Does Fitness Depend Mostly on Will-Power?

You have probably achieved some of the fitness goals you have set during your life. But you have probably failed to reach certain levels of physical fitness as well, haven't you? You are the same person, so why did you succeed in one physical endeavor and fail in another? Was it because you were not "mentally tough" when you needed to be? Was your mindset to blame? And if it was, how can you change that?

(Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Dr. Jim Loehr is a globally recognized performance psychologist. He wrote a wonderful book titled Mental Toughness Training for Sports: Achieving Athletic Excellence. In it he discusses and defines mental toughness, revealing that it is made up of the following 7 components:

• self-confidence
• attention control
• minimizing negative energy
• increasing positive energy
• maintaining motivation levels
• attitude control
• visual and imagery control

He uses the word energy twice and the word control 3 times in defining the 7 dimensions of mental toughness in physical endeavors. And while the actual meaning of mental toughness may vary from one expert to the next, controlling your energy has a lot to do with your ability to accomplish any physical fitness goals.

By controlling and directing your mental and physical energies, you are able to set a habitual course that improves your ability to achieve the physical goals you set. But let's get back to our original question.

Does fitness, and your state of physical health, rely mostly on mental toughness?

Research in the past few years has shown that 60% to 80% of your physical appearance and fitness will be determined by your diet. So nutrition is obviously very important.

But let's take two identical individuals. They are the same age, same height and weight. They both enjoy a healthy diet. But after work, Subject A heads straight for the couch and the remote control. They watch television until bedtime, go to sleep late, wake up tired and start the process all over.

Subject B exercises in the evening. She makes sure that she drinks plenty of water throughout the day, goes to bed at a decent hour, and gets plenty of rest. In the morning before heading off to work, she exercises. On her lunch break she goes for a walk outside her workplace rather than spending that time stuck to her office chair.

Which one of these two individuals is going to be in better physical shape? It is obvious that subject B will enjoy a healthier and more physically fit body. And it's because she programmed her mind to consciously adopt a healthy lifestyle, which over time becomes an unconscious habit.

However you define it, mental toughness has to be present to some degree for you to reach your physical goals.

But you cannot simply sit on your couch and think about the level of physical fitness you want to achieve. You have to take action. You have to exercise. You have to adopt a healthy diet, drink lots of liquids and get plenty of rest.

Take all of the actionable steps you need to create the body and lifestyle you desire, and combine them with a persistent and confident mental focus. You may just find that the physical barriers of your past become the physical achievements of your future.

How to Know When You’re Ready for Your First Race

Many runners new and old like to add competition to their training program. Running races can help motivate you to push yourself harder on your runs. They can also be quite fun. The race day environment is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. There’s a sense of excitement, camaraderie, competition, and adrenaline in the air. It’s exhilarating. So how do you know when you’re ready for your first race?

#1: You Can Run 3 Miles

The first race that most people sign up for is a 5K. It’s a respectable distance to run. It’s a short time commitment but still a challenge. 5K races are extremely popular and in most communities you can find one nearby on any given weekend throughout the summer and even year-round. A 5K is the equivalent of 3.1 miles. If you can run three miles then you’re more than ready for your first 5K.

#2: You Need a Little Push

Many runners come to a point where they need a little extra motivation. They need a push or something to help them work harder. Whether you simply want a new goal to aim for or you need some extra motivation, a race can be the answer. Racing, even if you’re not a competitive person, motivates you do perform at your absolute best. You push yourself hard, particularly on race day, to see what you’re capable u Need a Little Push

Many runners come to a point where they need a little extra motivation. They need a push or something to help them work harder. Whether you simply want a new goal to aim for or you need some extra motivation, a race can be the answer. Racing, even if you’re not a competitive person, motivates you do perform at your absolute best. You push yourself hard, particularly on race day, to see what you’re capable of.

#3. You’ve Reached Your Other Running Goals

What was your reason or motivation to start running? If you’ve achieved that goal, you may be looking for another goal or reason to run. While some might say that you don’t need a reason to run other than the fact that you enjoy it, having a goal may help you add purpose to your runs.

Maybe you’re looking for bragging rights or you’d like to start stocking your closet with race t-shirts too. There are many reasons to sign up for your first race. Whether you’re off the couch or a practiced runner, make sure you have a few months to train and prepare.

If you need some guidance during your training, there are some very good training programs out there which can help provide you with the support and motivation you need.

Tip #8: Measure Your Success

Keep a record on your refrigerator of your successes. Even if there is no immediate weight loss or loss of inches in the beginning, keep a record stating that you did it for one whole week - even just taking steps to keep your exercise routine going is quite an accomplishment in itself.

Whether or not you are seeing immediate results, being able to see a record of your accomplishments in keeping up with your workouts can be quite motivating, and will give you a sense of pride and remind you that you have the ability to make positive changes in your health and fitness.

And even if you're not seeing immediate changes in your size or weight, rest assured that you are improving your health in important ways every day. A 2006 study found a significantly lower risk of stroke among those who exercise – 20% lower in those who are moderately active and 27% lower in those who are highly active. (http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/benefits-of-exercise). Exercise can also help alleviate insomnia. A Northwestern University study found that regular exercise improves sleep quality and reduces daytime sleepiness. (http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20100917/exercise-helps-you-sleep). And let's not forget its impact on those around you. Research shows that children who have at least one parent who exercises regularly are less likely to be overweight than those who do not have a parent who exercises regularly (13.6% vs. 17%). (http://mchb.hrsa.gov/overweight/portrait/3family.htm)

Remember to take your measurements regularly and chart your success as you go. When you have an "off day" or you're not feeling motivated, being able to look back at how far you've come is a great inspiration!

Video - Motivation to Run

This inspiring video is quite beautiful, and if you're a runner, I'm sure you will relate, and if you're not, it may make you want to start! I absolutely love the quote at the very end. Check it out, and get your motivation back!

Running Motivation.wmv
Runners: If you lost your motivation to run, I hope this helps.

6 Tips for Staying Motivated to Exercise

Exercise is always a do-it-yourself venture. No other person and no machine can do it for you. Hence, it is important to have motivating factors so that you will stick with it.

This is what people who are overweight should learn to understand. However, although this sounds simple, in actuality it's not at easy as it sounds for the almost 55% of Americans who are overweight.

Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons, some related to physical condition and fitness, while others want to enhance their physique and appearance. And the truth is it is never too late to be fit.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the past 50 to 75 years, physical activity has become the exception rather than the rule, both at home and on the job. People tend to drive where others once walked. People tend to flick a switch and machines do the hauling, lifting, pushing, and pulling for them.

While many do try to lose weight, instead, as many health experts have seen, people tend to lose their way, especially when it comes to dieting. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after learning about healthier eating. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

But despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess pounds, reasons that go beyond vanity or social appearance. There are many reasons in order to keep you motivated to exercise and stay healthy for the rest of your life.

6 Ways to Help You Stay Motivated To Lose Big
#1. Have an explicit goal

A simple statement like, “I want to lose some weight,” is an ambiguous and an indefinite statement. It will not  motivate you to start doing exercises right away.

What is important is to be precise on your goals. It would be better if you set a specific number of pounds that you really want to lose. Envisage what you will look like after reaching your desired weight. Doing this will inspire you to lose weight. In fact, maybe even more than what you had planned. The idea is to use that figure to assist you to remain resilient and dedicated.

#2. Develop a strategy

Strength of will does not work alone! To lose weight and stay with it, your strategy must comprise of both exercise and diet, and not just one of the two.

Try to start motivating yourself by throwing away your clothes that have bigger sizes. This will put you in a situation where you only have your sexy clothes and that you have to make a choice by staying motivated to exercise or not wear any clothes at all. Which do you prefer?

#3. Make little, calculable measures

Put into practice actions that will suit your lifestyle. This means you have to implement moves that you and you alone will benefit from it and not somebody else.

The idea here is to opt for a more positive and attainable goal and not get defeated by a goal that is too large. Reward yourself (in non-food related ways) for attaining each small goal on the way to your larger one.

#4. Monitor your results with a partner

It would be better to have somebody willing to take note of your progress or development. This will inspire you to keep on doing what you have started. Having somebody to listen to your achievements is definitely a better prize than just achieving your goal alone.

Besides, having an extra hand to support you and cheer for you when things start to fall short will help you keep going through the tough spots. Simply hearing somebody believing in you is one of the greatest motivations to keep you exercising.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#5. Construct a vigorous, but sensible timeline

What do you plan to achieve in a year? Try to suit your objectives to the longer term, and do not expect to see drastic results overnight. Having a long-term plan will help keep you from giving up on your goals quickly. Remember that the idea isn't to lose x amount of pounds and put them all back on next year. The goal should be ever-increasing long-term health, and that includes achieving and maintaining a healthy weight - for the rest of your life.

#6: HAVE FUN!

Finding new, fun ways to exercise that you enjoy and like to do often is an essential key to staying motivated. If you hate your exercise program, no amount of goal setting, tracking, or rewards is going to make you stick with it for the long haul. At some point, you're going to give up and go back to your old habits. Making new habits means finding healthy things that you enjoy and incorporating them into your life - both with diet and exercise. We provide a variety of ideas for fun ways to exercise on this blog and on our website. Not everyone likes the same activity, so we try to share a wide variety of ideas and suggestions. Check back often for more, try out some new ones, and find some activities that you like and will stick with, and you will meet with success.

The bottom line is that staying motivated to exercise entails a lot of hard work, which is contrary to what most people want to believe. But only through changing your lifestyle by making these habits permanent will you see the lasting health benefits - and keep that weight off...for good.

Why Are We So Overweight?

I suppose an exercise blog - even one about fun - can't go too long without mentioning obesity, especially with the current state of the health of our nation.

Image via WikipediaSo why are we so overweight? Of course, the easiest answer is fast food, but the problem extends much further. Yes, the prevalence of fast food restaurants certainly doesn’t help. As Morgan Spurlock showed us with painful reality in his movie, “Super Size Me”, fast food menus offer us a heaping helping of fat, cholesterol, and calories. I highly recommend watching this movie if you find yourself addicted to McDonald’s – you could very well change your mind after you see it!

At any rate, many of these restaurants are now offering health-conscious choices including salads, potatoes instead of French fries, yogurt, and grilled meats instead of fried meats. So with these items now included on their menu, why aren’t we losing weight? The answer lies within our choices. And those choices extend to home life as well.

Many people live horridly busy lifestyles, and they more often than not opt for pre-packaged foods that contain high amounts of salt, fat, and other unhealthy components that contribute toward weight gain. We tend to maintain a mostly sedentary lifestyle, choosing to watch a favorite television program after dinner rather than going out for a walk like they used to do decades ago.

This type of lifestyle unfortunately is being learned by our children as well. When I was young, we couldn’t wait to get through dinner so we could go outside and run around, climbing trees and rocks, and playing with the animals until the sun went down. We rode our bikes everywhere, and didn't even own a TV until I was in college!

Today, you’re more likely to find kids on the computer or in front of the TV with a video game controller in their hands. Kids know more about the story line on Desperate Housewives than many of their housewife mothers. They can tell you about all of the new products being offered through commercials they see in between their programs. In fact, the average child these days will watch more than 15 hours of television each and every week.

Now, we’re not saying television is BAD. In fact, some programs can be beneficial and even helpful in making kids smarter. What we’re saying is that kids need to get outside more instead of sitting in front of the TV eating Cheetos and drinking sugar rich soda.

The statistics are showing this to be true. Fifteen percent of all children and teens are overweight - a number that has tripled since a previous study done in 1980.

Some people blame their excessive weight gain on slow metabolisms. In some cases, this might actually be true. However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed what no one really wants to face: we’re overweight because we simply eat too much of the wrong foods.

Image by Ed Yourdon via FlickrLosing weight is actually quite simple – eat less, exercise more. But we’re resistant to that message. Mainly, it’s because we’re looking for a quick fix – an easy, painless way to drop pounds without sacrifice. After all, losing weight just CAN’T be that easy, now can it?

No, it isn’t. You have to consider portion control, food choice, exercise, how much exercise, what kind of exercise, etc. But worrying about all of the specifics will do you little good. You need to get the big picture in mind first before worrying about the specifics.

What you want to do is lose those extra pounds. And there are many, many ways to go about that. But the first thing to do is have a goal in mind of what you want to accomplish, and the second step is to find forms of exercise you actually enjoy, and look forward to doing!

For a variety of fun exercise ideas, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html.