Mix It Up

For the first time in many months I am not specifically relating my article to coronavirus times. I want to discuss how you are able to hold onto your fitness throughout the year. Of course this means consistency and having the ability to mix your training up knowing at any point, due to your base fitness, you could adapt and go for any specific target.

Whether it’s general fitness, weight loss or you are training for a specific event you can’t expect to flog your body by training everyday and be at the peak of your fitness 365 days a year.

You need to be smart, but unfortunately most people do not look at the bigger picture they want results there and then. For many it’s a mad rush to lose weight, post Xmas and pre summer, the rest of the year they don’t bother. Long term this will catch up with you physically because as you get older your body can’t realistically make those sorts of changes in such a short space of time, it also becomes dangerous for your health and you are more lightly to sustain an injury. Likewise mentally, the thought of another year having made no long term positive changes to your health and fitness could potentially have a negative effect.

So how can you counteract this and train sensibly throughout the year and enjoy it:

-I call it ticking over, by this I mean, try to train 2-3 times a week all year round at a level you enjoy, This alongside a healthier food regime will, over time, reap the benefits with the way you look and feel and is your key to longevity.

-Mix your training up, try different types of training eg at DF Fitness we have Private Personal training, Small group classes in one of our 3 private gyms, we have a unique private Outdoor Gym, Strength sessions, Beach Bootcamps, Indoor Bootcamps and Versa Climber classes. This type of variation means you can chop and choose each week. The variation breaks the monotony and gives you an opportunity to work on all types of strength and fitness. Remember your body will get used to one way of training, therefore mixing things up is beneficial.

-With a broad base of training throughout the year you know at any point you want to specifically work on something eg weight loss, strength, speed or endurance you can do it quickly and safely.

-Working at the same pace is good for health and wellbeing plus gives you a good all year round fitness level. This base of fitness means you can up the intensity at any time making you fitter and stronger very quickly. This empowers you and gives you self confidence and belief, not just in the gym but also in your day to day life.

-Knowing your body means you should know when to rest, when to push if you are going for a specific target and how to adapt your training depending on how you feel during sessions.

If you feel good, push on and realise what you are capable of, other days it can feel tougher than normal, therefore make a sensible decision depending how you feel. You may surprise yourself by the end of this session and find some boost of energy to finish strongly.