouts and encourage one another. It’s another way to stay motivated and accountable when you can’t always get to a class.

During the journey, I’ve learned a few things, and I hope to always be learning. Although I said some of the following in tonight’s class, I really want to emphasize it. This is my advice—and my compliments—to all of you.

1. Take risks. Never be afraid to try something new (as long as it is safe), such as a boot camp, a fitness class, or a home fitness program. The people who play it safe are not the people who achieve the best results. And of course you are taking a risk in signing up for the boot camp, so congrats to you!

2. Incorporate variety. I’ve even known people who run daily and have run for 20 years suddenly pack on a bunch of weight. The reason is that the body gets used to doing certain things. Many people tell me they do not work out because they are always “on the move” at work. Same problem. We need variety, and you will get it in this boot camp, but when the boot camp finishes, think about goals for the future and be sure they include variety in fitness.

3. Eat smart. I do not like the concept of a diet. I’m sure some of you have been on a diet, but frankly, I do not like it. The problem with diets is that we will eventually go off them and get right back to where we were. So we eat smart instead. Generally, always eat breakfast, eat several small meals instead of 2-3 large meals, and take it easy on desserts and fried food (I do not cut them out from my “diet,” but I limit them to absolutely no more than once a week).

4. Be patient. Results do not happen overnight. Many people get frustrated if they are not seeing weight loss in a week or two. That’s not the way smart fitness works. Do, however, take your measurements, at least waist size and weight. Measure every month, but no more than that.  You will see progress, but be patient. It’s easy to get frustrated and then give up, but the one guarantee I can provide is that if you give up and do nothing, then you will definitely not see any results. 

So that’s a brief intro to me and some of my advice. 

In the meantime, show up and keep moving. The results will be there, but be patient and enjoy the journey.

Feeling angry or feeling fit?

Yesterday, I had a marathon of grading and of end-of-semester of planning and spent six or more hours in front of my computer. It’s to be expected and not abnormal at this time of year, but with my other daily obligations, I was simply in a grumpy mood.

I wasn’t mad at any particular person or event, but my mood shifted. I realized my mood changed because I was not able to exercise. My sedentary day affected my mental state of mind. Not working out now negatively affects my mood, and my experience yesterday led me to think more about anger, which is the theme of today’s post.

I have come to one absolute conclusion: If you feel angry, frustrated, or upset on a fairly regular basis, you absolutely must incorporate daily fitness into your routine.

It is inexcusable to take one’s anger out on his or her spouse, children, co-workers, anyone or anything. Part of human nature, however, is that we do become angry, some more frequently than others. There is a solution, a solution so simple: daily fitness. 

There’s only one place to get angry and feel good using that anger: working out. We can use frustration and anger to better ourselves by working harder, whether that is running a bit faster or doing extra repetitions of some exercise. Fitness provides a natural outlet and a healthy release for anger, and the more you incorporate fitness into your routine, the less anger you will feel at home or at work.

My point here is simple and two-fold. First, if you ever feel angry or frustrated and do not work out, then make a change! You will be surprised at how your mood improves, and your friends, family, and colleagues will certainly appreciate a more positive you. Additionally, you will be improving your health and fitness, and we know the benefits with improved physical fitness are virtually limitless.

Secondly, if you do exercise fairly regularly but still find yourself getting angry and frustrated, it’s time to change your fitness routine. Variety is the key to results in the fitness world, but variety is also the secret to maintaining a positive state of mind and eliminating anger and frustration from one’s life.

So how do you start? First of all, I would never encourage people to buy a treadmill or similar machine for their home. Thinking that you can get fit with one machine and one routine is like thinking you can eat well by eating the exact same cereal brand every day for the rest of your life. I don’t know about you, but I can’t eat the same cereal for more than a week. I need variety, and home exercise machines quite frankly lead to boredom. It will only be a matter of weeks before you find that machine covered in dust.

You need variety and fun. That’s why I teach the fitness classes I do, which have brand new routines and moves every two months. That’s why I encourage the home fitness programs I do: you get a variety of workouts that have a start and stop date, and then you can mix it up and do something different.

I am at a point now where I feel angry when I cannot or do not exercise. To me, that’s an accomplishment. My mind and body know what it takes to feel better. 

Today, I also had a marathon of grading and I’m preparing for summer classes, but I made a simple goal: I would exercise today no matter what. And I did. And the negative mood I felt yesterday is history. I feel energized, positive, and ready to inspire a brand new batch of students tomorrow morning.

So, how do you feel?

Big goals start with small steps

It is not easy to completely change one’s lifestyle and accomplish major goals. Consider the following example: Do you wish you had a savings account of $10,000?

Now I wonder, how many of you have a savings account of $10,000? It takes time and at first it seems impossible. However, like every major goal, it starts with small steps. How many years have you been working full-time? More than 4? Do you realize that if you committed to saving just $50 a week that in four years time you would have built a savings account of over $10,000? Imagine keeping that habit for 30 years: you’d have $80,000 plus interest in your savings account!

The thought of saving for that amount of time may seem very difficult, but it starts with baby steps. Commit to saving $50 a week for 10 weeks. At the end of 10 weeks, ask yourself: How hard was that? Ok, now commit to another 10 weeks. Then another. Then another. As the years pass you by, you will have a generous savings account and the peace of mind that comes with such security.

Of course, I am no finance expert. I write this blog to primarily encourage fitness. We know that we should be active over our lifetime, but it is often hard to know how to begin and even harder to stay committed.

So start simple. Make a promise that you will be active for 60 or even 90 days. Make a calendar, keep track of the days and workouts, and celebrate when you hit #60 or #90 or whatever your personal goal is. Then reflect on that journey: do you feel better now? Do you look better? If so, then make a commitment to do another 90 days.

Just like saving money over a lifetime, you will be creating the body, the health, and the energy you have always wanted.

Change starts with a simple commitment not a lofty promise. Commit to a 60 or 90 day program.  It won’t be long until you have realized you have changed your entire life for the better.

You can make your own routines for the number of days you commit to, but mix it up: include different types of cardio and a variety of weight lifting or strength training exercises.

Even better, commit to a proven program that guarantees to produce results. Today I realized I completed day 51 of the 90 day program P90X2. It does not even feel like 51 days. I already know that at the end of this 90 I will commit to another 90. And another. And it will be an incredible lifelong journey, initiated by a simple commitment to exercise for just the next 90 days.

The “Sexy and I Know It” Attitude

Here’s the thing about working out: You don’t have to lose 50 pounds or be some skinny model to feel good. Once you start exercising regularly, you feel better about yourself. You confidence, your self-worth, the way you feel about your body: It all gets better no matter your size.

In fact, I do not recommend beginning a fitness program with the hope that you will drop ten sizes. I do not want people to give up eating and starve themselves. I simply know you will feel better.

Even in your first few weeks, you will feel better about how you look. You will smile more. You will smile more at yourself in the mirror no matter your size. You don’t have to be skinny to feel this way.

Science supports this feeling through the study of endorphins. Keeping your heart rate high during cardio workouts for an extended period of time produces a natural high. You feel better about everything. You will even get to a place where you will want to work out to keep that feeling. Just like someone addicted to a drug, you will want to keep that high, but you will be doing it in a healthy way.

If you do not exercise now, the idea that you could get addicted to exercise may sound ridiculous. People scoff at the idea of having to workout.  But trust me, that will change.

I admit I enjoy the pop culture song “Sexy and I know It.” What I like most is not the music; I like the attitude. It does not matter what you weigh or what size jeans you wear. What matters is how you feel.

So ask yourself, “do you feel sexy?” If the answer is “yes,” then good for you! If the answer is anything other than yes, then it is time for a change. Start a fitness program, but don’t start with a huge goal of losing 50 or 100 pounds. Start with a simple goal of wanting to feel better.

I do not exercise to look a certain way. Our weight and muscle tone will fluctuate through life, and if we are obsessed with a number or a size, we will always be unhappy. I exercise because I want to feel better mentally. You can set goals to lose weight and gain muscle, but start simple: go for 5-10 pounds, for example. Your bigger goal should be to feel better, and you will feel better, no matter your weight.

You will dance happily to “Sexy and I Know It” and you will feel awesome. And that’s why we do it.