What is Fitness? How does one obtain the status of being fit? Experts may define physical fitness as “one’s ability to execute daily activities with optimal performance, endurance, and strength with the management of disease, fatigue, and stress and reduced sedentary behavior.”
So lets relate that to everyday life…..Fitness is the ability to do what we want, when we want without being disrupted by our physical and mental limitations. Basically, we want to do fun things and feel good while doing them.
How do you feel about your current health? Seems like a simple question but there is a lot to explore. Do you have a great workout regimen but your diet is holding you back? Do you have intentions of working out everyday but your job gets in your way? Do you talk about improving your health but are having difficulty executing?
So many of us have unrealistic expectations of what it actually takes to obtain better health. It can range from the low effort, “too good to be true” methods of fad dieting or supplements, to the intimidating “exercise every day forever and eat chicken and broccoli for every meal” method. Both ends of the spectrum will eventually let you down.
Lets break our long-term goals of fitness and health into 4 buckets and make them obtainable.
1. Your Exercise Regimen
True and sustainable fitness consists of Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Strength Training, and Flexibility. All 3 are equally important and here at SPENGA Littleton, we spend 20 minutes on each area in a group training environment. Spin, High Intensity Interval Strength Training (HIIT) and Yoga.
Having a well-rounded program that focuses on the 3 areas of fitness is not alone going to get you to reach your goals. The workouts must be…
- Effective. SPENGA Littleton workouts are designed and delivered by certified fitness professional instructors. Each workout is different, and our variety of functional equipment offers endless possibilities. We have removed all the guess-work.
- Efficient. Time is our greatest and most limited resource. We make sure we aren’t wasting yours. We do the programming, you just have to show up.
2. Your commitment, intensity and accountability
You now know the SPENGA workout program is efficient and effective, but like anything, you get out what you put in. The good news? You don’t need to exercise like an Olympian to achieve your goals. In fact, your body will perform better when you give it a chance to recover.
- Commitment. Consistency is key. Many times, we think “a little is good, so a lot MUST be better.” Not true for exercise. 3-4 times per week is plenty, especially if you are just beginning an exercise program. Setting a consistent schedule each week, while allowing for rest and recovery will yield greater results than punishing your body when it is begging for rest. That doesn’t seem so bad, does it?
- The Right Intensity. Notice how I didn’t say “the Maximum Intensity?” The right intensity in each area (spin, HIIT, yoga) allows you to make safe, sustainable gains in your cardio, strength and flexibility. You are only competing against your past performance at SPENGA. It is YOU VS YOU. No rankings, no leaderboards. As you get stronger and more experienced, your optimum intensity will gradually increase.
- Accountability. You can have the best exercise program and the best intentions, but who or what is going to keep you on track? We work with our members to set SMART goals, provide them methods to track progress, and make sure we are both holding up our end of the bargain. Plus, our community will encourage you to keep you on track. We are small and intimate. We know when you come and when you miss. Our commitment to you is to hold you accountable.
3. Your Nutrition
You can never “out-exercise” a bad diet. This is 100% true, especially as we get older. Your body is a complex machine, and the food you eat is the fuel. This actually should probably be our first bucket. The food we eat is the foundation for everything else we do.
Common nutrition misconceptions
- You have to starve yourself to lose weight
- Carbs are bad
- All calories are the same
- You will lose weight if you burn more calories than you eat.
We can help you separate fact from fiction. Introducing small changes over time is the most sustainable path to overall health. Proper nutrition is a journey of self-discovery. There is no “one size fits all” solution, but there are some universal truths that we can clue you in to. Just a couple of things we do to help our clients down this path…
- Healthy swaps
- Resources for understanding macro-nutrition
- Recipe recommendations
- Meal prep strategies
- Pre-work out meals
- Healthy snacks
4. Your Sleep
Yeah, we know it’s obvious, but there’s no amount of damage control you can do with diet and exercise without first getting the rest you need. Aim for at least 7-9 hours of shuteye per night to make sure your body gets the vital restoration sleep provides. A few easy tips to help us incorporate healthy sleep habits into our life
- Create a consistent schedule-- and try to stick to it even on weekends, holidays, etc
- Create a bed time ritual or routine to wind down
- Make sure you aren't hungry or stuffed when you go to bed
- Cool air may improve your quality of sleep
- Hours slept before midnight are usually higher quality than those following
Summary
Our path to fitness is never over. We must continually work on the 3 buckets above. We can have a cheat day, but we avoid the cheat week. Let’s start with a New Year’s Resolution, but let us help you make the lifestyle change. Fitness can be fun and enjoyable. The benefits of being healthy and fit far outweigh the negatives. The detriments of poor health have no benefits. Why continue to wait to do the things you love? Lets get started today!!
