Recently I had sent out a survey to the Bootcamp participants. Now we all know that regular exercise will make you feel better, stay healthy and live longer, but based on the responses, how did they stack up??
Well, I am going to share with you my input on your answers – which I am sure you will find to be quite useful.
BARRIERS
Most people say they do not have time to spend working out. Being extremely active with a career and family life is enough - you may feel that strenuous exercise would push you over the edge.
Based on the survey, the main barriers encountered when trying to participate in a fitness program were; Lack of internal motivation (31%), Busy home/family schedule (27%) and Busy work schedule (19%)
No matter what the barrier, adopting healthy lifestyle practices should be the first thing on your lifestyle design agenda!
Your body will adapt to whatever you give it. Most muscle loss occurs because we stop doing active things that require muscle power, not because we age! Take a 15 minute break at work and go for a walk or stretch. Incorporate PA into your social life. Instead of video games and movie night, try pick-up soccer, volleyball or baseball. Make sure you get enough sleep.
CURRENT EXERCISE ROUTINE
The majority of bootcampers (60%) participated in moderate activity or sport 3 to 5 times per week. The balance were light exercisers - once or twice per week.
Of those that workout, the majority stated that their intensity level was moderate (53%).
It's interesting to point out that 27% of those that workout felt that they were working in the vigorous range. Most people overstate their physical activity level and this is solidifies the statistics that 52% say they are physically active enough while only 4.8% are! Honestly, vigorous exercise relates to overloading the muscles, hard to breath (and converse), focused and for many, sweating and out of breath.
20% specified they were working light to moderate. In reality, this is only acceptable if you have just began exercising. As explained earlier, your body will adapt to whatever you give it. If you do not increase the intensity, your fitness gains will fall short and eventually stall.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
60% of individuals want to increase their activity level in the next 6 months - that's great!
However, only 40% of you are willing to take amount of time needed.
The American College of Sports Medicine released a lengthy report recommending that as part of a routine regimen to maintain cardiovascular health and ideal body weight and composition you should engage in 60 minutes of daily VIGOROUS physical activity. According to Health Canada, we only do one-third of that requirement!
You have to be ready to commit in order to achieve something. If you plan to lose weight, build muscle and tone up You have to realize it is hard work. The more active the exercise the better. One bootcamp a week will help but you have to make physical activity a priority for both you and your family. Creating an exercise habit starts with you!
KEEP IT FRESH & CHALLENGING
The response to participant's favorite part of my fitness bootcamp varied as much as my classes! Not one area stood out more than others. The most favorable responses came from the push on increased intensity and the variety.
A big advantage of my bootcamps is that you don't do the same exercises over and over again. Your body is very good at adapting to workouts. This way it is highly unlikely that you will plateau. If you do the same type of workout all the time, you're going to get the body you've always gotten. By adding variety, you keep things fresh and challenging, you shock your muscles into improving and you never get bored. Because of this, the chances are that you will continue to exercise.
By now you should know that my favorite saying is "Use it or Lose It". The human body was meant to move and physical activity MUST be part of your life.
Remember, there are no magic formulas for achieving improved health, permanent reductions in body fat or an increase in muscle mass. The best results come from a long-term strategy involving a permanent change in both eating and activity habits. Not from a pill, potion or some celebrity fad you have cut out of the latest magazine. It is very easy to get caught up in the 'quick results' or 'fast acting' diet scams around today, but it is important to look at the long-term effects of such actions. Your ultimate goal should be to improve your energy levels, be free from illness, and achieve your personally desired body weight.
It is your determination and perseverance, which will result in your success. Most importantly, no matter what type of activity you participate in, you must enjoy it. Exercise should be fun. You don't have to spend long hours to improve your health - time needed depends on effort. If you have fun and enjoy yourself you can easily incorporate fitness into your life forever.
BOOTCAMP WINNER
As promised, in appreciation to filling out the survey I offered a free “workout with Doug” session for one lucky bootcamper. The winner was Lori A. from Thursday’s class. Congratulations Lori!
I’ll leave you with words of wisdom from the great Jack Lalanne
"Your health account is like your bank account: the more you put in, the more you can take out"
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