“Fitness is a journey – regardless if you have been on the road for years or have just packed your bags, how you get to your destination/goal is all about setting real expectations for yourself, being able understand what goals are attainable for you and how you can easily achieve them. January is one of the biggest months of the year for fitness, but did you know that 40% of all New Year’s resolution fitness goers drop off before March 1st? Take some advice from Woodside Director of Training, Faron McNeal, as we uncover the most common pitfalls for those starting new programs and ways to avoid them. It’s time to find long-term success:
Pitfall #1: Setting unrealistic expectations
How to avoid it: Establish starting point
Get assessed and begin with something you can maintain and work to increase over time. Just think how much more satisfying will it be to be able to quantify how far you have come in your journey along the way?
Pitfall #2: Losing your way
How to avoid it: Ask for directions
Ever taken a trip across country? Despite how good we may claim our sense of direction is, it is impossible to get from Madawaska, Maine to San Clemente, California without getting an idea of how US highways and interstates intersect via GPS or a map. Shoot, I don’t go to a new restaurant across town without taking a look at my phone’s GPS while en route!
So, why is it we approach our health and fitness goals without mapping it out? Just hitting the equipment or programming we are familiar with isn’t going to get you there. Take time and use your resources in the beginning to ensure you are on the quickest and easiest route to success. Your Woodside Personal Training team is here to help – whether that’s through the Ortho-Kinetics® motion health assessment, which analyzes posture and range of motion, or a quick conversation about your goals,current hurdles, or advice on a training program – don’t be afraid to reach out with anything that is on your mind.
Pitfall #3: Frustration over not losing weight
How to avoid it: Get real with your nutrition
We are used to tracking our financial position relative to where we want to be, but how many of us are as dedicated to our nutritional position relative to our goals?
Exercise alone will not get you to your goal weight (if your goal is to lose weight or tone certain areas) as quickly or efficiently as establishing a nutrition plan. Exercise plus proper nutrition, tailored specifically for your goals, will bring you success sooner than you’ve imagined!
Here’s a quick equation to keep in mind while exercising: Working out an hour per day Monday through Friday will burn an average of 500 calories. That equals 2,500 calories, or three pounds per month.
By following a simple replacement process and eliminating some 500 calories per day (just during the week) you can double your results and drop a pound and a half per week – or 6 pounds per month! Click here for some tips from Woodside trainer and nutrition guru, Lee Clark, on some common replacements for foods you may not know are adding unnecessary calories to your diet.
Don’t be afraid to lean on the experts here. Woodside trainers Lee Clark and Donald Hughes are currently Precision Nutrition Level 1 (PN1) certified trainers, and can offer nutrition advice and planning. By the end of this year, all Woodside trainers will be PN1 certified.
Pitfall #4: Falling victim to detours
How to avoid it: Stay Accountable
The best way to keep distractions at bay and stay focused on the road ahead is to create accountability for yourself. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Track your workouts / progress – This can be through an app or in a notebook. The means of tracking are less important than being able to hold yourself accountable to increasing your efforts or at least not back sliding.
- Get into a group – Having a group of great people to meet helps keep you motivated to show up for exercise and is the healthiest social activity you can participate in! Remember, Woodside offers over 120 group fitness classes each week, as well as Small Group Training (SGT). SGT offers a trainer-led, customized workout twice a week in a group setting. To learn more, contact me.
- Track your results – Hold yourself accountable with regular reassessments. This could be body composition, circumference measurements or a physical test like running or jogging a certain distance in a certain amount of time.
Pitfall #5: Loss of motivation
How to avoid it: Don’t Stop!
There’s a considerable drop-out rate after March 1st for gym-goers each year. Like so many things in life, success with your health and fitness is determined more by long-term resolve than immediate passion.
The Woodside training team is here to help keep you on track and to reach new, exciting goals. Our programs are unlike anywhere else you’ve experienced, and that difference can help you find success faster and easier. To learn more about what makes Woodside Personal Training so unique and powerful, click here.” – Faron McNeal
