The Top 3 Exercise Questions, Answered

16 Oct The Top 3 Exercise Questions, Answered

Spend enough time listening to people and coaching regarding health and fitness like I do, and you’ll be quizzed on a fantastically wide range of topics, ideas and concepts. However, you tend to hear some of the same questions pop up regularly over the course of your discussions… I shall attempt to concisely address three of the most frequently asked here. In conversation, my first response to all of the below would be to ask a question to gain insight and provide context to the individual situation. But that’s coaching, and this is an article so here goes…

1 – What’s the best exercise?

• The best exercise is the exercise that you are most likely to get done regularly. It’s the exercise that you either enjoy or find easy to fit into your routine without it feeling like a chore. It’s the exercise that adds to your day in terms of positive intrinsic satisfaction. Clearly if your goal is to swim the channel you’d better get in the water but broadly speaking, many of the major benefits of exercise come with consistency in normal, regular movement, over a period of time.

2 – What’s the best way to stay consistent and motivated with my training?

• Build up your systems and habits. Our entire day is based on a series of habits in systems we perform subconsciously. For example, brushing your teeth, getting the kids ready, preparing/buying your lunch, your sleep routine etc. Let go of the idea that you need to be disciplined to get exercise done or that it will only happen when you’re motivated.

• Firstly, pick an activity you like, which you know is feasible in the time you have available.

• Let’s try and make exercise a habit which is a part of your day. Pick a time in the day it’s most likely to get done in advance and do your best to stick to this time.

• Attach the exercise to something else which is definitely going to happen. If lunch is at 12:30 perhaps start moving at 11:45, finish with a shower and head straight into lunch. Or why not use the process of brushing your teeth as a trigger to get 20 minutes of movement done before starting the rest of your day. Habits are an easy way to build consistency, and consistency drives motivation through delivering not only results, but that sense of satisfaction. Willpower rarely works as it’s first thing to go when the going gets tough.

3 – If I have no time for exercise what do you recommend?

• If you have no time for traditional exercise many of the benefits can be achieved through non-traditional means like general movement. When someone says they have no time for exercise they often mean they have no time to allocate half an hour (for example) to the palaver of getting into kit, sorting out equipment, having a shower, sorting out their hair and then returning to their day. If this is you, you’re not alone -it’s just the way it is for a great many people!

• Instead, try adding little bits of movement to your day in ways that don’t disrupt your flow in the same way that a training session would. For example:

Ten bodyweight squats on the hour every hour during your day

A pair of reverse lunges every 5 minutes while you’re preparing lunch

Floor Press your toddler during playtime

Powerwalking intervals while pushing a pram

Scapular squeezes every half an hour as you sit working at your laptop (set an alarm to remind you to do this one)

• I’ve seen many people achieve amazing benefits and results despite never actually ‘doing a workout’! In the absence of the opportunity to do ‘traditional exercise’ you can make a really big impact both physically and mentally with a personalised daily menu of movement. You’d be surprised how quickly this can become a habit and one which makes you feel energised and positive.

They you have it. Some brief answers addressing three of the questions I hear all the time. Do give them a try or feel free to get in touch – I can help provide a personalised solution for your individual needs.

For the answers to YOUR top 3 exercise questions, or help achieving your goal, contact me at: https://www.ayotrainingnutrition.com/contact/

Ayo Williams