We are dedicating this entire week to MOVE, and have been sharing lots of fitness tips and free workouts via our Facebook, twitter, and instagram accounts. I have also been finding out what burning questions our clients have that are fitness related, so that I can share my answers.....
How can I get in shape for my wedding?
One of my favourite exercises is the plank builder..... a client has recently coined it my signature move, and I swear by it for working your shoulders and your abs. A friend of mine got married a few weeks ago, and in the run up to her wedding had been asking which particular exercises to focus on to help her upper body look good in her wedding dress - plank builders were the answer! I love the shape that this exercise helps you to achieve around your shoulders and chest, and you always feel good after you have done them - they are certainly not easy!
A plank builder starts in a high plank position, with hands underneath your shoulders, and then drops down into a low plank position, one arm at a time. Begin with 5-10 leading with one arm, and then switch to lead with the other arm. Work up to 15-20 reps on each arm, and repeat, for 3-4 sets.
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| High plank starting position - move in to a low plank from here, one arm at a time. |
I need help to be more motivated.....
Don't feel like doing plank builders? Don't feel like doing much at all? Motivation is a common stumbling block associated with exercise behaviour - the hardest part of a workout is often showing up. These are my tips to help you stay motivated towards your fitness goals:
Don't feel like doing plank builders? Don't feel like doing much at all? Motivation is a common stumbling block associated with exercise behaviour - the hardest part of a workout is often showing up. These are my tips to help you stay motivated towards your fitness goals:
1. Make exercising fun.
If you don't like cycling, then don't get on a bike. If dancing isn't your thing, then don't force yourself to go to the class. Choose a method of exercising that you enjoy, something that makes you feel good. If you enjoy what you do, you are more likely to choose to do more of it. I love to run as it de-stresses my mind, and allows me to think more clearly. What do you love to do? There are so many ways of exercising now that there is absolutely something for everyone! Whether it be walking, swimming, running, boxing, or working with a personal trainer, or zumba, ballestics, or hula hooping - find your fun and do more of it!
2. Plan and prepare for your workouts ahead of time
Decide on a Sunday, what training you will be doing for the next week ahead. Commit to the sessions you have planned, and own your schedule. If you are exercising in the morning, get your trainers out the night before, set your alarm with a note reminding you that you have a workout to enjoy, and trust that you will feel better after your workout than you did before. If you exercise in the evening, try to pre-empt any dips in motivation during the day by following a healthy eating plan that stabilises your blood sugar, and by preparing a self-talk strategy that can help you to turn things around when the last thing you want to do is workout. Come up with a positive fitness related mantra, and repeat this to yourself over and over again if you find your motivation wavering. You might choose something like, "if it doesn't challenge me it does't change me", or, "I am grateful to be healthy enough to workout" - whatever it is that helps to motivate you and show up for your workout. If you have children, arrange childcare ahead of time, or get them involved in your commitment to workout - ask them to help to motivate you, or even exercise together!
3. Exercise with a trainer or a friend
You are likely to reach your goals more quickly if you exercise with a friend or with a trainer. Being accountable to somebody other than yourself helps you to stay motivated and you are less likely to miss a workout. You will also notice that your workouts are more enjoyable (see point number one!) and that time goes by more quickly - why not share a personal training session with a friend for double the benefits? Exercising with a trainer brings the added benefit of helping ensure you are always exercising with proper technique, and also that you are pushing yourself enough to continue making progress.
4. Listen to your favourite music
This is something that is so incredibly powerful when it comes to motivating you towards your workouts. Make a playlist of all of your favourite songs, and remind yourself that you get to listen to it when you are working out. Make it something that you look forward to, and attach it to your exercise, so that you know you will enjoy your workout when you are there. If music doesn't motivate you then why not listen to an audiobook instead?
5. Remember your why.
Be sure to remember why you started. Make a note of where your motivation came from in the first place and refer to it when you feel as if you have lost your way. My motivation is always to build a healthy, fit and strong me, and to energise myself for the day ahead. Your motivation might be the same, or it might be something different. You might want to achieve a certain weight on your squat, or you might want to be able to exercise without knee pain, you might be training to look good in a bikini, or you might have a body fat goal that you want to reach. Actually connecting with your why, and really feeling it, can help you to rediscover your motivation and realise that there is something much bigger that the nagging defeatist voice in your head, and that it has your best interests at heart.
With Gratitude,
Niyc xx
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