What You Know

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to slightly change directions from what I have suggested over the last few previous posts.  Where the last few posts I have suggested tapping into the mind-body connection to motivate you to keep at your fitness goals, in this post I am going to suggest doing the opposite.  Well, not exactly.  In the previous posts I had suggested how to use your feelings to motivate you so I am not saying ignore what I said.  What I am suggesting you do here is to take your emotions out of it completely.  Sometimes when it comes to keeping on the fitness track, whether hitting the gym or watching what you eat, you just don't "feel it."  We all have these days from time to time.  There are times when what we actually do is not what we know we should be doing.  Those moments where you say to yourself "I know I should be going to the gym, but..." and you wind up doing something else.  Or in a similar situation where you see something decadent on a plate that doesn't fit in your nutrition plan and as you reach for it you say to yourself "Well I know I shouldn't, but..."  This idea of how we do things we know we shouldn't be seems like a no-brainer.  And it is just that...it is us acting without truly considering what is best for us.  Our actions in these situations are usually driven by our emotions or how we are "feeling" at that time.  So take the emotion out of it...just do what you know you should!

          There have probably been times in your life where you needed to make an important decision, an in order to take your emotions out of the decision you used the phrase "Let me sleep on this."  In order to be more confident in your decision you gave yourself some more time to think about it.  Similar to this notion that our emotions can affect our thought process in a negative way is when we use the cliche "let cooler heads prevail."  In both situations the idea is to take your emotion out of it, and let your rational thought help make a better decision.  This is the main idea of what I am suggesting to you...to take how you are feeling out of the equation and do what you know is the right decision.  I am not saying if you are debating going to the gym or need help with making a healthy food choice that you should wait until the next day to come up with a choice.  I am saying that rather acting on your feelings, do what you know is the right thing.

        Some of the "feelings" that keep us from making healthy choices include: "I am not feeling it today," "I don't feel like going," and "I feel tired."  And people will also make unhealthy food choices as a reaction to how they are feeling; think "comfort food."  In these situations, there is usually some internal debate about what they should do before they take action.  However, sound reasoning doesn't win out and people make a poor choice.  There is usually a very quick response after the choice has already been made that they shouldn't have made that move.  The follow up saying of "hindsight is 20/20" applies here.  Although making the choice of whether or not you should hit the gym isn't going to be a completely life changing event that needs days of consideration, it is a decision that is in fact important as it obviously affects your health.  The decision might not be a single big one that dramatically affects your life, but it is an everyday one that cumulatively will definitely affect your life. 

          You don't need a Master's degree in an exercise science field and / or nutrition to have the knowledge of what you should do to be healthy.  Concepts that keep us fit and healthy are usually common knowledge and universally known.  And since we know what it is good for us, we need to act on that information.  It is perfectly acceptable to let your feelings motivate you, but if they are going to hold you back it is best to revert to what you know is good for you.  Acting on what you know is good for you is the smart way to achieve a fit new you!

Something New

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  I apologize for not getting a new post out sooner, but I have been busy getting ready for the start of another new school year.  And as I was preparing for the year, I found inspiration for this post.  As I welcomed many new students to the start of the academic year, I thought about all of the new things they will learn.  This in turn made me think about all of the different and new things that occur in the fitness industry on a regular basis.  There always seems to be a "hot" new style of class, an innovative piece of training equipment, or something else that is fresh and new.  Incorporating these fresh additions are a great way for both beginner and veteran fitness buffs to invigorate their training routines.  While I do stress the importance of keeping a regular routine to achieve your fitness goals, that routine doesn't have to be stale.  So with this month bringing a back-to-school to school mentality for many of us, I suggest that everyone learn something original and add it to your normal routine.  Doing so will not only allow your muscles to develop past where their memory is currently at, but it will also add fresh perspective to your routine.

          The IDEA Health and Fitness Association is in my opinion one of the leading advancers of fitness in the industry.  Not only do they put on some of the biggest fitness conventions every year, but they also publish a monthly fitness journal.  And every month their journal is jam packed with new trends and sources of information for the exercise and nutrition minded.  One of my favorite sections of the journal is a paragraph called "What people are talking about"  This short little section provides leads to the most innovative and original ideas, practices and philosophies.  It provides a great jumping point for those looking for something new.  The information is great for novices and experts in the field.  What is important to note is that there is this constant influx of new material...this is because the addition of new education isn't just important, it is essential.

         One of the reasons many people fall off of the path towards achieving their fitness goals is because they become bored with the routine.  As the program starts to get stale, it becomes easier to make up excuses of why you cant adhere to the rigors of trying to reach your goal.  It is much harder to get excited about something that just isn't exciting anymore.  Think about something fun...a vacation, a thrill ride, or anything of the kind.  Quite often the longer you stay on it, the less enjoyable it becomes.  There is usually that "sweet spot" of enjoying something for a certain about time before it starts to become less enjoyable.  And this is true from a physiological stand point as well.

         When learning any new physical activity/ movement it takes a certain amount of time and repetitiveness for your brain and body to become accustomed to it.  Trying a physical activity one time might be fun, but it has to be repeated in order for the body to be able to adapt to it.  Your brain and body needs to "learn" the movement.  Typically, as we repeat a movement, our brain grows in response to it, and the movement becomes easier and easier as the brain makes adaptations to perform it more efficiently.  Then, as the movement becomes mentally more efficient, our muscles will change as a response to it as well.  In a classroom, this is similar to a teacher giving multiple examples of new material, and often homework, before a student is tested on the material...there needs to be sometime for the learning process to take place.  However, once our bodies have adapted, you need to change the movement in some way for continued development.  One of the easiest ways of adding change is simply by incorporating something new.

        In order to for your body to change and develop, you need to do something different and new from what you are currently doing.  Change begets change.  Just as students are required to learn new subject matter each year to further their education, the body needs to try new things to overcome muscle memory and have something to adapt to.  And equally as important, doing something new keeps the routine from becoming stale and boring.  Both the body and mind need to try fresh things in order to continually develop and progress.  So learn something new!  Try a different class or pick up a new-to-you piece of equipment next time you go to the gym.  Learning something new is a progressive way to reach a fit new you!