In the last month, these fitness articles should have helped you develop a SMART goal, find the discipline each day to work toward that SMART goal and ultimately build consistency when it comes to your health and fitness aspirations.
Now that we’ve created what I would call the framework to succeed on your health and fitness path, we need to find different and creative ways to keep this fun and exciting. The reality is that sometimes this journey can be hard for a multitude of reasons. If we can remember to keep it fun, light-hearted and exciting as often as possible, it becomes a lifestyle much more easily adapted.
In my opinion, the best way to make health and fitness fun is to find a good support group that suits your needs. While I understand some of us may find better results and be less distracted when exercising alone, I still think some type of support group is necessary.
Although I am the type of person who possesses a great deal of self-discipline and will ensure I get my workout in no matter what, I still have some of the most effective workouts when I have a workout partner. This can come in different forms. It may be another member you meet at the gym, it could be a trainer, a more experienced gym-goer, a friend/partner or even a group of people.
Regardless of how you find your support and who they are, these people will help you push toward your goals when you’re having a down day — and you will do the same for them. You remind them that they can run one more kilometre and you tell them you know they can do three more reps!
A fitness support group also helps keep us on a schedule in more ways than one. It first ensures we show up and are held accountable for our goals. It can also encourage a different mix of workouts when it comes to cardio and weight training.
Last, fitness with others helps keep things creative. Someone else may have a new idea in terms of how to get your least favourite workout done. For instance, cardio isn’t my favourite so sometimes I try to switch it up. Rather than running on the treadmill, I may run outside or use the battle ropes just to keep things interesting. My workout partners and I may see who can beat their best time on the treadmill.
To conclude, like-minded people with similar goals are always better than one when it comes to fitness and many other aspects in life as well. Who’s your support person or group?
This week I’ve been asked about supplements. Many people who come to my gym or who I run into in the industry ask me my opinion on supplements and which ones I think they should be taking. The point of supplements is they are just that: supplements. They are meant to supplement something you might be missing from your diet in order to form and grow muscle and strength. I think the most important one is protein. A lot of people do not get enough protein to fuel their output and muscle strength.
My biggest piece of advice in terms of this would be to track your workouts and diet for a week (you can download apps for this) and see if you are getting enough of the right calories. A lot of people don’t see muscle growth and it is usually because they are lacking protein. If this is something you think you are struggling to get from food, researching protein supplements or high protein foods may be worth exploring. Many people think it just comes from foods such as meat and eggs, however, there is a wide variety of food resources that suit all dietary restrictions and needs.
Remember guys, everybody is different and any one health and fitness tip might not work for everyone. For tailored advice, I advise reaching out to a fitness instructor in your area, or come visit us at The Barn in Elmsdale!
Each week, I’ll feature a reader’s question, provide my general advice and opinion on the topic. Want me to answer your questions? Email me at [email protected].
Emmett Blois is a fitness trainer and owner of The Barn Fitness in Elmsdale, N.S. He’s passionate about working out and helping people reach their fitness goals.
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