10 tips to start a successful fitness regiment

We interviewed the gym manager at Lausanne’s Holmes Place, an international chain of high-end fitness studios operating in 10 countries. Alvaro de Vicente Contreras holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Physical Sciences and is an expert in running technique. Here are his 10 tips to starting a successful fitness regiment:

1. Start with a training assessment

How should someone who is out of shape start?

“We schedule a training assessment, during which we measure your body as well as your goals. Then we decide what to put in practice to reach the goals. The assessment is really important. Everybody thinks they are better than they really are. Objective measurements include weight, body fat percentage and balance. Everybody wants to lose weight, but they don’t understand what that really means. They often focus on the scale number, and forget that muscle weighs more than fat.”

2. Know that training one hour per day equals 6% of your day

How can busy professionals fit trainings into their days?

“It’s a fact that training one hour per day equals 6% of your day. It’s not that much. Training improves your capacity to perform in other areas of your life. Energy, efficiency, concentration will improve. Training has a domino effect: feeling good affects the rest of your life. If training one whole hour is too much, go for 30–45 minutes. After a shower, you can be on your way in an hour.”

3. No burn, no loss

How much of losing weight is exercise and how much is food?

“Some say 80% is food and 20% is exercise. I say yes and no. Why? We all need to eat, but if we don’t burn, we won’t lose weight. You can decrease eating, but you need a minimum. If you don’t eat enough, the body will go into survival mode and decrease your metabolism. Yes, you will lose fat but you will also lose energy.”

De Vicente points out that our caloric intake has to be high enough to fuel our metabolisms and provide energy, by making the following comparisons:

Take a typical diet: 2000 calories burned — 1000 calories eaten = 1000 balance. This leaves you with no strength and no energy.

Take a healthy way of living: 3,500 calories burned — 2000 calories eaten = 1,500 balance. You will have a higher metabolism, strength, and energy.

If there’s no burn, there’s no loss.

4. Stay away from crazy diets; change your lifestyle instead

What’s the biggest mistake people make with their diets?

“Extreme dieting such as these one- to two-week diets is the biggest mistake people make with their diets. You become crazy. I am against the concept of dieting, in general. Instead, create the habit of proper nourishment. It’s a lifestyle change. Make sure you include the things you love. Just exercise moderation, by allowing yourself to eat that burger and those fries, but just eat them once per week or eat fewer fries. We need to educate people.”

5. Learn the proper techniques

What’s the biggest mistake people make in training?

“Do you know how to run?”

I nod.

“Few people know how to run properly. Take the following tax return comparison: I can fill it out myself. The job will be done, but I won’t take advantage of all the deductions and benefits that hiring an expert would give me. How to run for fat burning? What’s the right technique? There’s always something to learn. This is why there are professionals in the room. It’s safer, and more efficient than doing it alone.”

6. Something is better than nothing

How often should someone go to the gym? The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) suggests that people exercise 20 to 60 minutes, three to five days a week.

“In an ideal world, we should exercise every day. But if you do something, you’re already winning. If you can’t do five trainings per week, do four. Create a habit. Something is better than nothing. Once you start doing it, you’ll feel the pleasure of it. The motto of Holmes Place is about making health and fitness enjoyable.”

7. Morning is best

When is the best time to exercise?

“Morning. Why? Honestly. It’s scientifically proven. In the evening, you’re activating your metabolism. Your body will be excited. You’ll go to bed too late. You won’t sleep that well. In the morning, you activate your body before work. You activate your brain as well, helping you to focus more.”

8. Lift weights to lose weight

Is there such a thing as the best exercise for weight loss?

“Strength training, because it requires you to use more muscles, which will require more energy and burn more fat, than using fewer muscles. It is more efficient to lift weights and do cardio for 20 minutes than being on the elliptical for one hour — if you do it right. But most people do it wrong.”

9. Look for gym ambiance, philosophy and quality of trainers

What should you look for in a gym (besides cleanliness and good equipment)?

“First, make sure it’s not too crowded to ensure you get access to the equipment you want. Second, make sure it’s a place with good ambiance and a shared philosophy of respecting each other and of wellbeing, a place where you will feel good and welcome (i.e. no overbuilt guys throwing weights around). Third, make sure you check the professionalism of the personal trainers.”

10. Start slowly

Anything else?

“Get into it and enjoy. Start slowly and little by little, at your own rhythm.”

“If I can improve the life of someone, that’s a bigger success than finishing first in a race.”

Meeting your own needs will free you to build an astonishing and brilliant life

“Typically, people overlook self-care,” says Alicia H Clark, PsyD, PLLC, licensed clinical psychologist in Washington D.C.

“They forget to put on the oxygen mask first.”

She says that getting enough sleep is a physiological and basic need, and is more important to your wellness than you may think.

“You can tolerate missing one night of sleep. But eventually the lack of sleep will get in the way of managing your emotions and being able to make good choices.”

Besides failing to meet basic physical needs such as sleep, exercise and food, people often fail to meet their emotional needs.

SO WHAT ARE EMOTIONAL NEEDS?

When I first read about emotional needs in a brochure on codependency 12 years ago, I was unable to think of one single emotional need I might have. I grew up in a family that did not talk about feelings, except to be told that it was unladylike to express anger. No wonder I was unprepared to create and maintain relationships.

Since then, I have learned that emotional needs are what drive us to get up in the morning. And I trained myself to meet my emotional and self-esteem needs without relying on others so much.

When talking about needs, mental health workers cite American psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow’s work — specifically his needs hierarchy pyramid.

Where are you out of alignment or integrity?

When you restore your integrity, your energy levels increase and you feel at peace. You have less conflict and fewer problems. You attract inspiring people. You spend time with people who are good role models and affirm who you are. You live according to your values. You achieve your goals. You love yourself. Your life is balanced. You get things done effortlessly. You remember commitments. Your life feels rich. You find joy. You look forward to getting up in the morning.

The definition of integrity we use in personal development is: “the state of being whole and undivided.” Derived from the Latin “integer,” or numbers that cannot be fractions, integrity means “whole.”

Applying this to us as humans, having integrity is more than being honest with others. It is being honest with oneself. It helps us build our character.

In the world of coaching, we encourage client to define integrity in their own way.

So what would wholeness look like to you?

If you are at a loss, try to find out where there is a mismatch between what you say and do.

For example:

• When I say to myself, I will go to bed at 10pm and get up 45 minutes earlier to meditate and exercise, but I stay up until midnight working, and I press snooze the next day, I feel disappointed in myself.

• When I say I am going to stay out of the business of close family and friends but end up giving unsolicited advice — which they reject angrily — I feel disappointed in myself.

• When I say I am going to stick to my eating plan, but I skip meals, snack in between meals, and end up eating on the fly, I feel disappointed, tired, and start to see my weight increase.

When I don’t act with integrity, I get critical of myself and others. I resort to blame. I become reactive, instead of proactive. I start rushing and living in a constant state of high adrenaline and cortisol. I have difficulty making decisions. I feel as if I were in a cloud. I start to have self-pity. These consequences lead to increasing problems.

It sucks to be out of alignment. So what do you do?

I try to find the source of each of these items. With the help of a therapist or coach I identify what’s out of alignment: where is the disconnect between my values and principles and my actions.

We have to identify the source so we can fix it.

My list shows that I exhibit compulsive behaviors in three areas: work, eating, and close relationships.

Work: If I plan my work in advance by looking at my goals, projects and tasks, I feel secure. I know I can stay on track. Using certain tools to assess priorities, I can usually determine whether I’m putting out fires or if something can wait until tomorrow.

Eating: Planning my food in advance is key. This entails planning possible menus and shopping lists. It helps to cook certain meals in advance. When I adhere to the mealtimes I’ve entered in my planner, I find myself satisfied, filled with energy, and achieving my goals of weight loss or maintenance.

Relationships: If I journal, talk to a therapist, or go to support groups, I’m able to focus on myself, my uncertainty, my loneliness, and can then more easily stay out of other people’s business. These meetings help me feel supported, connected and understood.

Try to identify where you are out of alignment. Where is the disconnect between your words and your actions?

If your goal is to be more health conscious, but you eat junk food or drink too much, this could be an indication. If you’re having an emotional or sexual affair, but you value honesty and commitment, then this could be something to fix. Are you living in fear?

With the help of a professional, get to the source of your unhappiness. You’ll start to restore your integrity when you commit to living a whole life.

Simplify your life and embrace boredom to reduce anxiousness

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify,” wrote Henry David Thoreau, who might have been a recluse but was on to something. We may not be able to retire in the woods by a pond as he did, but we are able to create limits to protect ourselves.

Do you wish you had more time for yourself? Are you out of touch with your values and feelings? Do you feel you make choices “on the run?” If so, this could be an indication that you are too busy. The word “business” is derived from the word “busyness” — a word that means “in use,” “lively but meaningless activity,” or “cluttered with detail to the point of being distracting.”

And why do we embrace “busyness?”

It could start with the way we were brought up. Perhaps our parents instilled the value that working hard was synonymous with success and having value as a human being. How many times do people in your circle respond to your saying: “I’m super busy,” or “I’m not bored, that’s for sure” with “That’s better than the opposite.” Sadly, our western culture — especially American culture — values productivity over our health, families, or relationships.

So if you’re not busy, what’s the problem? Bored? Or just not challenged enough?

When we mention being bored, it usually induces a cringe and we think this is the worst thing that could happen to us personally. On the contrary, boredom is the best thing to happen to us. Coaching leaders agree.

Thomas Leonard — one of the fathers of coaching and the founder of ICF (International Coaching Federation), our accrediting body — is quoted as saying:

“Boredom is the gatekeeper to peace.”

The reason people hate boredom and embrace busyness is existential pain. If we slow down and embrace boredom, initially we feel despair, and feel cut off from our created identity. When we slow down, we feel emptiness. We no longer have something to hang on to.

For example: A woman went into therapy with depression after having worked 15-hour days for 35 years without a break. Now that she’s retired, she finds herself with no interests, hobbies, or passion.

She feels she has no reason to live.

Now, she has to take time to listen to herself, find out what she likes and values, before she can start to rebuild her life. During all those years of working long hours, she didn’t have time to listen to herself.

Other stimuli that keep us busy and reactive are instant notifications, emails, social media, coffee, adrenaline, and television. They give us a false sense of purpose. The media influences us more than we can imagine. We think we want that new car, but we are unaware that society is fueling these emotions.

In Europe, we tend to embrace boredom.

This is why some Americans have such a hard time living in Switzerland. They don’t know how to cope with empty time, spurred by the early closing times of shops and restaurants. Except for a few gas stations, most businesses are closed on Sunday. People feel uncomfortable with nothing available to do when shopping is shut down.

We need space to survive, just as trees and relationships do.

If you want more love, more income, or more freedom, the worst way to get these things is to add items to your schedule.

Khalil Gilbran, the Lebanese writer, poet and artist sums this up perfectly:

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you… And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”

So, what to do?

I’ve written about cutting out items and relationships. Now, let’s take it a step further. Let’s toss out half of what we think is important, and embrace boredom.

Radical, hey?

Not really. I find it excruciatingly difficult to cut out projects and commitments. Three obstacles that I face when trying to simplify are:

· Having to tell someone I can no longer help them.

· Delegating tasks, as I don’t like to relinquish control.

· Living without a daily to-do list

Living like this isn’t very intentional. By people pleasing, holding on to control, and living by a list I created days ago, I live in the past and not according to what I want in the present.

1. Identify what is taking your time and brain space

Identify your commitments, goals, projects, tasks, responsibilities, routines, habits, or anything that takes up your time and energy — even if you’re not actually doing them. Just thinking about them takes space.

Identify what is taking your time. Go through your calendar and write down every type of commitment and meeting you have. Then write down “why” you do it or need it.

Here are some examples of what was on my calendar:

• Driving my son to school: I value and enjoy that one-on-one time with him.

• Gym: I like to stay in shape, feel energized, healthy, and strong.

• Hiking Group: Besides the physical benefits, I love getting fresh air, vitamin D, and connecting with other healthy people

• Piano: Music brings me joy, helps me feel emotion and is good for my brain.

• Lunch with fellow coach: Keeps me motivated and connected.

• Book Club: I want to stay in touch with old friends and read fiction I wouldn’t otherwise read.

Once you’ve identified those things that take time, write down all the goals and projects you have that are taking your brain space.

2. Cut out three things

Unnecessary commitments, projects, tasks, responsibilities, and routines are taking up your time and energy. Some of these goals may be posing as needs. Are you trying to improve your life on too many fronts at once?

Where is the clutter? What is eating up your peace of mind and energy?

Here are the three things I’ve cut out for now:

• Checking email all the time: is one of my bad habits, and I realize now it is one of my “people pleasing” tendencies. I think I am being super efficient by emptying my inbox constantly, but I am actually living according to what other people want.

• My book: I have other projects (like this blog) taking up all of my writing time.

3. Seek help, delegate and automate tasks

Tasks that are necessary but time-consuming and time-wasting include housework, bookkeeping, fixing things in your house, or anything that would cost less to hire out to a professional than what you are producing per hour. For a rough calculation, take your monthly sales goal and divide it by 160 sell-able hours (40 hrs/week x 4 weeks). If your monthly sales goal is $10,000, divide it by 160. This equates to $62.50 per hour. If it costs you $25 per hour to hire cleaning help, it makes sense to hire a maid service.

So, get help, hire a therapist, get food delivered, outsource your taxes, hire a coach, or go to a support group.

4. Toss that daily to-do list

This is the hardest thing to do, for me anyway. Being a bit of a control freak, I’ve learned that I can plan but I cannot control the future. Working from a to-do list has given me a sense of control and safety, but it has also created a feeling of overwhelm and a lack of enthusiasm. Today I capture projects and tasks on lists (see my prior blog post on how to make paperwork fast, foolproof, and fun). I review these lists daily and choose what three items I will do today.

Joshua Fields Millburn of the Minimalists says it best in his “Does this add value to my life” post:

“Over time, though, situations will change — they always do. So I’m forced to ask the same important question over and over and over again: Does this thing add value to my life?… I constantly ask this question because circumstances constantly change: because something adds value to my life today doesn’t mean it’ll add value to my life tomorrow, so I keep asking and I keep adjusting accordingly.”

Initially, there will be some discomfort as you simplify your life. You might experience headaches or sadness. People around you may rebel against the new you. Hold on and resist the temptation to go back to your old ways.

A peaceful, successful, and more intentional life awaits you. You’ll have time for yourself, be more in touch with your values and feelings, and you’ll make better choices.