Here's some easy ones that you may have not thought about...
1.) Proper attire -- wear clothes to work out in that are comfortable, but also that you think you look good in. This may sound weird, but why are you working out to begin with? We all are wanting to improve ourselves otherwise we wouldn't be working out, so wear clothes that will help motivate you by keeping your self-esteem up. Wearing overly baggy, worn out clothes don't help as much as the feeling that you've got on proper work-out attire that helps you see results. It's all part of the mission.
2.) Shoes -- I absolutely HATE running. In fact I would have rather played basketball for 2 hours than run distance for 30 minutes. Soooo, when I finally started running recently I wore the same shoes I do everything else in. Bad idea. My knees started hurting, shin splints, etc. I finally decided to go to a shoe store that dealt with only running. I got properly fitted according to my running style and the problems went away quickly. If you're in Nashville, I suggest The Athlete's House over by Belmont or a store where they can determine your running style/foot needs. Don't get shoes to run in just because you like the way they look!
3.) Eating Before and After Workouts -- This can get rather lengthy so I'll keep it short. If you're hungry before a workout DO NOT eat sugary items. This will greatly impede your workout. Also avoid the obvious like greasy/heavy food items. Depending on you caloric intake for the day, you really don't need many calories before a normal workout unless you're planning on an extended workout (then you'll need to consume calories during as well). Protein helps fuel muscle growth as well as fills us up. Stick with a little peanut butter, nuts, and lower calorie options with protein (or a banana or something like that). AFTER workouts, if you're going to consume protein powder or drinks, you should do it ideally within 30 minutes or so following the workout. This maximizes the body's ability to utilize the protein in muscle growth. Bananas are always good as well because they inhibit lactic acid build-up (cramps) as well as contribute to muscle growth (potassium).
4.) Get a Watch -- This is the easiest. I bought a $9.00 digital watch with velcro band at Wal-Mart. It has a stop watch so I can time my runs, which helps me chart my progress and gives me a reason to push myself each time. It also keeps my workouts conistent by timing the amount of rest between "sets."
NEXT LEVEL:
Ok, here are some definitions that will be used in future posts with workouts.
- "Reps" = Repetitions - this is the number of exercises you perform (ex. "Do 5 pushups reps" --- You would perform 5 pushup)
- "Sets" = The amount of times you do a "set" of reps (ex. "Do 5 sets of 5 reps of pushups" --- You would do 5 pushups at a time, with rest between, 5 times for a total of 25 pushups)
- "Max Efforts" = This is obviously the maximum number of reps you can do at one time
(Any other terms that need explanation in the future will defined in that post)
Set Goals and Motivate Yourself!
Your goals for physical fitness need to be realistic. Millions of dollars a year are made on telling people how to set goals and get motivated. No one else can do this but YOU! Make them realistic but not too easy. It needs to be something that can be accomplished but won't be easy, nor necessarily fun. The motivation to do this needs to come from within. Having a goal to lose 5 lbs. is good but won't keep you truly motivated. We find excuses after a while and start compromising our goals to relieve ourselves or internal torment or guilt for not reaching the goal. For example; DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY! Here's what can happen...My goal is to lose five lbs. At first, it's going well and i'm motivated. THEN, I start eating poorly and working out a little less right when I was getting close to the 5 lb loss. So, I forsake healthy weight loss methods by taking water pills, etc. and start weighing myself morning and night. Obviously our weight can fluctuate greatly just between morning and night. So one morning you weigh yourself and you've done it! Mission accomplished right? Most likely, wrong. Did you really accomplish your goal to lose 5 lbs to feel and look better? Do you REALLY feel and look better? We need more to keep us motivated which is why it's important to make a lifestyle difference; a true attitude change that pushes us when we want to quit.
I could literally write a book just on the books I've read about motivation. There's a LOT of information out there. Again, the key is to focus on one thing and master it. DON'T GIVE UP. Learn to push yourself each and every workout by focusing on the details and pushing yourself a little harder each time.
If you're a beginner or trying something for the first time, it will always be hard. DON'T GIVE UP. It gets better and you're confidence will grow with your physical progress.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this for today. Practice POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS. These make you feel really stupid at first but they work. Every elite fighting force in the world practices this technique all the time so they'll have what it takes when they are truly tested with no time to think. Look in the mirror every day and tell yourself positive things. It can be silly or serious, either way you're improving your attitude. When I work out or run and I'm starting to hurt, I tell myself ("just finish, just finish" or "Rest when you're dead" or "No excuses" or "You're only cheating yourself") I repeat these often when I'm struggling and it gets me through. The feeling of accomplishment from truly pushing yourself will continue to motivate you through your next workout. You can carry this over to everday life as well with saying like, "I'm good, I'm great, I'm wonderful!" and pretty soon you'll start to believe it. I've got some good books on this stuff if you ever want to borrow one.
Here's another positive affirmation for you. Every now and then, flex in the mirror. I know there was some laughter after that one, but let me explain. We all like to feel good about ourselves. Seeing physical progress does wonders for our self esteem and will again add to the motivation. You don't have to do it for anyone else or at the gym when people are looking (unless you want to) but I still recommend it. Also, it will help with muscle memory and muscle formation. Flexing is another form or working out!
Since I've talked so much about POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS I figured I would throw in a motivational video with some positive affirmation with it (double whammy). (I do apologize for it being R. Kelly however - Also, I wasn't allowed to post the real music video here -- it's actually about Muhammed Ali)
Ok, I bought one of those Walmart watches a while back because I thought it made me look "sporty." Well, Bill told me I just looked dumb and it quit working after 2 weeks! Maybe mine was a lemon :( Maybe some day I'll get another one and only wear it to the gym.
Nice post. I eat protien before and after my workouts. After every workout, I love these protein bars called "think thin" (even my food has positive affirmations :) They have about 20g of protein, no sugar and they are not artificially sweetened. You can get them at Publix, Kroger, or Whole foods. That and an apple make a great meal. I also like the EAS protein drinks.
Also, I recently splurged and bought a heartrate monitor and LOVE it. It keeps up with my calories for each workout and gives me my weekly updates every Sunday night. I love knowing my heartrate during my workout too because I can tell when I am not pushing myself hard enough. I think it's a great motivator in itself.
Amber, I thought the same thing would happen to mine but it hasn't yet (3 months and counting!). Jamie even got one too. However, I did forget to take it off in the shower once and I thought it might explode or quit working but it was all good. The "chrome" on the buttons has started to come off though. Oh well...$9!
Rachel, good input. I'll have to check out those bars. It's hard to find that type of stuff. We have the EAS whey powder from Sam's. I've also tried the Muscle Milk, EAS carb control, Atkins shakes, and several kinds of Myoplex. I personally like the EAS Carb Control. They have basically no sugar, low carbs, and the most protein (17g) with the lowest calories combination of all of those drinks (110 cal. I think). The whey powder (1 scoop= 23g prot.) has about 120 calories if you mix it with water.
The heart rate watch is also very nice. I'm too cheap for that so I stick with the PoP method of pushing myself. It's the "Puke or Passout" method. I haven't done either yet, but I know that if I'm feeling it heading that way, then it's a good thing. (Not generally recommended though...consult your doctor before trying this method!)