If you want to enjoy the FULL benefits of exercise, to improve your health, to get fitter, stronger, have more stamina & energy so that you can keep up with the kids, be focused and more productive at work, get through your busy week without feeling constantly tired & lethargic then you need to stop exercising as it is not helping you very much.
What do I mean by exercise?
Well going for a run or bicycle ride when you feel like it or going to the gym for a few weeks and working with no set goal or programme, just going through the motions, going to a pay as you go exercise class once a week and doing the same routine week after week.
If you want to make a real change for the better and be at your best both physically & mentally then you need to follow a structured progressive programme of regular exercise that has a goal. You need to TRAIN not just exercise.
So what is the difference?
Exercise is “any exertion of the body”, training is “exercising with a plan to achieve a health / fitness goal”
To train you need an exercise plan / programme that incorporates the principles of training.
A programme that:
- works you at the right intensity to get results.
- does not work you to complete exhaustion every session but does push you out of your comfort zone enough to get results.
- is periodised, so that it cycles the type of training (e.g. continuous aerobic, Interval HIIT, resistance strength etc) along with the intensity & the workload to maximise your fitness gains & minimise the risk of over-training & injury.
- is balanced and trains all components of fitness & the whole body.
- is structured to ensure that you have the necessary recovery to enable you to improve in the shortest time frame without injury or illness.
- is varied and enjoyable, so that you adhere to it.
You do not have to have a coach / trainer, but you do need some knowledge to train effectively. (Like with most things you can go DIY but hiring a professional saves a lot of time & usually produces a better result.)
So, set yourself some SMART goals, go seek out the knowledge, plan your programme & start TRAINING to be a better version of YOURSELF.
