1. What's the Problem?
Some of us start out in January with all guns blazing only to find motivation waning again in February. If you are one of those people who falls off the exercise wagon regularly, you might find it helpful to think about why that happens. Do you struggle to find the time? Do you find it boring? Are you not seeing the results you had hoped for? Do you feel self-conscious? Are you getting niggling injuries? I have found that identifying the triggers that cause me to waiver gives me an early warning signal and helps me to work my way through most of my exercise crises - yes I have them too. If you would like some help with identifying your weaknesses and planning around them, talk to one of our coaches.
2. Muscle Soreness
One thing that you will learn pretty quickly is that fitness tends to be specific. You may be an Olympic track athlete with lungs the size of footballs but that won't necessarily help you on a bike or in the swimming pool, where different muscle groups are needed. A common occurrence for people who are new to weight training – or experienced campaigners who increase their weights a little too quickly – is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This is just the body's way of adapting to a new challenge, but it can leave you – temporarily at least - moving a bit gingerly. The good news is that there is rarely any serious damage done and the next time you train it won't hurt nearly as much. If you do find you get some soreness second time around drop the intensity a little and you’ll be fine. And remember, our coaches are here to help.
3. Flexibility
No point in me telling you that stretching is an important part of any fitness routine, you already know that. The real question is: why don’t many of us do it? Let me qualify that. There are some of you who stretch religiously after your workout - go to the top of the class. There are others who run through half a dozen stretches in thirty seconds flat, and then there are those who don’t bother at all – not good. As far as fitness and general health and wellbeing is concerned a five-minute stretch programme after your workout is a must. Choose 6 – 8 major muscle groups, get into position slowly and hold each stretch for 30 seconds or so and don’t bounce. Alesha's top tip: Following your breath as you stretch, acts as a quick calming meditation before you leave the gym. If you are not currently stretching much talk to our coaches and they will help you to put a good routine together.
4. Self Efficacy
I have had a number of well publicised lows in my life, but exercise and dance have always helped to give me the confidence to overcome adversity. I never knew how that worked until I read a study that linked physical activity with self-efficacy i.e. your belief in your ability to achieve certain goals. Bottom line: It turns out that those people who become regular exercisers take strength from the fact that they have been able to take on and master a challenge. Add to that the increased energy and confidence that comes from working out and you have a pretty powerful cocktail. No wonder it feels so good. My tip: Every now and again set yourself a little challenge within your workout – a mile on the treadmill in a certain time, an extra rep on each weights set, whatever; it all helps to keep it interesting. Talk to our coaches if you need a few ideas.
5. Understanding Abs
If I read one more naff article on how to get sexy abs for Valentine's Day, or any other day for that matter, I think I'll scream. If you're young, you have the right body type and you want to put the time in, you can probably get the proverbial six pack, but for the rest of us abdominal work should be all about losing a little surplus fat if needs be – bear in mind that you can’t dictate where that fat loss comes from - and toning up the abdominal muscles underneath, so that we have a strong and functional core. Talk to our coaches about which abdominal exercises will suit you best – there are loads of them. My tip for a flatter tum: Try standing up straight – it’s amazing what a difference upright posture can make to the outline of your stomach.
6. Fitness vs. Fatness
Is it possible to be fat and fit? It might surprise you to know that the answer is yes. I'm not talking about being grossly overweight, but providing you are putting in the work at the gym it is perfectly possible to carry a few extra pounds and be extremely fit and healthy. Indeed many people would say – and I would be one of them - that our current obsession with the perfect body is unhealthy in itself. Gotta love this quote from Dawn French: "If I had been around when Rubens was painting, I would have been revered as a fabulous model. Kate Moss? Well, she would have been the paintbrush." My advice: healthy eating and regular exercise are beneficial irrespective of weight loss, so focus on fitness not fatness.
7. Yoga and Diet
Here's an interesting one for you. According to studies led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the US, regular yoga practice is associated with keeping slim. The reason for this is that the mindfulness that enables yoga practitioners to remain calm and observant whilst experiencing discomfort, translates to being able to manage feelings of hunger rather than reaching for a quick fix in order to subdue that uncomfortable feeling. It comes as no great surprise to discover that people who eat mindfully – those who are aware of why they eat and stop eating when they are full – tend to weigh less than those who eat mindlessly i.e. when they are not hungry or in response to anxiety or depression. I rather like this old saying: "If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution." If you need a bit of help on the sensible eating front, the LA Fitness coaches would be glad to help.
8. Strength in Numbers
It turns out that we get an even bigger endorphin rush from exercising in a group than exercising alone. Scientists at Oxford University have discovered that working out with others ramps up pain thresholds to the point where participants can tolerate double the discomfort of people exercising by themselves. The lead author of the study, Dr Emma Cohen, said: "The results suggest that endorphin release is significantly greater in group training than in individual training, even when power output or physical exertion remains constant." Fantastic news, now there's even more reason to try some of the LA classes. Why not give some of our free 5-10 minute Crew Classes - including Abs Blast, Bingo Wings Blast, Ski Fit and Swiss Ball - a go!