Exercising brings on all sorts of acronyms and buzzwords, most of which no one has ever bothered to learn. Here is one that will help you through any exercise program and help you understand what your body needs in order to build muscle, lose weight and see results. When you want to get fit, think FITT.
Frequency
How often are you exercising? Depending on what kind of program you are working with, the frequency of your workouts are key. If you’re training for a 5k, a half-marathon or a full marathon, you’re sticking to a training plan of usually 3-5 days of running a week. If you don’t, you start losing stamina and can harm your body and develop injuries. If you’re weight lifting and you skip a week or two, what happens to your body? Your muscles have already lost what you’ve built and you’re back to square one. Unfortunately results aren’t immediate, but when you’re on a schedule and committed to it, over time you’ll have success. Stay motivated, chica!
Intensity
Have you heard of the Insanity workouts? The entire program is based on the intensity of each workout for maximum results. When you’re thinking of exercise are you really thinking of how you’re going to reach your maximum energy output? Are you working out because you think it’s just something good you should do for your body, or are you working out because you’re seeking results and want to reach you’re ultimate potential? The intensity of your workout is what will help you reach your goal.
Time
Everyone has a preference of when they exercise and how long they exercise. If a 4 a.m. morning workout is what get’s you motivated, great! If you’re a night owl and won’t even think about a workout until after 9 p.m., that’s great too! The amount of time you spend on a workout can make or break the way you’ll see results. In the end, any form of physical activity is better than none. The hardest issue you’ll run into with exercise is time. It just doesn’t seem like we’ll ever have enough. Don’t let this discourage you! Make a plan and stick to it. Think about it in a new perspective. Your workouts are meetings you have scheduled with yourself. You wouldn’t miss a hair cut, a PTO meeting or book club, so why would you skip your workout?
Type of Exercise
As long as you’re not doing any form of harmful physical activity, the type of exercise you participate in is up to you. For maximum weight loss and results, it’s best to combine cardio, circuit training and weight lifting. This is different for everyone though. You need to find out what your body likes doing. And I say that because every body has a preference. In theory, yoga sounds like the ideal workout for me. When I actually go to a yoga class, I don’t enjoy it. I love doing cardio or kick-boxing and lifting weights. It’s up to you to determine your likes and dislikes and it will take some time. Get creative and try everything! You’d be surprised what your body can do and what it is you enjoy.
