Training advice for the Fit Pros

Taking small steps to change where you are now!

When it comes to change we are all susceptible to feeling awkward because naturally it is not what we are used to coping with and naturally when we change something it goes against the grain of what we have been doing before. By changing something that we are doing triggers a response from your body that what we have been doing previously hasn’t been working and therefore we rebel because after all, how can we be wrong! We don’t like being wrong, it’s not comfortable, much like when we try to implement changes to improve our situation.

Recognising that you need to change the situation that you are in is the first step that you need to take in order for change to take place but then the second is to take action in implementing that change. When you do this you will likely see a huge mountain to climb and feel overwhelmed- and when we get overwhelmed- we settle back into the habits we had before!

The trick to overcoming that feeling of overwhelm is by setting a big goal but then keeping your mind on the smaller goals. So for example a client of mine may be focused on weight-loss and want to lose as much as they can as quickly as possible (this is more common that many realise). The trouble with trying to lose a lot as quickly as possible is that it often results in unsustainable methods of dieting and training! You may be able to obtain the results that you desire in the short term but because the changes you made have not been imbedded in your system, when you reach the target you set, you will often go back to the bad habits that you had before because the changes that you made are unsustainable long term.

In order that you make changes that are sustainable long term you need to think small, focus on the here and now and take small steps. If you hit these small goals then you won’t be relying on drastic changes to your routine and this will make the changes far more sustainable long-term and will become your new healthier norm, preventing you from rebounding as you will by implementing big changes.

Some smaller ideas to think about:

Rather than 5 x HIIT sessions per week (that you will hate) – try going for regular walks around the block a couple of times a day.

Rather than heading to the gym 4-5 times per week- try hitting the gym twice per week consistently for the first month and then up it by one session in the next month. Use the advice of a PT to plan the training that you carry out as they will be able to advise you on the best workouts to do to fit the schedule that you need!

So you no longer need to be overwhelmed by the big goals, they will come as a result of implementing small changes over time. The compromise that you make here is that you don’t hit your desired results so quickly but you do get longer term habits that will serve you for the rest of your life and prevent you from relapsing into the bad habits that got you where you didn’t want to be!

Hope that this helps you!

Alex O-King