Do you want to know how to stay fit forever? This blog provides you with all information.
Can you continue to exercise if your motivation wanes, the weather deteriorates, or your schedule becomes too demanding? Experts and Guardian readers offer their best recommendations.
When it comes to exercise, we focus on how to “become” fit. However, starting out is not always the issue. “The biggest challenge is keeping it going,” says Falko Sniehotta, a Newcastle University professor of behavioural medicine and health psychology. Adults should practise strength exercises as well as 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense activity every week, according to official UK guidelines. According to the Health Survey for England 2016, 34 per cent of men and 42 per cent of women are not meeting aerobic exercise standards, and even more – 69 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively – are not getting enough strengthening activity. According to a World Health Organization report released last week, people in the United Kingdom were among the least active in the world, with 32% of men and 40% of women reporting inactivity. Meanwhile, obesity is one of the chronic long-term disorders mentioned in Public Health England’s report, which demonstrates that women in the UK die earlier than in the majority of EU countries.
We all know we should be doing more, but how can we stay going when our motivation wanes, the weather turns bad, or life gets in the way? Try these 25 pieces of advice from professionals and Guardian readers to keep you going.
Figure out why not just work out
According to Michelle Segar, director of the University of Michigan’s Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center, our motives for starting to exercise are critical to whether we will continue. Too frequently, “culture promotes exercise and fitness by tapping into short-term incentive, guilt, and shame.” She claims that there is some evidence that younger individuals would go to the gym more if their incentive is focused on beauty, but that doesn’t drive motivation much past our early twenties. Neither do vague or long-term goals (“I want to get in shape, I want to lose weight”) help. According to Segar, author of No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness, we will be more effective if we focus on immediate pleasant experiences such as stress reduction, greater energy, and making friends. “The only way we’ll prioritise time for exercise is if it gives some kind of benefit that is genuinely compelling and meaningful to our daily lives,” she says.
Begin Slowly.
According to personal trainer Matt Roberts, the hazard with the conventional New Year’s resolution approach to fitness is that people “jump in and do everything – alter their diet, start exercising, stop drinking and smoking – and within a couple of weeks they have lost interest or been too fatigued.” It will take some time if you haven’t been in shape.” He appreciates the trend toward high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and advises individuals to incorporate it, but “doing that every day will be too intense for most people.” Do it once (or twice) a week, paired with slow jogs, swimming, and rapid walks – plus two or three rest days, at least for the first month. “That will allow someone to have recovery sessions in addition to the high-intensity training.”
You don’t have to like it.
It is beneficial not to try to force yourself to do things you actively despise, adds Segar, who suggests considering the types of activities – roller-skating? You used to enjoy riding your bike as a kid. However, don’t feel obligated to enjoy your workouts. “A lot of people who stay with exercise remark, ‘I feel better when I do it.'” However, there are components that are likely to be nice, such as the physical response of your body and the feeling of being stronger, as well as the satisfaction that comes with mastering a sport.
“For many people, the obvious alternatives aren’t necessarily the ones they would appreciate,” says Sniehotta, who is also the director of the National Institute for Health Research’s policy research section in behavioural science, “so they need to seek outside them.” It could be different sports or simple things like sharing hobbies with other individuals.”
Be Gentle with Oneself
Individual drive – or lack thereof – is merely one aspect of a larger picture. Money, parenting duties, and even where you live can all be stumbling barriers, according to Sniehotta. Physical exercise can be influenced by fatigue, depression, work stress, and sick family members.”It will be simpler to maintain physical activity if you have a lot of support around you,” he says. “If you live in certain sections of the country, you may feel more comfortable undertaking outdoor physical activity than in others.” It is difficult to presume that those who do not engage in enough physical activity are simply lacking motivation.”
Segar advises being realistic. ” “Ignore the idea of going to the gym five times a week. When you first start out, be very analytical about your work and family-related needs, since if you set yourself unrealistic goals, you will fail and feel like a failure. At the end of each week, I always ask my clients to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Maybe taking a stroll at lunch worked, but you didn’t have the energy to do it after work.”
Do not Rely on Willpower.
“If you need the willpower to accomplish something, you don’t truly want to do it,” Segar explains. Instead, consider exercise “in terms of why we’re doing it and what we want to gain from physical activity.” How might I benefit today? How do I feel when I move? “How do I feel after I move?”
Establish a Goal.
At work, make an effort to move around more. Mark Long is an example.
Sniehotta recommends doing anything that allows you to work out while also accomplishing other tasks. “It gives you more gratification, and the price of not doing it is greater.” For example, walking or cycling to work, making friends by joining a sports club, or running with a friend are all examples of ways to make new friends. “Or perhaps the purpose is to spend more time in nature, and running allows you to do so.”
Combining physical activity with something else can be beneficial. “In my job, for example, I don’t use the lift and I try to reduce email, so I walk over to people whenever feasible,” Sniehotta explains. “I walk to work, move around a lot in the building, and I get about 15,000 steps in a day.” Try to make physical exercise achieve as many important goals as possible.”
Form a Habit of it.
It can be exhausting just to get out of the door when you start running – where are your shoes? What’s the name of your drink? Which path will you choose? “There are no longer costs linked with the activity,” Sniehottta observes after a while. Regular physical activity and planning for it “assist in making it a sustainable behaviour.” Sessions that are missed have no effect.
Make a Plan and Assign a Priority to Each Task.
What if you don’t have time to work out? This is obviously true for many people who have two jobs or have significant caring duties, but is it truly true for you? According to Sniehotta, it can be a matter of priority. He suggests that you plan: “The first is ‘action planning,’ in which you plan where, when, and how you’ll do it and try to keep to it.” The second type is coping planning, which involves “anticipating things that might get in the way and devising a strategy for regaining motivation.” “Most people don’t give themselves permission to prioritise self-care behaviours like exercise,” Segar continues.
Make it Brief and to the point.
According to Roberts, an exercise does not need to last an hour. “If you’re truly strapped for time, a well-structured 15-minute workout can be really beneficial.” “You tell yourself you’re going to create time and modify your schedule appropriately,” he says about regular, longer sessions.
Change it if it does not work.
It rains for a week, you don’t go running once, and you feel bad about it”It’s a combination of emotion and lack of confidence that has brought us to the point where people believe that if they fail a few times, it’s a failure of the entire endeavour,” he says. Sniehotta explains. Remember that getting back on track is doable.
If earlier workout regimens did not work, he advises not to beat yourself up or do them again, but rather to try something else. “When you see those numbers start to fall, that’s when you should start pushing yourself a little harder.” According to Roberts, after two weeks of constant training, you should see results and push yourself if you believe it is getting easier.
As you get older, you can incorporate resistance and balance training.
“After the age of 30, we start to lose muscle mass,” explains Hollie Grant, owner of PilatesPT and a personal trainer and pilates instructor. Resistance training (using bodyweight, such as press-ups, or equipment, such as resistance bands) is critical, according to her: “It will assist retain muscle mass or at least slow down the loss.” There should also be some cardiovascular activity, and we would encourage that folks begin including balancing challenges because our equilibrium deteriorates as we age.”
Increase the Stakes.
“If you’re doing a 5k run and aren’t sure whether to go faster or farther, score your exertion on a scale of one to ten,” Grant suggests. “When you start seeing those numbers drop, that’s when you should start pushing yourself a little harder.” According to Roberts, you should observe results after two weeks of consistent exercise and push yourself if you believe it is getting easier. “You want to increase your speed, endurance, or strength.”
Exercising at Home
You don’t need anything fancy. Mark Long is an example.
Roberts believes that if you have caring obligations, you can do a lot in a limited space at home. “It’s simple to do a regimen in the living room where you alternate between leg and arm exercises,” he says. “It’s a technique known as Peripheral Heart Action training.” This effect of travelling between the upper and lower body creates a rather powerful metabolic raise and cardiovascular workout when six or eight exercises are performed.” Squats, half-press-ups, lunges, tricep dips, and glute lifts are all good exercises to try. “You’re increasing your heart rate, using your muscles, and getting a terrific cardio exercise.” These take no more than 15-20 minutes to complete and only require a chair for the tricep dips – however, dumbbells can also be used.
Exhaust Yourself.
We’re often told that doing housekeeping and gardening will help us accomplish our weekly exercise goals, but is this true? “The metric is simply that you’re getting generally heated, out of breath, and you’re working at a level where, if you’re talking to someone while you’re doing it, you’re puffing a little,” Roberts adds. “In gardening, instead of just weeding, you’d have to do the hard lifting – digging.” If you run with the dog or take a route that includes some hills, you may transform a stroll with the dog into a significant fitness workout.”
Be Cautious about Illness.
“The general rule is that if it’s above the neck – a headache or a cold – you’re normally OK to undertake some sort of activity,” explains Joslyn Thompson Rule, a personal trainer. If it’s below the neck and you’re having trouble breathing, take a break. The most important thing is to use caution. If you were going to perform a high-intensity workout, you’d slow down, but sometimes just moving may make you feel better.” She advises trusting your instincts after recuperating from an illness. “You don’t want to go back to training four times a week right away.” You could do the same amount of sessions but make them shorter, or you could do fewer.”
Seek Medical Attention if you have been injured.
Obviously, how quickly you may resume exercising depends on the sort of injury, and you should consult with your doctor. But, psychologically, adds Thompson Rule, “even when we’re doing everything right, there are still bumps in the road.” It’s not going to be a straight line of improvement.”
After Pregnancy, Take it Slowly.
Listen to your body – and your doctor’s advice at your six-week postnatal checkup says, Thompson Rule. Returning to exercise after a caesarean section will be more difficult, while pregnancy-related back injuries and abdominal muscular difficulties may affect how quickly you can return to training and may necessitate physiotherapy. “Once you’re walking and have a little more energy, depending on where you were before (some women never trained before pregnancy), resuming a regime after a baby is quite an undertaking,” Thompson Rule adds. “Have patience. More than anything else, I get emails from ladies asking when they’ll be able to make their stomachs flat again. Relax, look for yourself, and look after your child. When you’re feeling a little more energised, gradually return to your regimen.” She suggests beginning with “really basic things like walking and carrying your kid [in a sling].”
Tech can Assist You.
Grant advises goal-oriented persons to regularly evaluate progress, but to “allow some flexibility in your goals.” You may have had a hard day at work, gone for a run and not completed it as quickly as you should have, and then decided, ‘I’m just not going to bother any more.'” “It may become addictive, and then you don’t listen to your body, and you’re more at danger of damage,” says the author.
Winter isn’t an Excuse.
“Winter isn’t always a time to hibernate,” Thompson Rule adds. Put your trainers at the door and try not to think about the cold/drizzle/greyness. “It’s the same with going to the gym – it’s that voice in our heads that makes it seem like a chore, but once you’re there, you wonder, ‘Why was I putting it off for so long?'”
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