All I want for Christmas Santa, is the ability to over-indulge and still lose weight!!
More chance of surviving Black Friday without being pepper sprayed!!
Seriously though, we will be looking at our lifestyle, more importantly our health and what we need to do about it.
Do I pop down to my local gym, with it's very nice surroundings, pool, steam room, sauna and over excitable staff!! Watching the latest fashion parade of sports and leisure wear, worn by the same faces I saw last January kick-starting their fitness campaigns.
Or do I do something different?
Well wanting to try something new, well not that new, but a different approach I suppose. I have embarked on a Running program. Nothing new there, I hear you say! This time I have a proper structure to my approach. No popping down to Sports Direct and buying all the right gear, Top of the range trainers, good quality training clothing and treat myself to a GPS gimmicky thing! Following a bit of research, I have discovered what sort of running gait I have, which in turn helped me choose the most appropriate running shoes. You Tube videos cover the subject very well, with some clear and informative clips.
Next, prepare properly to avoid injuries and losing motivation. Consult your GP, especially if you do not exercise on a regular basis. This will help set out realistic goals and not start off too quickly which will be of no benefit to you. Regular check ups with your GP will assist in determining how your body is coping with the new fitness regime before it is too late. Too much running too soon will cause injuries.
Start slowly, a brisk walk followed by a bit of gentle jogging and gradually increase the distance you start running at the end of each walk. This will ensure you have given your body time to warm up, before you start running.
The temptation to want to be doing our personal bests and seeing the weight drop off, is understandable, but also the quickest way of losing motivation. It will take time before we see the fruits of our labour! Anyway it is 4 years before the next Olympics!!
So we have started nice and slowly, the Doc as given their seal of approval. Our feet are being caressed by the latest technology and we cut a dashing figure in our replica Team GB running kit, well it was on special offer!
Where to go running? With a little bit of research, I located a prepared track not too far away, so this helped with a good place to give me a guide on how well I was doing. However, variety is the spice of life, so I had already walked a couple of routes with my trusty Mutts, who to be brutally honest, were starting to fill out a bit in their old age!! My back up plan in the case of bad weather, or in order to treat myself to a soak in the Jacuzzi, the treadmill. Having a variety of surfaces to run on, gives my old knees a break from a constant hard surface, plus a change in surroundings.
On the subject of bad weather, a few top tips on clothing:
Hot - Cap, Sun-Cream and plenty of water.
Cold - Cap, Layers of clothing as opposed to thick clothing and thin insulated gloves.
Wet - Waterproof jacket, decent grip on your trainers and consider high viz markings if running on the road.
Keeping a record of your running program, is well worth it. I use a very easy to use App on my iPhone. It also as a built in GPS, which maps out the distance, time and gradient. So no need for that GPS gimmicky thing, good job I kept the receipt! Recording your runs helps mark your improvements and keep you motivated. I also record the weather conditions. Having a look over past runs, at distances you first thought impossible, which you are now doing without thinking about, gives your motivation a healthy kick.
Watching my weight gradually drop off during my new approach to running, was at first very frustrating. It seemed to take ages before I noticed any improvement, although my running was getting better! So I stopped the weekly weigh in and just concentrated on my running. I also found myself eating better without making too much of an effort. I suppose it was me just not wanting to spoil the effort I was putting in.
If you do start to lose motivation, a couple of things to consider:
- Run with a friend or training buddy
- Local running club
- Run with your dog (if you have one)
- Review your goals, ensure they are achievable
If you take anything away from this article, please chat with your GP first before embarking on your Olympic dream!!
Useful resource for your fitness program: Healthy Running Guide
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