- Always be safe and understand the risks involved with exercise. The first, most important piece is safety in training. Don’t do something because someone you follow says “you’ll never find a more effective exercise for your glutes”. If your exercise puts you on the couch, you’re doing exercise wrong. Accidents happen, make sure you know the risks.
- Train within your means and build momentum. If it’s your first time in the gym in three years and you used to hit big numbers, start low and slow. Nobody gives a shit about your numbers. Give yourself time to earn it back and build momentum.
- Strive to complete streaks. Instead of exercising everyday (and inevitably failing because excuses), aim to go three days in a row to start a streak. How many three day streaks can you accomplish in a month? I’d rather see someone go on eight streaks in a month with a day in between, rather than 24 days in a row, followed by six days off. It’s tough to restart after taking that kind of time off.
- Enjoy your process. One of the reasons I’m good at my job is because I like to make stuff fun. Even for me. There are days the ‘perfect’ program means I’m doing random stuff – rolling and crawling around on the floor chasing a ball during a game we make up on the spot. Exercise is not always about showing up for work everyday. Pay honor to your body’s ability, expand your boundaries along the way and have fun doing it.
- Do hard things. That doesn’t mean everything has to be hard. But if something is difficult for you, it’s probably a sign that it can and should be improved.
- Strength training is a must. You can powerlift, crossfit, bodybuild, functionally train, become a master at calisthenics. Whether your goal is to lose weight, increase balance, reduce falls, jump higher, run further, it doesn’t matter. Strength has never been a weakness, nobody has ever been too strong.
- Train your heart, too. There are huge benefits to heart health. And it’s at least as important to have a strong heart as it is to have big muscles.
- Finish your day on a positive note. Review what you accomplished, assess how your body feels.
- Set an appointment with yourself if you want to be consistent. Or with me. Whatever gets you moving.
Stella Fitness provides an atmosphere of empowerment to help time restricted individuals move, improve and thrive within their communities for life.
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