For most, training comes second to many obligations in life – work, family, friends, pets, chore. Your time is precious, which makes your training even more valuable.
Everyone is different when time and convenience is a factor, but the same excuses are used for poor performance and attendance according to Accredited Sports Scientist Ben Brugman.
“Your training battle doesn’t start in the on the running track or gym but starts when you wake up in the morning and during the day. When time, convenience or motivation is a factor, the actual battle is with yourself and not the training.”
TOP THREE MOST USED EXCUSES NOT TO TRAIN:
1. WORK
“Ughhh” – a familiar thought at the end of a workday. Everyone has finished a tough day at work and have gone through the mental roller-coaster battle to want to train afterwards. But should working a 10-hour day keep you from training?
“It’s hard to argue when some days are tougher than others, but the stress release after exercise can’t be matched. The key is to be flexible – if time is an issue, shorten the session. There will always be ways to incorporate activity”.
2. MOTIVATION
“Finding motivation isn’t something that comes to you, it’s something you create yourself. We often wait for motivation to come to us, thinking it’ll magically just hit you when you wake up one day.”
“Once you overcome the initial hardship to train, it comes naturally. Creating a routine for yourself that motivates your mind to want to train is the first step to a successful training program.”
3. SORENESS AND FATIGUE
Your muscles will always adapt to new activity. It is normal for your body to experience discomfort when you increase your workload, change a program or routine. Naturally, when we experience these discomforts, we avoid any further activity until we’ve recovered. This can slow the recovery process down.
“Believe it or not, when you feel too tired to exercise, the solution is actually exercise. When your body experiences delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), light to moderate exercise can increase the recovery process and will make you feel a lot better,” says Ben.
“Every individual is different but ultimately we all share the same problems when it comes to training. How you approach your day and manage your recovery will increase your efforts”.
AN ACCREDITED SPORTS SCIENTISTS’ TOP TIPS TO ACE YOUR TRAINING SESSION:
HAVE GOALS!
Transitioning exercise permanently into your lifestyle is everyone’s goal. Establishing a goal will significantly improve your chances to reach a desired outcome with your health.
Start small and once you begin to hit your objectives, increase the intensity and period of the next one. Before you know it, your original goal will look small as you continue to climb the accomplishment ladder! – Here are some great ways to get started.
INVOLVE OTHERS
Including others in your training is proven to help motivate and encourage you to maintain a steady routine. It’s easy to skip the afternoon run when you have no one telling you otherwise.
A training partner can provide support and enthusiasm to training to help reach your goal. Hold each other accountable! You’re both working towards a better performance.
PLAYLISTS, PODCASTS AND APPS
Listening to music or podcasts can improve the physical performance during a training session. Music can enable weight training or high intensity workouts. Busting out that extra rep to your favorited drop in a song or throwing yourself down for an extra burpee to your best lyric is proven to enhance performance while training.
Podcasts can help long-distance training, where storylines and calmness can help an athlete focus. Running apps such as the Nike Running Club can also prove to be invaluable to help you keep consistent with your training.
HAVE THE RIGHT GEAR
Comfort is key – having the right clothing can help you to achieve better results during your workout. Adapt to the conditions, wear breathable fabrics in summer to cool down your body or compression clothing throughout winter to keep warm.
When it comes to footwear, having the right platform to perform on matters!
MIX UP YOUR SESSIONS
We are creatures of habit when it comes to exercise and while routine is key to long term success implementing variety into your programming can be a game changer.
Adding some variety into your training program can be key to stimulating different muscle groups as well as provide a breath of fresh air and prevent boredom.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
This is where a lot of people get it wrong. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish when your body needs to slow down or rest. Soreness is a part of exercise, but when do we get to the point to descale our activity? You’re the only one to know how your body is feeling.