David Week One
Monday 21 April 2008
Getting started
Many people procrastinate on getting started with a new fitness regime and since everything we do is all about our mindset, I’d encourage you to make a commitment sooner rather than later. Don’t think “I’ll start exercising on Monday”, do it today! The sooner you make a commitment to shape up, the sooner you’ll be on the way to losing some weight in time for summer, and to feeling more self empowered and looking terrific!
Do something today in terms of taking exercise . Take a break from you desk and power walk through a nearby park for 20 minutes, walk to a tube further away from the one you usually aim for, when you get home take your bike out of the shed and go for a 30 minute cycle. Raining? No-excuses! Put your workout clothes on, warm up and perform a series of lunges, squats, crunches in your front room. The essential element that determines success is in taking action.
Be realistic - set yourself an overall goal for fitness and weight loss. Make a note of this in a journal and make sure you use the weekly weight in to stop you cheating. In order for you to be ultimately successful you need to know your reality and face up to how well, or how badly you are doing. No one will read your journal so you can be truly honest there!
Top tips
Decide ahead of each week when you will schedule time to workout - yes, diary your workout time just like you would an appointment with the hairdresser or lunch with the girls!
Assess your fitness levels first. My fitness plan, The Ultimate New York Body Plan features self assessment tests for fitness, and nutrition. It's very important to measure where you are now. Start with small steps - a 20-minute power walk in trainers constitutes a workout for some people but not for others. Always do some warm up and cool down exercises/stretches and do some exercise every day.
Add variety to keep you interested. Doing the same exercise everyday is sure to be a turn off. Keep your mind intrested with diffeent activities.
Reward yourself every time you do with non calorie treats - an aromatherapy bath, a new magazine, a candle, some fresh berries. .. you get the picture.
If you backslide (and there will always be those days - the trick is to minimise them!) then do ten more minutes in your workout!
If you plan on working out at home it’s worth investing in a good fitness DVD. I have something for everyone in my range of DVD’s and if you purchase a stability ball, a medicine ball, some lightweight dumbbells and an exercise mat that's all the equipment you need for a totally effective home workout. You can buy my fitness DVDs at amazon.co.uk
Decide to embark on a wellness program for YOUR reasons and not anyone else's.
It is your determination that will enable you to succeed: no one else can do it for you.