Archive for the ‘Staying Motivated’ Category
How to Stay Motivated When Doing Cardio- Turn off the Timer
It is easy to get bored when using the cardio machine- especially if you spend about 20 or 30 minutes doing exactly the same movement- either running, jogging, cycling, stair climbing, etc. Do you find your eyes straying to the timer to see how long you are on the machine and how many calories that you have burned?
Do you find yourself thinking, ‘yikes, why does the time pass so slowly? What… still another 15 minutes to go?’ or ‘geez, I need to continue this exercise for another 10 minutes to burn to my targeted calories’.
Sometimes you feel tired and bored - and manage to successfully talk yourself out of using the cardio machine. It is no wonder so many people drop out or managed to successfully talk themselves into skipping gym-coz it is the same drill over and over again. And in a gym, there’s probably at most about 6 types of varieties of cardio machine.
The solution? Why not attend a cardio class? Most gyms have them.
But then, what if you are like me, who do not fancy attending class or like to work out at own time and pace?
I have a suggestion for you- it’s very simple- turn off the timer indicator. Certain gyms are already equipped with high end cardio machines that display the timer, calories burned, etc - all on the same screen. But in older gyms, you can still find cardio machines that do not have the calorie indicator- but allows you the option to set your goals using 3 modes- calories, distance and time.
Normally, people will neglect these machines because everyone wants to know the calories burned- that’s why the machines are always being used. Now, I find the older versions to be a real gem. Because these machines are seldom used, I need not have to content myself with greasy sweat stains at the handles that were left by previous users. Sometimes, the higher end machines had sweat stains on their screens and there is even smell- I find it a bit uncomfortable exercising with the sweat smell from the previous user pervading my nostrils.
You can set the machine by pressing on the ‘Calories’ under the Goal section of the machine. Then select your goal calories by moving the up and down arrow and once you are satisfied with the goal, press enter. A short while later, the machine will ask you to enter your weight- move the up and down arrow till the display indicate your correct weight- this reading is more accurate than just using the machine that display the calories burn (without factoring your weight). And exercise away.
You do not need to care about the time since the machine will probably display the time every few minutes or so. It is surprising that once you stop looking at the time (and keep wishing the time will pass faster) that you do not feel like agony on the machine. All you look at is the target calories burned- and you know in order to see the calories burned going up faster, you have to exert more energy. You get more motivated that way and the next thing you know- you have been on the machine for 20 minutes.
If you are unsure about how to set the machine to display the goal as calories burned instead of time, ask the gym staff for assistance.
Reviews of Different Diet Plans
PROGRAM THAT REQUIRES YOU TO CUT OFF CERTAIN FOOD GROUPS FROM YOUR DIET:
1. Glycaemix Index/ Glucose Revolution
Different carbs get coverted to blood sugar at a different speed- real human are used as subjects whereby they take the carbs and then have their blood sugar measured at different intervals. The result: the Glycaemix Index (G.I) is formed- whereby food is listed according to categories. GI method says that one can eat carbs- but be wise on the food selection- the slower the carbs get converted to blood sugar, the less you will be triggered to eat. However, GI method had been criticised because it is hard to know the overall effect of GI when you have a plate of food containing an assorted of carbs and protein.
Exercise as a Social Event
My colleague is planning to start another exercise program for our department. He sent an invitation asking everyone in our department to meet every Wednesday after work to exericse together in a nearby park. He used to be an avid gym goer but stopped because of work commitment (work very late hours and he had other commitments, so the gym membership had to go). Still, he always loved to exercise.
Previously, he had organised this activity but because it was nearing rainy season, slowly the number of people who came was reduced and eventually, the activity was discontinued. But in order to support folks in my unit to exercise, I will try to join him and our other friends on Thursday coz I can’t make it on Wednesdays. Last time I used to loathe jogging but now, I’ve love to jog and run because of the adneraline high. So it will be nice to jog in a windy park rather than an air-con gym room.
Excuses that we love to give ourselves for not exercising
I’ve asked a number of my friends what made them hesitate to join the gym or just commit to an exercise program. The excuse I frequently get: “aiya, don’t wanna join la. I heard that once a person who goes to the gym stops exercising, the weight will just ballon up like nobody’s business. There, that’s what happened to that so-and-so- she stopped the gym and now see what had happened to her… so scary!”
Hmmm…. afraid to join the gym or exercise because worried will gain more weight than before?
Interesting…
If you are one of those who agree with my friends, then please answer this question that I have:
You Know Exercise is Your ‘Thing’ when…
This is an original entry writen by me, mostly on how exercise had changed my life. Does any of it describe how exercise changes yours?
- You felt something is seriously wrong by the third consecutive day that you have not exercised.
- You plan your life around exercising instead of planning exercising around your life.
- You find excuses to exercise instead of skipping it
- Your idea of exercising does not involve taking the stairs or doing housework, it involves intensive workout at the cardio machine
- Still, scrubbing the dirty stains on the white tiles in your bathroom no longer become a dreaded chore like what it used to- instead you use it as an opportunity to work on your biceps and triceps, and your thigh muscles coz your’re squating
- You no longer get upset when you can’t find a parking close to the entrance- you don’t mind parking much further away and take a walk
- When your friends commented that you look good, you start preaching about exercising to them.
- You start a blog that talks a lot about exercise and update it regularly Read the rest of this entry »
It’s Never Too Old or Too Late
It’s never too old or too late to start eating well and incorporating exercising program in your daily life.
Here, let me share with you stories of real people I know who have made lifestyle changes and benefited from it:
My mom’s friend, Auntie Ong.
Few days ago, I took my mom to visit her friend, who is also a retired nurse. It was a pleasant surprise to see how different she had looked.
Auntie Ong had always been a very hardworking person, both at work and at home. She had never employed any maids, and with a household comprising of her husband and 3 boys, she had kept the double storey house spick and span. As hard as she worked, it’s as hard as she ate. She basically ate whatever she feels like eating. Therefore, she has always been overweight.
When we saw her, she was 11 kg lighter, dropping from 63kg to 52kg in 6 months. Her waistline shrunk from 36inches to 31 inches and a fat layer which used to be noticeable in her neck area, was gone. She shared her lifestyle change: Read the rest of this entry »
Motivating Others to Exercise by Setting a Good Example
As mentioned in a previous post, I had made the determination to be true to my workouts. So far, I have stayed true to my words- focus on quality instead of quantity.
The results- after each real (without holding/leaning to the handle to support my weight), I can feel my legs are much stronger - results come much quicker compared to months of efforts that I had previously put in. When I ride the stationery bike, I increased the effort level to 4 or 5 and try to keep at least 80rpms. Previously, I seldom adjust any effort levels.
I also learn to engage my core muscles during cardio. How I do it is that tuck in my stomach to protect my lower back, and try to let the energy and effort originate from my core (trunk) instead of the legs. This helps to strengthen the core and reduce injury. or you are lowering the risk of injury and at the same time, develop your core. When the core is developed, you derive more benefit during workouts. That’s why so many athletes are given functional training- to develop core muscles for increased sports performance. Sometimes I really wonder what took me so long to realise all this- sigh, the months I have wasted cheating away at the machines.
Today, when it’s time for lunch and I went to my lunch partner’s table tell her it’s time to go, she stared at my stomach and asked me what had happened? I was puzzled at first but she said, “your stomach’s gone smaller and you’ve lost weight.” She insisted I must have taken something to shrink it. I told her it’s the exercising- fully without cheating at the cardio machines. After all, I am not fanatical about losing weight. If I had started exercising just because I need to lose weight, I would not have stuck to it for so long. Health problem, namely fighting fatigue has been my main contributing factor that enabled me to consistently exercise for the last 18 months. Read the rest of this entry »
