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?

Motivate yourself and you will motivate others

The main reason I started writing these posts is to try to motivate and encourage others to get involved. We don’t need to be reminded of the rewards of physical fitness, but we do need motivation to get started and encouragement to keep going.

Here’s my motivational tip for today: If you start a new fitness program or make fitness a regular part of your life, you will inspire someone else to do the same. 

What could be greater than making your own life better? The answer: Making someone else’s life better.

Talk about what you are doing. You are likely to inspire a friend, a family member, a colleague, or just someone reading your Facebook posts. I have been inspired to exercise because of countless others. Some of the best moments in my life happen when someone tells me that they are getting fit because of the things they have seen me doing or heard me talk about.

Start doing something today. Tell others about it. It feels good to let people know when you have just finished a 5K, are working on a home fitness program, or are participating in a group exercise class.  More importantly, those simple comments about what you are doing may inspire someone else to do the same.

One of my favorite teaching quotations has always been the wisdom of Henry Adams: “A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence will stop.”

The same wisdom is applied to fitness. You start a fitness routine, and it will inspire someone else to begin too. Then that person will motivate someone else, and on and on it goes.

If getting yourself in better shape is not enough motivation to tackle a new fitness experience, then consider the lives of others. We possess the ability—be it in a blog, a conversation, or a simple Facebook post—to do or say something to motivate another person to improve their lifestyle.

I hope you join me in this challenge to motivate and encourage. 

My regrets

I don’t promote thinking about regrets, but I definitely have several I try to ignore. One of the biggest regrets I have is “Why didn’t I do this sooner? Or more consistently?” 

When I finished my second master’s degree, my regret was that I did not go for it earlier. Life would have been so much better if I had completed this hard work when I was younger, right?

When I earned my black belt, I wished that I had started martial arts at age 6 instead of age 12 because then I would have been so much more advanced.

When I complete a fitness program, I regret that I did not start sooner. What if I had completed these programs years ago instead of doing them now? I think about how much better I would be in shape, if only I had started earlier. I could have found the time if I really wanted to do so. I just did not have the resources or the motivation.

I bang my head when I think of the results I would already have if I had started these programs—and stuck with them consistently—years ago. 

But there is a flip-side to regret. The first idea to apply is that the regrets diminish the moment you start applying yourself. The regrets are bigger the longer you wait, so do not wait any longer to begin the journey for your goals. 

The other thing I tell myself is that I would not be who I am today if I did things differently, and I am happy with who I am. The timing of my second master’s degree led to my dream job. The timing of my martial arts training led to a national award winning martial arts program. The timing of my current fitness goals led to me becoming a fitness instructor, a coach, this blog, and the daily encouragement I try to give to others to get started.

So I want you to picture who you could be and who you could influence if you complete your goals. The potential for inspiration we have is limitless. Do not regret not having pursued your goals yesterday; regret that you are not pursuing your goals today. Make a change, make a commitment, and make a difference. Today.

 If you like what you're reading, please consider following. Just enter your e-mail on the right column to subscribe!