Working Out - Use Common Sense

Have you ever thought about how confusing magazines make working out. For ever magazine you see on the sales rack, there must be ten to twenty different pieces of advice and that's only for this month alone. Next month they end up having another ten.

Well how about some common sense. Read the latest article post on www.SpeedySneakers.com, "Working Out Requires Common Sense."

After you have read the article, why not snub the magazines and enjoy a treat then go out and walk or run 3 miles.

Pack Away the Excuses

If you have forever contemplated getting started in a regular workout routine, but find yourself making excuses, now is the time to pack away Ms. Excuse.

Some people refer to excuses as “rationalization”, for most others they are just simply “excuses”. We are all human, we use rationalization all the time to fit our lifestyles, our moods and emotions. If we are feeling down, we may rationalize that having a sugary coke and piece of chocolate cake will help us feel better. Chances are it will probably make you feel worse.

Since rationalization is all in the mind and not anything physical, you should try to trick your mind to avoid falling into the rationalization trap.

Here are some tips to move beyond a state of rationalizing for the negative and into a stronger more positive state.

Determine to make a change. Tell your mind you are now ready to become healthy and fit.

Write down your intended goal. Make it specific, and measurable. “I will run a 5 mile road race on April 20 of this year”.

Tell others about your goal. Let others know what your goal is so that they can ask you about it and thereby force you into achieving your goal.

Setout a plan to achieve your goal. Write down specific steps you will need to take in order to reach the goal. If needed, solicit help from a coach.

Have fun. Always, have fun getting to your goal. If you goal is not fun then you probably have set the wrong goal.

For the benefit of all the readers of the Speedy Sneakers Blog, let us all know how you overcame the nuisance of making excuses and how you achieved your goals.

Back to Work

For most of the country, it is time to get back to work after a few weeks of parties and celebrations and no doubt there probably was a little more eating than normal that took place. As in my previous blog post, I spoke about taking time off. Now is the time to refocus and get back to working out. Delaying any further will just make getting back harder and harder and ultimately you may not even see a little sweat until April. Get back on track now.

Here are some tips for getting back without the strain:

Start off slowly
After a few weeks of doing mostly nothing, do not rush out the door and try to get 8 miles done. Start off with 2 miles if need be. Slowly build up your distance by adding 10-15% each week until you hit that 8 mile mark again (if that is where you left off). Gradually and slowly ensures success.

Keep a daily log
If you did not get one as a stocking stuffer, get an inexpensive log book to keep track of you progress. Keeping track ensures that you do not miss too many days between workouts without feeling guilty. Felling guilty is good if you need that kick in the pants.

Get others involved
Call a few friends and get them to the gym with you, make it a date and stick to it. The best motivator in the cold months up in the north is to have others workout with you. All can be a great encourager and motivator to each other.

Set your goals
This is the time of the year, where I hope you can look back at last year in order to look forward to set new goals for the coming year. If you are new to working out, then set a goal of maintaining the program.

Be thankful
Lastly, always be thankful to live in a great country where you have access to areas to workout. Not everyone in this world can run in a safe neighborhood, or workout in a spacious gym.

Good luck for the coming year, I look forward to hearing about the goals and achievements you have made throughout the year.