Getting fit and eating right probably top the list of New Year’s resolutions made by people every year. I tend to eat fairly well, but I’ve been very sedentary this last year. I am determined to be more active this year. That’s why I was happy to hear that Subway is reaching out to all us resolutioners with Fresh and Fit 2012 to help us achieve our fitness goals.
It can be really difficult to know where to start. We mom’s are often lost when it comes to figuring out how to be fit when we’ve got kids to take care of. Subway trainer Monica Vazquez offers these tips:
1: Be Consistent
Find a way to make working out a consistent part of you life. Once exercise becomes a habit, it’s much less of a chore. Schedule workouts into your planner and stick with your plan. When you successfully follow through, you will feel better about working out and small victories will be very motivating.
2: Find the right intensity
Many people either workout too hard too soon (which can lead to injury) or they waste their time by not working out hard enough. For strength training, if the difficulty is less than a 6 out of 10, it’s probably not hard enough. For cardio, make sure you are in the proper Heart Rate Zone when you exercise. You want to start at 65-85% percent of your Max Heart Rate (which, most simply can be calculated as 220-your age).
3: Progress Systematically
If you want to get to working out more than that 3 times a week but you don’t know how, start with 30 mins 3 times a week, then progress from there:
WEEKS 1-2: 30-45 minutes, 3 times a week
WEEKS 3-4: 45-60 minutes, 3 times a week
WEEKS 5-6: 60 minutes, 3 times a week
WEEKS 7-8: 60 minutes, 4 times a week
Then, ideally, you will work to 60 minutes, 5-6 times a week.
4: Cardio and weights are equally important
Although losing weight is about calories in versus calories out, simply burning calories with cardio won’t give you the best results. Muscle helps burn fat (even at rest!), so building lean muscle tissue will help you lose weight, get fit and stay that way.
5: Never underestimate recovery
As great as it is to get into a routine, you also don’t want to get carried away and overtrain. Your body becomes stronger as you rest. Always give yourself 2 days of rest for each muscle group when strength training and give yourself at least one full rest day a week.
6: Don’t forget to stretch
Flexibility training is one of the great keys to injury prevention. It doesn’t take that much time to do and can be incorporated into a warm up and cool down. Often times, people feel that they want to get the most out of the time they are dedicating to the gym; they want to do 5 more minutes of cardio so they skip stretching. What they forget is that if your body can move through a fuller range of motion, then it can burn more calories! If you can burn more calories and be less likely to get injured, it’s worth spending a couple minutes stretching!
7: Wear proper attire
It’s fun to have cool workout clothes, but they should be appropriate for the kind of exercise you’re doing. First of all, buy sneakers that fit correctly and serve the function of helping you move properly. If you need cushioning or arch support, make sure you’re buying shoes that address those needs. Don’t buy workout shoes as a fashion statement because they may end up being uncomfortable or cause injury.
Just think about what you’re going to do when you get dressed. For a spin class, wear pants that aren’t too long. If you’re running, make sure your pants aren’t too loose at the waist. Sweat-wicking materials are great because they don’t get heavy when you sweat. Most of all, make sure you’re comfortable so that you have a great workout experience.
8: Set realistic, measurable goals
If you’re used to sitting on the couch, your first goal should be to get up and get moving for 15 minutes. Take baby steps. Don’t try to make drastic changes right away. Try to find a way to incorporate exercise into your routine little by little. As long as you’re doing more than you have in the past, consider it a win! You can always build up from there. You also want a goal that allows you to assess how much you’ve progressed towards it so that you can easily see how much your work pays off.
9: Find a workout that you enjoy/ get a workout buddy
The most effective workout that you can do is the one that you will do consistently. If you hate running, try a spin class instead. If you prefer group energy, try a total body strength training class. There are many workout options to explore. Test new things to find the one that you will WANT to do. Once the desire is there, the follow-through is easy!
You can also find a workout buddy, a partner in crime who has similar fitness goals and will meet you for a class, a run or a half hour at the gym. Having someone who counts on you will help you motivate to get out the door and go to meet them. Plus, it’s much more fun and less intimidating to try something new with a friend.
10: Create reasons to be active
We live in a very sedentary society. It’s customary to sit at your desk all day or use the escalators instead of the stairs. Make a conscious decision to make your everyday life more active. Take the stairs at work. Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way. Store things you may need at home on a different floor or on the other side of the house so that you need to walk or take stairs to get them. Instead of always making dinner plans with friends, plan to go ice skating or bowling or walking on a boardwalk. The active possibilities are endless!
Thanks Monica for those wonderful tips!
I might add to #10 that, as moms, we really don’t have to create reasons to be active. Those reasons kids are often what keep us from going to the gym or doing our ideal workout, but we can always find ways to exercise with our kids. My kids love to have horsey rides on my legs. It doesn’t take long before I feel the burn. There are lots of ways we can get a good workout by simply playing with our kids.
As the “fresh” part of Fresh and Fit 2012, Subway restaurants is adding even more flavor to your resolutions with the Turkey Melt and Turkey B.L.T. – both merely 7 grams of fat. I’ve been a big fan of Subway for a long time. I like to boast that as a 115, 5’6″ teenager I could pack away a footlong and then some. I can no longer eat an entire footlong, but I do still enjoy jazzing up my 6″s. I have a particular formula that brings me success every time I eat at Subway: all the veggies, jalapeños, no dressing–just vinegar, and salt and pepper. LOVE IT!
To keep up with all the Fresh and Fit Tips head on over to Subway’s facebook page.
To help you get your Fresh and Fit on, Subway is giving away a $10 gift card to Subway Resturants!
Just enter in the rafflecopter form below.
About Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom
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