Out of Breath?

It’s important to remember that, if you run out of breath, become dizzy or nauseous, it means you are not taking in enough oxygen for the speed you are running. Generally speaking, this means you must either adjust your speed, or the amount of air you take into your lungs. The tips below keep those two strategies in mind.

7 Key Breathing Tips

1. Try slowing down before attempting to change your breathing.
2. Focus on longer, deeper breaths.
3. Breath more from your diaphram (belly) than your chest (chest breathing is more shallow).
4. Focus on exhaling more fully. This will remove more CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) and allow for deeper inhalations of O₂ (Oxygen).
5. Allow air to enter through both the nose and mouth. This will allow for maximum O₂ intake.
6. Aim to take three footsteps for every inhale, and two footsteps for every exhale (3:2 ratio). A good descriptions of this can be found on Military.com:
   

   Many experts will say that to fully oxygenate the muscles and clear the body of carbon dioxide you should breathe a 3:2 inhale-to-exhale ratio; full inhales and full exhales. This means you INHALE on the LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes and EXHALE fully on the RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes. This pattern is not that hard to turn into a habit, but it may require you to slow your pace down for a few runs to master the technique. You will notice a lower heart rate as you are able to get more oxygen in and more importantly push all the carbon dioxide out of your body. You may notice that you naturally drop to a 2:1 ratio when you are really pushing it to the finish. That is OK. But realize it is difficult to maintain a pace that requires you to breathe at a 2:1 ratio.

   For those wanting more explanation about step to breath ratios, another article – based on the Daniel’s Running Formula – can be found at this link on proper breathing while running

7. One last thing – try not to over-think your breathing! It’s best to try to slow down, relax, and let yourself fall into your body’s natural rhythm.

Following these tips should make breathing easier, and your runs more enjoyable. For you audio/visual learners, I’ve included two very good video clips which cover much of what I’ve described above.

Happy running!

Source: http://completerunning.com/

Push-ups look easy but like any other exercise they have their technique. Bad Push-up technique is common, and unfortunately it can cause shoulders and/or lower back injuries. Here’s how to perform Push-ups correctly.

Benefits of Push-ups. Push-ups are a closed kinetic chain exercise. Unlike the Bench Press, your hands are fixed while your body moves through space.

• Build Muscle. Just like Pull-ups & Dips, Push-ups force you to lift your own body-weight. Push-ups work your chest, shoulders, triceps & core.
• Shoulder Health. Push-ups improve shoulder health by strengthening your serratus anterior. They also teach you to Bench Press correctly.
• Versatile. You can do Push-ups anywhere, anytime. Harder Push-up variations keep things challenging for constant progress (more below).

Push-up Technique. Assume the Push-up starting position with your elbows locked. Lower yourself by bending your elbows until your chest almost touches the floor. Come back up by pushing through the floor.

• Hand Position. Don’t take your hands out to wide. Put your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hands turned out 45°.
• Tuck Your Elbows. Easier on your shoulders. Keep your elbows at a 45° angle to your body during Push-ups.
• Push Your Abs Out. Straight line from shoulders to ankles. Push your abs out as if someone was going to punch you in the stomach.
• Squeeze Your Glutes. Push your abs out while squeezing your glutes hard. Both will avoid any hyper-extension of your lower back.
• Tuck Your Chin. Lead with your chest, not with your head. Your neck must stay inline with the rest of your spine. Don’t look forward.

How to Increase Your Push-up Strength. If you lack the strength to do 1 Push-up or if you struggle to do Push-ups with correct technique, start this way.

• Push-ups Holds. Hold the Push-up starting position for time. Straight line from shoulders to ankles. These strengthen your core. Aim for at least 1mins. Switch to Prone Bridges for a bigger challenge.
• Kneeling Push-ups. Perform Push-ups with both knees on the floor. Push yourself up using your chest, shoulders & triceps muscles. Do not push yourself up using hip or back extension.

Push-up Variations. Unless you’re looking for strength-endurance, you’ll need to add some kind of resistance to keep Push-ups challenging. Some ideas:

• Close Grip Push-ups. Shift the emphasis to your triceps. Perform Push-up with your hands slight narrower than shoulder-width.
• Iso Push-ups. Improve shoulder health & posture. Hold the bottom position for time. Hands elevated for a greater stretch. Example.
• Blast Straps/Ring Push-ups. Harder to stabilize, improve core strength and improve bottom Push-up (and Bench Press) strength by increasing the stretch. Use Blast Straps or Rings.
• Resistance Bands. Add a mini or light resistance band like in the video above. I have Jump Stretch flexbands. Iron Woody works too.
• Chain Push-ups. Another way to add external resistance. Perform Push-ups with chains wrapped around your body. Example.
• Rucksack. Wear a rucksack filled with plates high on your back (not on your neck!). Add weight as you get stronger.
• Xvest Push-ups. Much more expensive than a rucksack or chains, but also more convenient. Perform Push-ups wearing an Xvest.
• Incline Push-ups. Shifts the emphasis to your shoulders. Do Push-ups with your feet elevated. Check the picture at the top.
• 1 Hand and/or 1 Feet Push-ups. Pavel Tsatsouline wrote a whole book about these Push-up variations in the Naked Warrior.
• Explosive Push-ups. Build power. Lower yourself in a controlled way. Hold at the bottom for a split second. Push yourself up as hard as you can, trying to elevate yourself from the floor.
• Depth Push-ups. Plyometric exercise. Hands on 4″ blocks. Let yourself fall between the blocks. Push yourself back up on the blocks. The floor is “red hot”: think of bouncing back on the blocks before you hit the floor.
• Handclap Push-ups. Also build explosive strength. Clap your hands on the way up. Check Ross Enamait video of triple handclaps push-ups.

Common Push-up Errors. Here are some of the most common Push-up errors you’ll see. Avoid them at all costs.

• Looking Forward. Hyper-extending your neck can cause neck injuries. Keep your neck inline with the rest of your spine from start to finish.
• Leading with Your Head. Forward head position from computer work is common. Leading with your head during Push-ups aggravates the problems. Both increase risks of neck injuries. Tuck your chin and lead with your chest.
• Letting Your Torso Sack. Often caused by a weak core. Your body must be in a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Push your abs out and squeeze your glutes. Strengthen your core with Prone Bridges.
• Elbows Out. Increases the torque on your shoulder joint. Avoid on Push-ups & Bench Press. Tuck your elbows: 45° angle to your body.

If you’re doing StrongLifts 5×5 and lack the equipment to do Dips or if Dips hurt your shoulders, replace them by Push-ups for 3xF. Add a mini resistance band once you can do 15 Push-ups with good technique on your 1st set.

Source: http://stronglifts.com

Push ups can be performed no matter where you are, and best of all, they are completely free – no expensive equipment or annual gym fees required! If you’re looking to develop a great chest and shoulders, you could do much worse than follow along with the hundred push ups plan. Your core strength will also go through the roof too!

To improve your strength, fitness and general health all you need to do is commit about 30 minutes of your time per week, and follow the push ups training program as closely as you can. I promise you will feel much better about yourself and much more confident after just a few short workouts.

Good luck!

Source: http://hundredpushups.com/

There are many ways to prevent non-accidental back injuries, such as making sure your workstation is user-friendly, taking breaks to stretch or walk around, and lifting weights to strengthen your back muscles.

However, if you are part of the 70% of Americans who suffer from some form of back pain at one point in their lives, there are exercises you can do to relieve the aching.

Keep in mind that the back is a very sensitive area and that performing inadequate exercises could have serious consequences. If you are experiencing more than mild to moderate pain or are unsure about any of these exercises, consult a doctor for advice.

The following exercises, which mostly concentrate on the lower back since this is the most common site of pain, should be performed every day or at least every second day. Choose five or six exercises to do per session and rotate through the 10 on subsequent days. They should be done on a firm but soft surface, such as a carpet or a yoga mattress. And remember: If an exercise hurts, stop immediately.

Number 10

Spread eagle
Lie on your back with your arms stretched above your head, palms facing up. Make sure not to bend your neck so you don’t strain it and pay attention to your lower back throughout the exercise. Tilt your pelvis toward the sky and push your belly in, so the entire surface of your lower back is touching the floor.

Simultaneously reach above your head with your right hand and push down (into the “air” below your foot) with your left leg. Hold the position for four seconds, then change sides (left hand up, right leg down). Repeat three times on each side.

Number 9

Pelvic lift
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your legs together and cross your arms over your chest. Tilt your pelvis up and push your lower back to the floor, then slowly lift your buttocks off the floor as far as you can without straining. Maintain the position for five seconds, then lower your buttocks to the floor. Repeat three to five times. Breathe normally throughout.

Number 8

Hip twist
Lie on your back with your arms stretched out to your sides. Bring your right knee up toward you so that your thigh forms a 90 degree angle with your chest and bend your knee so that your lower leg is parallel to the floor.

Keeping your shoulders stuck to the floor, slowly lower your knee to the left until it touches the floor. Relax for five seconds, then slowly bring your leg back to rest beside the other one. Repeat three times with each leg.

Number 7

Knee to chest
Lie on your back and clasp your hands together behind one of your knees. Keeping the opposite leg flat on the floor, pull your thigh toward your chest. Maintain the position for 15 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat three times with each leg.

Number 6

Cat and camel
Get down on all fours and keep your neck straight so that you are staring at the floor. Slowly turn your face toward the ceiling while allowing your lower back to “sag” comfortably into an arch; don’t push or force it. Next, arch your back in the opposite direction, contracting your abs and pushing your lower back toward the ceiling while lowering the top of your head toward the floor. Make sure that all movement is initiated and controlled by your lower back. Repeat three times in each direction.

Number 5

Tail wag
Get down on all fours and look down at the floor. Keeping your shoulders still, slowly push your right hip as far as you can toward your right shoulder. Then, slowly return to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other side, pushing your left hip toward your right shoulder. Repeat three times on each side.

Number 4

Hip extension
Get down on all fours and keep your neck straight so that you are staring at the floor. Simultaneously lower the top of your head toward the floor while bringing your right knee in toward your head. Then, tilt your face up toward the ceiling and extend your leg out behind you until it is parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat with your other leg. Repeat three times on each side.

Number 3

Rag doll
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees shoulder-width apart. Look straight ahead and relax your neck and shoulders. Slowly curl your neck, then your upper back, then your lower back forward until your chest is between your thighs. Let your palms rest on the floor and hold for 10 seconds. Straighten up by doing the same movement in reverse, lifting your head up last. Repeat three times.

Number 2

Upper back stretch
Sit on a stool with your head and back flat against a wall. Lift your arms over your head and hold for five seconds. Try to make your shoulders touch the wall while keeping your back flat, and hold for another five seconds. Lower your hands to the starting position. Repeat three times.

Number 1

Side bend
Stand up straight with your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your right shoulder to the side, running your hand down the outside of your thigh and bending your entire trunk at the waist as far as you can without straining. Hold for five seconds and slowly straighten up. Repeat three times on each side.

relieving back pain

Back pain is a serious issue, so if you’re hurting, take 10 to 15 minutes out of your day to do some stretching exercises; they could prevent more serious problems in the future. Just remember that if a certain exercise hurts, you should stop doing it. And if you think your back pain may be serious, consult a physician immediately.

Resources:
www.spine-health.com
http://back.snowseed.com
www.emedicinehealth.com
www.nismat.org

By Sabrina Rogers

What is Pilates and makes it a great exercise for golf?

Pilates is an exercise system in which all work is based from the core or center of the body. Generally these muscles include the abdominals, obliques, lats and glutes. While the extremities are distinctly involved, the base of movement, the core, is always stabilized to allow for maximum range of motion (ROM) and support. The Pilates system of exercise was developed by Joseph Pilates, who was born in the late 1800s and came to the US in the mid-1920s. Pilates requires control, concentration, mind-body awareness, flowing movement and precision which sounds a lot like golf. There are many benefits to doing Pilates, one of which is correcting imbalances in the body which can be monumental in keeping golfers healthy and playing longer!

What are the best Pilates exercises for golfers?

Because men and women generally differ in strength and flexibility, we’ll present some Pilates matwork exercises for each that address those differences along with step-by-step instructions on how to perform the exercise. Before beginning the exercises it is important to talk about breathing and how it should be done; breath will facilitate and enhance the movements. In the Stott Pilates instructor training manual, breath is explained as follows:

“A relaxed and full breath pattern focuses the mind and allows concentration on each task. Exhaling deeply can also help activate the deep abdominal muscles. In all exercises the breath and awareness of stabilization should occur before the actual movement.”

How to Breathe?

Lay on your back with your hands around your ribcage, knees bent with feet flat on the floor. Inhale deeply through the nose and try to expand the ribcage laterally. You should feel the spaces between the ribs open and the back ribs expand toward the floor. The chest should be still; avoid breathing into the chest and shoulders. Exhale through the mouth making sure to expend ALL the air in your lungs. You will feel the ribcage contract and the spaces between the ribs close, the bottom front
ribs will pull down toward the navel. If you have trouble finding this breath, try to perform it seated (or standing) with a towel wrapped around your ribs. You should feel the pressure against the towel on the inhale and then feel the pressure decrease on the exhale.

Pilates and Golf exercises for Women

Women tend to lack upper body strength because they have fewer muscles fibers in their upper body relative to men. However they are usually quite flexible and sometimes even hyper-mobile, especially young golfers. Therefore it is important to focus on increasing upper body strength while increasing stability. Some mat exercises that will address those issues include:

Push-ups are a great overall strengthener. When done properly, works
on shoulder and hip stability as well as targeting strength in the triceps, biceps, shoulders and lats.

• Starting from a standing position, crown of the head lifting toward the ceiling, spine long, take an inhale breath
• Exhale, nod your head and sequentially release the spine forward, releasing all the way down until your hands are on the floor (bend your knees when you need to)
• Inhale and walk the hands forward into a plank/push-up position (for those who find it difficult to maintain the position with legs fully extended, the knees can be on the floor)
• Exhale for a count of 3 as you lower the upper body, maintaining a neutral spine (no dipping in the hips to overextend the low back)
• Inhale and press back up to fully extend the arms
• Repeat 3 times
• Inhale to walk the hands back to come to the forward bend position (knees bent however much you need them to be)
• Exhale and slowly start to stack the spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head, coming back to the tall, standing position

Leg Pull Front is also a great overall strengthener. The exercise addresses stability in the entire torso, mobility in the calves and hips, and strength in the arms,
shoulders and spinal extensors.

• Begin in a push-up position. Inhale and lift one leg as high as possible without letting the hips rotate. Keep the lifted foot flexed (toes toward shin bone)
• Exhale and point the toes of the lifted foot while simultaneously pulling the toes on the bottom foot more toward the shin bone and shifting the entire body back slightly.
• Inhale, shift the body back forward while flexing the toes on the lifted foot
• Exhale and return the lifted foot to the floor.
• Repeat 5 times, alternating sides each time.

Leg Pull Up is similar to leg Pull Front but facing upward, this exercise requires hip and shoulder stability, deep core engagement and upper body strength.

• Sit on a mat with arms behind you, shoulders over wrists and legs extended, slightly turned out with toes pointed. Lift hips off of mat to bring the ankles, hips and shoulders in a line.
• Exhale and lift one leg as high as possible without dropping hips or letting them rotate.
• Inhale and flex the foot of the extended leg as you lower it down, not touching the floor.
• Repeat the lift & lower motion 3 times, on the last one, release the foot to the floor while letting the foot return to a pointed position.
• Repeat the exercise 4 times, alternating sides each time.

Pilates and Golf exercises for Men

Men tend to have less body awareness than women. Therefore, the breath and breathing techniques will be a major component of Pilates work for men. Learning to articulate the spine (move one bone of the vertebrae at a time) will increase awareness and mobility of the pelvis. Some exercises to increase this awareness and to help increase hip strength include:

Hip Rolls is although considered to be a warm-up exercise, this will help you understand how to articulate your spine as well as strengthen the glutes (muscles required for power and stability in a golf swing) and hamstrings.

• Lay down on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, a comfortable distance from your rear end. Inhale and feel your spine lengthen.
• Exhale and tilt your hip bones back towards the mat (think of flattening your low back). Continue to exhale as you lift the tailbone, then low back, then mid-back off of the mat. Think of peeling your spine off the mat one vertebra at a time. Coming to rest on the upper back.
• Inhale and hold in the lifted hip position feeling the breath expand the ribcage
• Exhale and slowly return the spine back to the mat, again thinking about sequentially
  releasing one bone at time down to the mat
• Repeat approximately 5 times

Bridge is an exercise similar to Hip Rolls but adds a greater strength component for the gluteal muscles.

• Lay down on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart, a comfortable distance from your rear end.
• Inhale and feel your spine lengthen
• Exhale and lift the hips, trying to bring them in a line with the shoulders and knees (NO pain should be felt in the low back)
• Inhale and lift one foot off the floor, bending the hip. Extend the leg reaching the toes toward the ceiling without dropping hips or letting them rotate.
• Exhale and flex the foot of the extended leg while simultaneously lowering the leg to bring it in line with the thigh of the supporting leg.
• Repeat the lift & lower motion 3 times, on the third repetition bring the extended leg back to the floor and repeat on the other leg.
• Inhale and feel the spine lengthen
• Exhale return hips to floor
• Repeat the sequence 3 times

Roll Up is an exercise that really challenges the deep abdominal muscles and shoulder (scapular) stabilizers. The two phases of the exercise, the up motion and the down motion challenge the body in different ways.

• Repeat approximately 6 times.
• Lay on your back with arms extended over your head, legs extended with heels resting on the mat, feet flexed. Make sure the shoulder blades are pressed down with the top of shoulders moving away from the ears.
• Inhale and lift the arms toward the ceiling, wrists in line with the shoulders, feel the spine lengthen.
• Exhale and nod the head, slowing begin to peel the spine off the mat one vertebra at a time (sequentially rolling up). Reach the hands toward the feet flexing the spine forward, keeping the arms parallel to the floor.
• Inhale and stack the spine, initiating from the tailbone, lift the crown of the head toward the ceiling.
• Exhale and pull the hip bones back (pelvic tuck) and slowly place one bone at a time back to the mat (sequentially rolling down). Once the head is back down, reach the arms overhead.

The exercises presented are a small sampling of the Pilates matwork repertoire, all of which can greatly benefit golfers and other athletes. These Pilates and golf exercises can be made more or less difficult by adding small props such as flex bands, small balls and large stability balls. Many DVDs are available that can help you with a program. However, it is important to understand the nuances of the movements. There are many Pilates instructors who are highly skilled and are trained through reputable certifying bodies such as The PhysicalMind Institute, Stott Pilates and Polestar. These certifying bodies require several hundred hours of intense instruction and guided, supervised teaching. It is critical to seek an expert in this field who will ensure your safety and help you achieve the greatest benefits for your golf game. I’m sure Camillo will attest to that!

Source: http://www.fitnessorlando.com/

Any personal trainer can show you a few fancy ab exercises but if you really want to get a 6 pack or even just a little more definition in your midsection, then you had better read the text before trying the routine below.

When I first started my fitness journey, I lost more than 80 lbs in 6 months. I literally went from a keg to a six pack. I had NEVER had a six pack before.

I wasn’t a natural athlete. I was fat kid. I learned how it was done. Now I make a living teaching my personal training clients how they can get a six pack. Listen to what I have to tell you about getting one.

If you are trying to get a lean, toned, stomach–I promise you, it takes more than a few good abdominal exercises. Did you know abdominal exercises are probably the least effective exercise for getting a six pack?

Did you now that there is NO SUCH THING AS SPOT REDUCTION?

Read that very carefully. There is no such thing as spot reduction.

Getting a six pack comes from a combination of the things you are putting in your body and the way you manage your energy. In other words, your nutrition habits, and your overall exercise effectiveness. I urge you to subscribe to my mailing list so you can learn what it really takes to get your midsection in top shape.

If you want the whole truth about getting six pack abs right now, then check out The Truth About Six Pack Abs. It’s the little book cover over to the lower right.  Yes, it is a program that you have to pay for. And yes, it is very good.

Here’s a few simple abdominal exercises from my online personal training library that you can try. Try 3 sets of 30-50 seconds for the planks and 3 sets of 12-20 reps for the others. Let me know what you think.

Plank
1. Start by placing your forearms on the ground and forming a plank with your forearms and feet.
2. Hold this position keeping your body parallel to the ground for the required time.

Side Plank
1. Lay on the ground on one side. Raise your body using one forearm and support it in this raised position for the required time.
2. Lower your body and repeat on the other side.
3. Remember to keep your head, neck and body in a straight line.

Alternating Toe Touch
1. Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with feet up into the air. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Extend one arm and reach for the opposite foot. Return to start position and repeat with other hand.
Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion may cause injury. To increase resistance, hold medicine ball in hands. To decrease resistance, position hand closer towards body

Ankle Wiggles
1) Start position: Lie back onto floor or bench with knees bent and hands at your side. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
2) Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders off floor or bench. Reach for you ankle with one hand and repeat with the other side.
3) Return to start position.
4) Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Air Bike Crunches
1. Start by lying on your back with your hands behind your back and thighs bent 90 degrees at your hip.
2. Simultaneously curl your right shoulder and left knee up towards the center of your body until your elbow and knee touch. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
3. Continuously repeat this pattern for the prescribed repetitions.

Flutter Kicks
1) Lie back onto floor or bench with both knees bent and feet flat. Place hands at sides.
2) Contract abdominal muscles continuously to stabilize trunk (or tuck stomach in by drawing naval in towards spine). Lower back should be in a neutral position.
3) Start position: Straighten both legs so that they are perpendicular to floor.
4) Slowly lower one leg to approximately 45-90°.
5) Return to start position and repeat with other leg.

Source: http://www.myfitnesswithchris.com/

STOP

If – deep-down – you really don’t want to exercise, then don’t bother reading further. You will need to get to the bottom of those feelings before moving on. Ambivalence and double-mindedness will only lead to a constant cycle of disappointment. But – if you want to reap the many mental and physical benefits of exercise — then read on.

1. Know Thyself – Time of Day
What’s the point in aiming for fasted cardio (i.e. workouts before breakfast) when you are not a morning person? You might start with the best intentions – but it will probably not last. You must find the time that works best for you.

2. Know Thyself – Comfort Zone
When I exercise I sweat. Sometimes profusely. That may seem gross to some – and to be honest when I caught some people staring at my red sweating face – I was embarrassed. I’ve realized that public gym workouts are not always for me. I have a basic setup at home that I use instead. If going to the gym – aim for known quiet periods.

3. Boredom Busters
I feel bored just looking at the rows of poker-faced people sitting on their stationery bikes. I cannot do this. It bores me to tears. The personal trainer might prescribe 45 minutes of steady-state cardio – but it is most definitely not the only way. Personal Trainers for the most part are enthusiastic and helpful people — but many seem to be stuck “in a box” when it comes to innovation. If you bore easily (like me) – then mix it up. The feeling of doing something new or different gets me interested again.

4. Structure and Planning
We have become a very time-poor people. Consequently if we want to accomplish anything we will need to plan it. Don’t say “I’m going to exercise this week”. Say “I’m going to exercise at 4.30pm on Wednesday for 30 minutes – and write it down. It might sound a bit obsessive but every Sunday I plan my whole week – what I aim to do at work, when I will exercise, etc. Without a structure things turn to chaos and I end the week feeling out-of-control and frustrated.

5. Surround yourself with like-minded people
It’s tough enough to motivate yourself without having a bunch of couch potatoes pouring scorn on your intentions. Spend time with the right people (on-line or in the real world) and you’ll find the motivation starts to come.

6. Focus on the feeling after the session
There’s nothing better than blobbing out after a good exercise session. The feeling of satisfaction is something to be savored. Then there are the post-workout endorphins… and the good nights sleep…

7. Stop thinking: All or Nothing
“If I can’t do this workout properly – then there is no point in working out”. I used to think like this. Now I think that even a 5 minute walk is better than 5 minutes on the couch. Even 10 minutes of light weights is better than nothing. This is especially important when exercising after a period of sickness. You feel like you took one step forward but fell 3 steps backward. Go easy on yourself. Don’t give up. Something is better than nothing.

8. What are your priorities?
When taking time to plan your week you will be forced to address priorities. If you are working 16 hours a day and (understandably) have no time for exercise – then you need to sit right back and take a long hard look at what you truly want out of life.

9. Remove the word “quit” from your mental vocabulary
Having goals is great. Lose x pounds of fat. Gain x pounds of muscle. Increased fitness. However there is something even deeper at play. If we lead sedentary lives then exercise simply must become a part of life. Period. Our bodies are made to be worked.

If I said to you “you must exercise for the rest of your life” — how does that make you feel? Examine the feeling. If it feels like a prison sentence then perhaps you need to do some serious rewiring of your inner monologue. Imagine feeling vital, strong, and energized – into your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s — wouldn’t that be a good feeling?

10. It’s not just about looks
The skinny girl down the street might look good to you — but her size is no indication of her health or strength. She may have unseen visceral fat (see normal-weight obese) or, sadly, could be inviting osteoporosis to come early.

Exercise is just as much about a healthy body as it is about looking good. My wife has reversed a number of health issues with the assistance of exercise. She is not model-thin – but rather – exudes strength and life. Having a strong and useful body often goes hand in hand with emotional self-empowerment.

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

A few weeks ago, I wrote 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit … and the fourth and final step was to add motivation as needed until the habit sticks. This post is to help you with that fourth step.

There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.

1. How you feel after a workout. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel, Leo!”
2. Time for you. While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
6. Magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.
7. Cover models. Sure, they’re genetically freaky, and probably Photoshopped to look perfect. But for some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me to work harder.
8. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.
9. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
10. Forums. Do the monthly challenge on the Zen Habits forums, or join another forum full of like-minded or like-goaled peopled. Check in daily. It really helps.
11. Rewards. If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in the beginning.
12. Fitting into new clothes. Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out!
13. Being attractive. That’s always a good motivator, as I’m sure we all know. Edited to correct language.
14. Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I exercise. Ride that rush to complete the workout.
15. Stress relief. Wound up after a long day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference.
16. Time for contemplation. I love, love the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things. Most of this post was written in my head as I exercised.
17. A workout partner. Best thing I’ve done.
18. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
19. A coach or trainer. Worth the money, just for the motivation.
20. An exercise log/graph. For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Really. Do it for a week and you’ll see what I mean.
21. Your before picture. You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take pictures.
22. A 5K race or triathlon. Just sign up for one, and you’ll be motivated to train.
23. The dread of feeling “yuck” from not exercising. I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I remind myself of that when I feel tired.
24. Living long enough to see your grandkids … and play with them.
25. The scale. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and measure your waist.
26. Reaching a goal. Set a goal for weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.
27. Posting it on your blog. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen.
28. Motivational quotes. I like to print them out or put them on my computer desktop.
29. Books. I just bought a strength-training book as a reward. It makes me want to hit the weights!
30. Others commenting on how good you look. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more.
31. An upcoming day at the beach, or a reunion. Nuff said.

What are your motivations? Let us know in the comments.

Source: http://zenhabits.net/

So I know that it’s not the easiest habit for most people, and most people’s experiences consist of starting and stopping and starting again. Which is fine — don’t beat yourself up about it. The important thing is starting again.

I’ve written before about how to build the exercise habit , but today I thought I’d revisit the topic for those who still have trouble.

The Main Problems
So why do most people have trouble making exercise a regular habit? Well, there are probably a number of factors, but here are the main ones as I see it:

1. Too difficult. People set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to go to the gym for an hour a day!” or “I’m going to run 30 minutes every day!” The problem is that the goal is too difficult to sustain for very long. You can do it for a few days, but you soon run out of energy, and it becomes a drag to do it.
2. Too many goals. Often we set out to do too much. We want to run, and lift weights, and eat healthy, and quit sweets, and stop drinking soda. Well, those are multiple goals, and you cannot focus on the exercise habit if you’re trying to do all the others at the same time. Or we might start with one goal, but then get caught up in another goal (to stop procrastinating, for example), and lose our focus on the first one.
3. Not enough motivation. It’s not a lack of discipline, it’s a lack of motivation. The most powerful motivators, in my experience, are logging your habit and public pressure. There are many others that help as well.

The 4 Simple Steps
So how do we solve those problems? Keep it simple. Here are the 4 simple steps to start the exercise habit (and keep it going). I should note that you can use these 4 steps to start any habit.

1. Set one easy, specific, measurable goal. There are several keys to setting this crucial goal:
   • Written: Write this down. Post it up. If you don’t write it down, it’s not important.
   • Easy: Don’t — DO NOT — set a difficult goal. Set one that is super, super easy. Five minutes of exercise a day. You can do that. Work your way to 10 minutes after a month. Then go to 15 after 2 months. You can see what I mean: make it easy to start with, so you can build your habit, then gradually increase.
   • Specific: By specific, I mean what activity are you going to do, at what time of day, and where? Don’t just say “exercise” or “I’m going to walk”. You have to set a time and place. Make it an appointment you can’t miss.
   • Trigger: I recommend that you have a “trigger” right before you do your habit. For example, you might always brush your teeth right after you shower. The shower is the trigger for brushing your teeth, and because of that, you never forget to brush your teeth. Well, what will you do right before you exercise? Is it right after you wake up? Right after your coffee? Right when you get home? As soon as you take off for lunch? A trigger that you do every single day is important.
   • Measurable: By measurable, I mean that you should be able to say, definitely, whether you hit or miss your goal today. Examples: run for 10 minutes. Walk 1/2 a mile. Do 3 sets of 5 pushups. Each of those has a number that you can shoot for.
   • One goal: Stick to this one goal for at least a month. Two months if you can bear it. Don’t start up a second goal during that 30-day period. If you do, you are scrapping this goal.
2. Log it daily. This is the key habit. If you can log your workout, you will start to see your progress, and it will motivate you to keep going. And you have to make it a habit to log it right away. Don’t put it off, and say you’ll do it before you go to bed. As soon as you’re done working out, log it. No exceptions. And don’t make the log complicated — that will only make you resist doing the log. Just the date, time, and what you did.
3. Report to others. I think this is key. You can do it on your blog, on an online forum, with your spouse, or friends or family, or a workout partner, or a coach, or a group, or a class. However you set it up, make it part of the process that you have to report your daily workout to other people. It could be using an online log, or on a forum, or through email, or the phone, or just by telling your co-workers what you did this morning. But be sure that they know your goal, and that you are going to report to them, and be sure that they are expecting it every day.
4. Add motivation as needed. The first three steps might be enough for you to get the habit going. But if not, don’t just give up. If you miss two consecutive workouts, you need to look at why, and add a new motivation. Rewards, more public pressure, inspiration, whatever it takes. Read this article for more on this. You can add one additional motivator, and then see if it works. If you miss two more consecutive workouts at any time, add another motivator. And so on, until the exercise habit sticks.

Source: http://zenhabits.net/

The problem with trying to make exercise a habit, and it’s something that we’ve all faced, is that you usually try to exercise 3 or 4 times a week … and that makes creating a new exercise habit difficult. The reason is that the more consistent an action is, the more likely it is to be a habit.

Therefore, as Scott points out, and it’s something I fully agree with, exercising every day is more likely to result in a habit — something that becomes almost automatic, and much easier, instead of a constant struggle.

I’ve been implementing this idea in my daily life recently, alternating every day between different exercises: running, swimming, biking and strength workouts, as a way of reaching my goal of completing an Olympic-distance triathlon this year. I’m going to continue this habit change into the month of May (read below for the Zen Habits May Challenge). I made daily running a habit last year, when I was training for my first marathon, but this year I stopped when I got sick, so I’m re-starting the habit formation.

If you’re going to make this a habit, do a 30-day Challenge, and by the end of the challenge your habit should be pretty well ingrained. Here are some practical suggestions I’ve learned along the way to help make exercise a daily habit:

1. Set a time. Decide whether you’re more likely to stick with it in the morning or lunchtime or evening, and stick with that time. I’ve set the time of 5:30 a.m. every day, and I’m trying my best not to vary from that time. If you don’t set a time, you’re more likely to put it off until you have more time or energy, and then put it off until the next day. Soon, it’s not a habit at all.
2. Send yourself a reminder. I use Memo to Me, but there are a number of ways to send yourself an email or text reminder, so you’ll never forget. Then, when you get the reminder, do it right away. Don’t brook any delays.
3. Start small. This is perhaps the most useful suggestion of all. When I start exercising, I always start with lots of energy, enthusiasm and ambition. I think I can do more than I can. However, doing too much in the beginning leads to burnout, which leads to quitting your habit. When you first try to make exercise a daily habit, chances are, your body won’t be used to that kind of stress. The key: only do 20 minutes in the beginning, and do it nice and easy. Nothing hard. Even 10-15 minutes is fine at first, if you’re just starting out. The key is to get out there, get your body slowly used to daily exercise, and form that habit.
4. Progress later. Once your body is used to daily exercise, you can slowly start to increase the amount and intensity of your exercise. Wait at least two weeks before starting to increase — that’s the minimum your body needs to adjust. Once it begins to feel way too easy, you can start increasing the length of your workouts, to 30 and then 40 minutes, and eventually up to an hour. Once you do that, you can gradually increase the intensity — running faster or harder, for example. Try not to increase both distance and intensity at the same time.
5. Make it pleasurable. If you associate a habit with pain, you will shy away from it. But if it’s fun, you’ll look forward to doing it. That’s why, in this beginning stage of my new habit, I’ve been focusing on pleasure. I go slowly, enjoying the scenery, the fresh morning air, the beautiful sky as the sun rises, the quiet time of solitude and contemplation. It’s actually something I enjoy doing. An mp3 player with some great music helps.
6. Lay out your gear. The fewer obstacles and less friction there is in forming your new habit, the more likely you are to be successful. If you have to not only wake up early but get a bunch of gear together while half awake, you might just want to go back into bed. But if you lay out your workout clothes and shoes and watch and mp3 player, or whatever you need for your exercise, you’ll be ready to go with no friction at all.
7. Just head out the door. My rule is just to get my running shoes on and get out the door. I don’t worry about how long I have to go or how hard it will be. Just get out and get started. Once I’ve done that, it’s a piece of cake.
8. Mix it up. One thing I like about triathlon training is that daily exercise isn’t boring — instead of running every single day, now I’ve got a variety of sports to do, and that makes it much more interesting. But perhaps just as important is that with each sport, I’m using different muscles, especially with swimming. Sure, some of the same muscles are used, but they’re used differently with different stresses on them. What that means is that I’m not pounding the same muscles, every day. That gives them a chance to recover, because without recovery, you’re just breaking your muscles down over and over.
9. Have a relative rest day. Again, recovery is very important. Which is why you need to give your body a chance to rest. If you’re taking it easy, and only doing 20 minutes, you should be OK without rest days. But it’s still good to have one day of rest, where you’re not doing the same exercises as the other six days. You don’t want to skip the day completely, because then you’re not being consistent with your habit. That’s why I do one day of strength training, where I don’t use the same muscles as swimming, biking and running. If you need more rest, you could just do 20 minutes of walking, or even just a session of meditation. The key is to do something every day, preferably something that gets you moving (meditation isn’t the best example, but at least you’d be doing something) and keeps your habit formation going.
10. Don’t skip a day. It’s easy to say, “No problem, I’ve been doing it for five days … I’ll just skip today!” But that will make your habit formation harder. Consistency is key, so try not to skip a single day. If you do, don’t beat yourself up, don’t judge, don’t feel bad — everyone messes up sometimes, and habit formation is a skill that requires practice. Just start your 30-day challenge over again, and try to identify the obstacle that led to your skipping a day and prepare for it this time.

OK, so this habit of daily exercise is going to be my personal May Challenge. In the Zen Habits April Challenge, I challenged you all to repeat a mantra three times a day, as a way to establish a small habit (alternatively, April Challengers could have chosen another small habit to establish). It went very well for many of the April Challengers, and I think what helped is signing up for the daily check-in email.

So, here’s the Zen Habits May Challenge: choose a small daily habit to stick with for each day of May. Remember, it must be small! If you choose something hard, you are much less likely to be successful. Do something small — flossing your teeth, putting your clothes away when you take them off, walking for 20 minutes, anything really, as long as it isn’t that difficult. Choose something you know you will succeed at … and then you can build it up with a slightly more difficult habit next month.

I plan to continue my daily habit of saying the mantra three times a day, and add this habit of daily exercise. Next month, I’ll probably work on procrastination (I’ve made great headway here, but could use some improvement) … either that or my weakness — sweets.

Sign up for the May Challenge below, and please indicate whether it’s OK to add your name to the daily check-in email list – your email will be confidential, there are no advertisements, and the April Challengers all said that the daily email helped them stay on track. I highly suggest being on the email list. If you were on the April list, you’ll need to sign up again, as I don’t assume that you want to carry over to May.

Source: http://zenhabits.net/