Forward-thinking your fitness
Forward Thinking Your Fitness
The importance of setting goals and organizing your correct weekly exercise routine is extremely important in maintaining structure and balance to the activity you do. It will also enable you to achieve goals quicker and improve motivation, thus breeding confidence not only in what you do in a fitness sense but in your well-being. All things I am sure you have heard before.
There is another angle to consider. Thinking of your body as a whole package. You may be very used to the structured plan you follow and very much enjoy it. This of course is fine, as there is nothing wrong with doing the things you enjoy. There is one question I would like to ask. When was the last time you reviewed your exercise? Setting continual reviews with your exercise professional to keep those things you enjoy moving forward can be really rewarding.
Forward-thinking your fitness with regular reviews can open a wider range of activities and improve how you enjoy your leisure time. There may be elements of fitness that you may not have considered that can improve your body thus beginning to consider the whole package of fitness, well-being, motivation, and social interaction.
What could I do to make my body fitter and stronger?
Adding resistance:
You do not have to lift weights to add resistance. Being educated on how to use resistance bands in a standing or seated position can benefit your range of motion, and muscular strength, and increase stability around joint areas. Resistance bands can also be the starting point in eventually being able to use weight-based equipment that can also increase bone density, working the body under a sensible load.
Hopefully, this will begin to paint the picture of how progression through various levels of movement and using a variety of equipment can aid a forward planning process. Remember to work on this together with your fitness professional during an exercise review.
Chair-based exercise:
This can be performed individually or in a class with others who are working towards the same goal. Chair-based exercise over a period of time can lead to more time being able to stand whilst doing exercise, thus progressing your fitness levels. What is also important to consider is exercising with others can raise motivation and help you to sustain exercise for longer. Working with others adds that social aspect which also boosts mental wellbeing.
Water-based exercise:
The buoyancy of working out in water can relieve strain on the joints and allow the body to perform movements it could not achieve on land. But how does this tie into forward-planning? Adding any new element into your structure will always take time to get used to, as you gradually become more comfortable and confident. Getting in the water might be a challenge to overcome, which in itself will breed confidence and a sense of achievement. But imagine if this could lead to participating in an aqua fitness class, making new friends, and expanding your range of motion. Imagine how good that could feel.
Being new to exercise:
If you are new to the whole exercising game then finding your beginning point is extremely important. Everyone has a starting point that they need help with. It could be your initial gym induction, doing a class for the first time, or meeting your new exercise professional and getting to know them. Building a plan together and following that plan can really put you at ease from the start. Agreeing together short, medium, and long-term goals make progression easier. Not to say there will not be any bumps in the road, but that is only natural.
The continual exercise review process and looking at the basics of nutrition does not have to be done alone. You may consider personal training to help you, gaining small pieces of advice when you need it or joining in with a class and talking to others who are on the same path as yourself. Sharing ideas and gaining advice is a wonderful way to learn how to forward plan your fitness and allows you to enjoy it more.
Thank you to Kevin Daly, Audley Club Manager at St George's Place in Edgbaston, for sharing his fitness advice.