Get Lean The Lazy Way

DUMP those negative thoughts! The first step to fitness is believing you can achieve it. Don’t get pulled down by pessimism. Every time you feel like giving up, BLOCK those thoughts and instead remind yourself that YES WORLD, I CAN! By the way you can create your own mantra…your own self-help statement!

DUMP those excuses! Humankind has come up with a line of excuses that often lead to sedentary confinement seven days a week. It may range from not having time to being too tired. Whatever your excuses are, they are not worth mentioning if health is your priority. So zip up and work it out!

DUMP the chitchat! Let’s say you enjoy the benefits of a subscription at a gym. Make the most of it. If you can’t stand to lose your focus, then stay away from the TV set. Also, limit your rest periods. Chances are, you might catch yourself wasting a valuable amount of time chatting with your buddies or flirting with that sexy blond on the treadmill. If you say you barely have enough time to exercise, then you’d better make every second count. You might spend two whole hours at the gym but do you spend the entire amount of that time sweating out?

DUMP the yo-yo diet! Some of us think that we should just cut down on our food intake and neglect exercise. We assume that eating less is simply enough. The worst part is when you only go on a diet when there is a special occasion coming up. For example, you have been bingeing on junk food for a week when suddenly you get invited to a wedding? But how are you supposed to fit in that red tube dress when you have become a size bigger and the wedding is two weeks away? What do you do then? Yes, that’s right you stop eating all of a sudden…but only until after the wedding. When it’s over, you go back to eating as much as you want. Hmmm… a familiar occurrence? Do you know that by having regular exercise you can eat anything and everything because you will develop better metabolism? So why starve?

DUMP the once a week workout! No, two hours of working out in a week isn’t good enough. Experts say, frequency beats time. Opt for thirty minutes of running or brisk-walking every day, instead of two hours of gym time once a week. You will greatly improve your muscle strength and your endurance if you exercise constantly.

DUMP those myths about FITNESS! Often times we become victims of half-truths. Some myths about fitness simply carry us away from the truths that would eventually spell out our success in being healthier individuals. Before you believe everything an advertisement says, check on their sources first…here are some of them by the way…

• “If there’s no pain, then you will gain nothing”- it is possible to get some discomfort while exercising, especially if its your first time. But you have to be wary of pain because it signals you that something wrong might be going on. It may be as simple as a muscle strain or as serious as a torn ligament. Start on your exercise plan gradually. Progress to more intense workouts as you go along, be sensitive to your body’s needs!

• “Drinking water may result to cramping”- Water is the healthiest drink there is. And no, it doesn’t cause cramps. What actually happens is, you get dehydrated and you experience these cramps. So don’t bother limiting your fluid intake. Grab a bottle and drink up to ward off dehydration!

• “If you sweat more, you lessen fat”- Sorry guys but no, the amount of sweat you shed doesn’t correlate to the amount of calories you squeeze out of your body. Which means you can’t become less of a pig by sweating like one! Just kidding! Sweating is basically the response of your body to regulate your temperature. During exercises, you accumulate heat, your body expels this heat by sweating. Cooling takes place when sweat evaporates.

• “There is only one best way to work out”- Because no two individuals are exactly alike, there is no universal exercise plan fit for everybody in this world. Never stick to the same routine. What is safer to do would be to provide variety to your fitness plan. This will assure you that you will have lots of activities to choose from. Find a plan that uniquely works for you!

• “The only goal of exercise is to lose weight”- Besides losing weight, there are more important reasons why you should exercise. If you only do this to shed a few inches then you will lose momentum when you reach your desired weight. What else will keep you going then? Nothing, right? So think of the right reasons. Exercise to be healthier! Exercise to be fit!

• “Weight-lifting will make you appear bulky”- Don’t fret just yet, you don’t have to look like a wrestler after your strength training. The three components or types of exercise are all equally important in making sure your body gets a complete workout. Don’t neglect the value of having strong muscles!

DUMP OLD HABITS! If you are indeed ready to turn your life 180 degrees into becoming the new and improved YOU, then get ready to shed off a few guilty pleasures like…

• Caffeine intake. It’s in your cola, soda, tea and chocolates. Don’t withdraw this substance suddenly or else you might find the withdrawal effects unbearable. Taper your intake gradually until you can live without coffee!

• Smoking. If you are keen on running those extra miles or swimming the stress away, then you need to wiggle away from the claws of nicotine. This substance is a vasoconstrictor, making it harder for you to tolerate physical activities that need maximum lung expansion.

• Couch Potato time. The television may be the best invention ever made, but unless you are applying all those tips I mentioned on the couch potato workout, then please, get your butt off that seat and your eyes off that set!