Have you fallen into a fitness rut?
It's very easy to get into a rut in life. The same can happen when training in a gym. You start with great Intension, keep at it for a while and then get bored, injured or don't see changes and give up. These are common things and the reason why Virgin Active, Fitness First and others make a killing! Tied into a contract anyone? You would think paying £70 plus a month would be enough incentive to keep at it but many of us don't. If you are one of those paying for the gym and not going, for whatever the reason is, here are some options to consider:
1) Longer isn't always better.
Running on a treadmill for an hour isn't the most effective way of training. Keep quality over quantity in mind when training. A short 15-20 min HIIT session will have you burning fat, not only during your workout, but after as well. That's right...you finish, stop sweating and keep burning as your metabolism is revved up for hours and it's a great way to get in an effective workout without taking up too much of your time. An example is 20 seconds of running or cycling as fast as you can followed by an equal 20 seconds of light intensity recovery. Keep that pattern going for 15-20 mins and you will notice a difference.
2) Partner training.
Get a gym buddy! Working out is a personal thing and everyone has different goals but from experience having someone to train with makes it so much fun and also keeps your motivation sky high as you have to stick to plans cause you can't let each other down right?! and you keep each other going. Just make sure you are relatively similar in goals and fitness level so not to slow you down and delay your progress.
3) Stretch and recover.
One of the other reasons people can stop training is down to injury. I know it may seem,to some,the least important part of your fitness program but it is the main factor that helps prevent injury, repairs worked muscles, aids your flexibility and overall helps you train more efficiently. Always allow for a 5 minute warm up and stretch along with a 5 min stretch at the end of any session. I also highly recommend 1 rehabilitation session per week where you stretch out, rest and recover. Stretch as many muscles as you can, hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Oh and buy a foam roller if you haven't got one already..they release muscle tightness or nots that form in the muscle helping with blood flow gaining better movement and overall more efficient training.
4) Find a Pro.
Last but most importantly...if something's not working you could do with some advice from a personal trainer! ;) Here at West London Fitness Personal Training Studio in Ealing we not only make sure you stick to your goals but we educate you along the way so you understand what you need to be doing and why you need to be doing it a certain way. This goes for in your sessions and outside of them. I always mix up my sessions with clients so that they include different styles of training for example, resistance training (body weight exercises and with weights), functional training (using basic movement patterns like pushing, pulling, rotating, carrying.) plyometrics (jumping movements) and high intensity intervals (aka HIIT). By bringing in different types of training to your workout it not only challenges your body and helps you get noticeable changes more quickly it is also a lot of fun! Georgia Mahony Personal Trainer West London Fitness
Check out our website and get in touch for a free trial personal training session at our studio in West Ealing. www.westlondonfitness.co.uk
West London Fitness Personal Training in
Ealing, West Ealing, Pitshanger, Hanwell, Greenford, Acton