- Keep the end in mind. Training should support your health, make you FEEL better and not deplete you of energy. Nor should it be an emotional stress. Enjoy your training.
- It is OK to take it easy when you feel like you need to. Training at 100% all the time is unrealistic and not the best way to become fitter and stronger. Listen to your body and when you feel like taking it easy, do it.
- Try new things. Learning new skills and exercises will help your body become more resilient. Specializing in only a few exercises has an opportunity cost, meaning that by only focusing on 1 exercise (eg running) we forego the opportunity to develop other physical attributes such as strength and power training which will help our overall health in the long term.
- Remember to recover properly. Recovery is the most essential part of long term training. If we dont recover appropriately we will be missing out on the full benefits of training and may lead to overtraining. i. To download our free guide to better recovery click the link at the bottom of the page.
- Training is a journey NOT a destination. Keep that in mind as you will have some ups and downs with your training. The goal is to try remain as consistent as possible but also accepting that sometimes life will force you to modify and you will need to adapt to accommodate that.
- Dont get too comfortable. One of the hallmark requirements for improving your fitness is stress (the good kind). Typically we call this ‘effort’ and making sure that your effort is being challenged is important. This can be done by slowly increasing the weight you lift, increasing the volume (reps, distance etc), increasing your pace etc etc. It is ok to train at comfortable levels and it is important to do that, but just as important to make sure you have periods of working harder so the body ultimately adapts to that.
- Listen to your body. When you feel tired and low on energy it is ok to take it easy. When you are feeling good, push a little harder.
- Your training is not just for yourself. Keeping healthy through training impacts many around you. Consider yourself a role model to your family, friends and society everytime you go to the gym or hit the road for a run. You never know who you may have an impact on.
Download our recovery ebook to learn simple steps to optimize your recovery A Guide To Better Recovery
8 common sense tips for sustainable, long term exercise and injury reduction
