Summer will soon be behind us again and the return to everyday life is about to begin. For many, everyday life also means a return to training. Even if you've exercised during the summer, autumn brings new enthusiasm for training. So the beginning of autumn is a good time to review your training habits and motivation. These five tips will give you a great start to your autumn training.
1. Set a target
Whether you take a break from training or not, reviewing and setting your own goals is the most important thing for motivation, so it's good to reflect on your goals at regular intervals. You can set yourself one or more goals and they can be small or big.
If setting a goal seems challenging, you can ask yourself the following questions: why am I exercising and what do I want to achieve through exercise? In its simplicity, your goal could be, for example, to maintain your well-being or health. If you want a challenge in life, you can even set a goal to compete.
While the sky is the limit when it comes to goals, it is good to consider the realism of the goal. If the goal is not achievable, it will not keep you motivated for very long. If, on the other hand, the goal is a long way off and can only be reached after several years, it is a good idea to set smaller milestones that will feed motivation and help you move towards the bigger goal.
So a good goal is achievable, keeps you motivated and self-imposed. Once the goal is set, you can start making a plan.
2. Plan and master
After setting a goal, motivation is high and enthusiasm for exercise is high. However, it is at this moment that it is good to be patient and take it easy. The first pitfall is to start at full speed and train yourself to exhaustion, which will immediately kill your motivation.
Make a plan to determine how often and how you will exercise. If you've had a long break from exercise, it's a good idea to take it easy. After a long break, even two workouts a week is enough. If you want to start with more training sessions per week, do shorter, lighter sessions to help you recover more quickly.
Start with meaningful activities. If gym training isn't your thing, start with group exercise classes. Jogging, swimming or cycling are also good ways to get back into exercise. It's also a good idea not to head to the gym without a plan, and it's a good idea to have a gym programme planned before your first session. It's definitely worth asking a professional for help with this.
Increase the number and length/intensity of your workouts week by week until you reach an optimal training rhythm for you. From time to time, it's also a good idea to remember to take it easy, both for recovery and motivation.
3. Train your base
Before maximes and marathons, it's a good idea to get your base in shape. Good base fitness helps you develop and protects you from injury and overuse. A good base level of fitness can be defined as an adequate level of endurance, muscular fitness and mobility.
Good basic fitness is based on good endurance, or basic stamina. It's easy to build basic endurance by going for long walks, for example. Good basic stamina is also definitely helpful in everyday life and in the gym. Around 80% of endurance exercise should be basic resistance training. If you don't have good basic endurance, it's pointless to dream of, for example, brisk running.
Good muscle tone is also an important part of good fitness and helps you cope with everyday life. You can get adequate muscle tone by doing basic strength training in the gym, i.e. doing three sets of muscle training exercises and 8-12 repetitions per set. Focus especially on the large muscle groups in the body - legs, back and abdominal muscles. Take into account the body's hemispheres and strengthen the weaker side.
Adequate mobility also plays an important role in preventing injuries. Stretching alone may not help release tension in the body. The best way to increase mobility is to do a variety of dynamic stretches and mobility exercises.
Once you have all the elements of a good base in place, you can work harder and push your body to perform harder without worry.
4. Getting the routines right
To make exercise a regular part of your life, it's also a good idea to get other routines in place. These include nutrition, sleep and other stress factors. Eating enough healthy food will help you achieve your training goals, recover and sleep better. You don't have to aim for perfection when it comes to eating. It's enough to eat a broadly healthy diet, which means favouring vegetables, soft fats, whole grains and lean protein sources.
Adequate sleep is also key to exercise and recovery. After a bad night's sleep, workouts don't go well and the body doesn't recover sufficiently. Maintaining other healthy lifestyle habits also stalls when tired. Going to bed at the same time is the best routine to ensure a good night's sleep.
Also take into account other stress factors, such as work and family history. Training hard, working hard and looking after your family may not be the best combination. Learn to take it easy during busy times so that you can get back to your basics.
5. Financial investment motivates
As superficial as it sounds, it's true: a financial investment increases motivation. It doesn't have to be a big investment: just a new pair of tracksuit bottoms or sneakers can boost motivation. Working out with a personal trainer is also motivating and usually also speeds up the process of reaching your goal. You can compare the money you spend on your health and well-being with other purchases: which would be more worthwhile, a new phone or more training sessions with a personal trainer? How about a trip to the hairdresser or an update to your exercise regime?
If you're considering coaching, book an appointment for a free exercise consultation and you'll have a chat with a personal trainer. You can book an appointment at your centre's customer service.
