Exercising....in a good way

Exercise! A scary word for most of us. Why? Because it means we have to do something.  Put effort into something and invest our time and our energy. And this is exactly why most people are put off straight away...we are looking at the negatives rather than the end results. And this goes for any exercise, whether mental or physical.

Let's talk a little bit more about physical exercise:

We all have to start somewhere. And it doesn't matter what kind of shape your body is in.  If you think you are too big, just go for a five minute walk. Make it ten minutes tomorrow. And fifteen minutes the day after. If you think you don't have enough time, then make the time and remember to congratulate yourself for every achievement, no matter how big or small.  Should you feel uncomfortable exercising alone, ask a friend to come with you. Having someone with you has the benefit of time passing faster and you won't even feel that you did something that you might have "dreaded" before.

For individuals who are more experienced with exercise, it is not always a good idea to have someone with you whilst exercising. Simply because the other person will most likely not be at your level of fitness and either drag you down by being less fit, or even demotivate you due to being better, although it might drive you to higher goals, though. It is up to the individual.

I exercise as good as every day. It has become a part of my daily life to cycle to work. In fact, I haven't made any excuses not to cycle, regardless of the weather. You can always get changed after a bike ride. Just take a set of clothes with you. So, I cycle at least five times a week, and every day I vary movements and gears on certain parts of my route to train different muscles and to get better and faster. On top of that, twice a week I am doing some muscle building exercise at home like "push-ups" and "cycling twists". Look up certain techniques online. You have to start somewhere.  Variety is the key to better results. If you stick to a certain routine, however, your body will get used to it and it won't be challenging anymore.  That's when you reach a plateau and are more likely to give up.

In most cases you won't even need any equipment or gym. You don't even need to leave your house, so there are no excuses! Your body provides more than enough resistance with its weight to be gentle on your joints and with focus and determination, still be efficient to present results.

And then I have the days where I won't do a thing. Simply giving my muscles a really good rest. Listen to your body. Don't overdo it. Push limits, but don't break barriers. Your body will tell you when it's had enough. Then you should stop, have a rest, re-energize and nourish your muscles again.

Please don't go for the pint of lager after you just sweated all the toxins out of your body. And don't believe that a chocolate bar, eaten until half an hour after your exercise goes straight into your muscles and makes them grow. 

Drink water, have some juicy fruit, go easy on the refined carbohydrates and eat protein rich foods like eggs or fish. If you are dieting at the same time you might even go for Miso soup, for example. The brown version is more savoury and the cheaper solution.  Whisk in a raw egg and hey presto!

The most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing. Make it a routine, not necessarily daily. But regular enough to become part of your lifestyle.

And now have fun getting fitter and healthier.