It’s cold out. It gets dark early. You’re exhausted from the holidays. But you made that (annual) commitment to yourself to get in shape and divest yourself of the couple extra pieces of fudge Aunt Millie made (boy was it good!), and this year, you’re going to do it!
We’re here to help by illuminating how those age old (“good”) excuses for avoiding that exercise regime are really just myths. Now nothing can get between you and your fitness goals! (I know, you’re welcome.)
Exercise takes too much time—The reality is, if you have a half hour to online shop, then you definitely have time to exercise. In order to lose one pound per week, you have to decrease your weekly caloric intake by a whopping 3,500 calories. Since that is often hard to do with diet alone, exercising is a great way to burn some extra calories. That doesn’t mean endless hours on the treadmill or Stairmaster watching reruns of “The Office.” Rather, it means being focused on your workout and working out efficiently. By incorporating higher intensity segments of exercise, you can actually burn the same amount, if not more, calories in a shorter amount of time. The added bonus is that your body continues to burn more calories after exercising (called “after burn”) than it would if you hadn’t exercised.
Interval training is a great way to introduce high intensity into your exercise program. It requires you to work at a moderate intensity for a specific period of time [65 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate (HR Max); HR Max = 220 minus your age], increase to a higher intensity for a given time period (80 to 90 percent of HR Max), then return to moderate intensity.
If you’re just beginning an exercise program, a good starting place is a 4-to-1 ratio of moderate to high intensity. For example, work at medium intensity for eight minutes, high for two, then repeat. As you get stronger, adjust this ratio to increase the amount of high intensity compared to medium intensity. Interval training is more effective if you incorporate a heart rate monitor, so you can more accurately assess the intensity of your intervals.
Another good time-saving idea is to split up your workout. If you’re like me, sometimes it’s hard to find one solid hour in a day to work out. Fortunately, research shows that it’s just as effective, if not better, to break your workout up into smaller bouts, because people often end up working out harder when they know that it is for a shorter amount of time. You also double the “after burn” effect.
To add further options, you might want to consider circuit training. This is a very time-efficient way to train in which you perform a series exercises, one after another, with minimal rest. This makes resistance training more cardiovascular in nature (a double whammy). The exercises are then repeated in the same order additional times. This is especially effective when you integrate multi-joint movements or add in a couple of high intensity cardio sections to the circuit.
I have to join a gym or buy a lot of equipment to get in shape—I hate to ruin this excuse, but you really don’t need much equipment, if any, to get a good workout in your home or outdoors. Many exercises can be done using just your own body weight. If you are new to exercise or looking to get out of a workout rut, try signing up for a couple of sessions with a personal trainer. Let him or her know that you’re looking for a home workout program. If you are going to buy a couple of equipment staples, I recommend the Fitness Anywhere TRX Suspension Training System and a stability ball. The TRX System is by far my favorite piece of equipment; if I had to buy just one thing, this would be it. It uses your own body for resistance and is great for all levels of exercisers. It’s also great for travelers as it takes up very little space (all for under $200).
A stability ball is also a good idea because many injuries happen not because our primary muscles aren’t strong, but because our supporting muscles are weak. Working on unstable surfaces, like a stability ball, helps strengthen these supportive muscles. You can also perform a great variety of exercises using these balls. When purchasing a stability ball, get a double-walled ball. Most balls sold in athletics stores are single walled and become flimsy. Proper ball size is important, as well. If you are 5’7” or shorter, get a 55-centimeter ball; 5’8” or taller, a 65-centimeter ball. Now that you will be working out and not online shopping, you’ll have a little extra money to spend on these two items.
Weight training will bulk me up—One of the main reasons men can build large muscles is because they have testosterone. This is not an issue for women, which is why they generally can’t build huge muscles. However, a variable that can affect how big our muscles look is the type of muscle fibers we have. There are two types of muscle fibers: fast twitch fibers, which are larger in diameter, lending to a more dense/compact appearance (think sprinter), and slow twitch, smaller in diameter, giving a leaner look (think marathon runner). So, individuals with a greater proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers, while lean, may appear “bulkier.” Another variable that can affect muscle size, and the one we have the most control over, is how we train. To tone muscles without building mass, do more repetitions (12 to 15) and use less weight (but still challenging enough that you struggle with the last few reps). Remember, the more muscle you have, the more calories you are burning all day.
So this January, remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step—start today!
Ami Jampolis has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and is an NASM certified personal trainer. She is the owner of Focus Fitness Personal Training in San Mateo, fftraining.net, 415-250-2953.
