New Year Fitness Regime
Last Updated on Friday, 16 January 2009 16:29 Friday, 16 January 2009 15:56
Ah, Christmas is over and the pounds are after piling on. Unless you are a professional model, there's little harm in loosening the belt over the Christmas period, provided you are able to knock it off again after. Yet that's the real problem in that most of us don't. Once weight goes on, it stays on and unfortunately, weight is much harder to lose than to gain.
Realistically, at around this time, we should be aiming for a summer time frame to be in peak condition. Summer means t-shirts, shirts, shorts, swimming and sun bathing when you want to be in the best condition possible. We often see magazine articles in May promising a gorgeous body in ten days but throw these in the bin. A sensible training schedule should start six months in advance at least to achieve healthy results. A bit of planning goes a long long way!
There are generally three areas we need to focus on in order to achieve this. Diet, cardio and weight training, all inter-related yet all requiring individual attention.
Lets get the diet right first. At a minimum, you need to get rid of all the junk in your diet. Gone are the days of chocolate coated cereals, greasy chips or french fries and sweets and crisps in between. Throw out the processed foods of the supermarkets. If you are hard core you can change your diet over night, otherwise change one thing at a time. And its not actually that hard either. A freshly cooked breast of chicken takes as much time as a pizza to cook so its not as if you have to spend hours slaving over a hot stove. Remember that for the premium body you need carbs for energy, protein for muscle growth and essential fats are a necessity also. Research what you eat as it is a crucial component of physical fitness. Generally you should be looking at lean meats (chicken, turkey, lean red meat), whole meal rice, pasta or potatoes and plenty of vegetables and fruit.
Cardio is the next step which allows us burn that excess fat while getting the heart and lungs pumping. Start slowly by simply walking if necessary. If you are afraid to demonstrate your gross unfitness by jogging or running outside, get an exercise machine like a bike or rower on which to exercise. Even something as cheap as a skipping or jump rope fulfils the requirements easily. Aim for at least twenty minutes a day, increasing as you go along.
Weight training is not actually to achieve muscle bound glory. At its most basic level, it exercises and keeps in shape muscles which we would not otherwise use. As we get older, keeping muscles supple is a great aid to defying the ageing process. The best results are achieved by splitting your weight training regime into two or more parts, say exercising chest and biceps one day and back and legs the next. Alternatively, try compound lifting if you are time constrained which also offers good results. Like cardio, start gradually, increasing the weight as you go. Never life more than you can safely handle as injury will be the end result.
Therefore at its most basic, we have encapsulated the three basic tenets of a training regime, diet, cardio and weight training. Despite what glossy mags may tell you, its essential to remember that eating lettuce and tomatoes may see you lose weight but its completely unhealthy and unbalanced. If you are going the vegetarian route, eat balanced meals that satisfy all your vitamins and mineral needs. Start now with a reasonable time frame exercising and eating healthily in order to achieve your goals. There are thousands of articles on the internet giving more information on each topic so read up before you start, create a credible plan of action and stick with it no matter how difficult it may be. Within a few months, those toned legs or bulging biceps will be well worth the effort that you put in.
