The Fitness Motivation Monitor
March 2007
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Dear Fitness Friend
I find it hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the first quarter of the year!!!! Where did February go? Next Tuesday will be spring and with the weather warming up you know that if you haven't been as conscientious as you'd like since January 1st, that this is your second chance in the year to reset those goals. Come on, you CAN do it. Try increasing your lifestyle calories each day to burn more. Possibly think about buying a heart rate monitor or pedometer, or just email me your questions! Also, I now accept AMEX along with VISA + MC for your convenience. Happy Spring! Do let me know how I can help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
Best of health,
Katie Katz
The Top 10 Secrets to Staying Motivated Most
Personal Trainers Don’t Know
If you are struggling getting started or sticking to an exercise program or getting results, long term, even with the help of a personal trainer or group exercise class, there may be some solid reasons for your less than stellar results. The American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend being physically active most days of the week, yet the majority of people who use trainers do not exercise enough or at all on the 4-5 non-trainer days each week. This is because the usual client-trainer relationship creates an unbalanced dependency on the trainer or instructor. What can you do to break the pattern of instructor dependency and get so compelled to exercise on non-trainer days that your trainer’s biggest concern is making sure you are not training too hard? Here are the top 10 secrets to shifting the compass on your focus, drive and motivation with your exercise program that even your trainer doesn’t know about (or doesn’t want you to know):
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Self-monitoring: You can only control things you can measure. By using a heart rate monitor, like the Polar S120 or FS3 and an accelerometer to keep track of calories burned, like the Caltrac, all day long, even on the days when you are not with your trainer, you become the pilot or your exercise program and exercise becomes a fun game of numbers.
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Self-documentation: Get yourself personally involved by keeping track of your own daily goals and the actual activity you accomplish each day. Your commitment, focus and drive to achieve your goals will increase exponentially.
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Lifestyle activity: My clients become goal getting machines all day long by adding activities that take off several pounds a year that don’t even involve any formal exercise. How? I coach them to find the opportunity to increase lifestyle activity or non-exercise activity into their daily routines and to monitor and document their results. Some examples include taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the end of parking lots instead of in front of building entrances, and walking up and down every aisle at the grocery.
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Home-based exercise: over 24 years of research from Stanford University and other major research institutions prove that exercise programs centered on home-based exercise significantly increase compliance. Think about it, how many times have scheduling issues, car breakdowns, weather conditions, sick kids or time shortages halted your efforts to get to the gym or an exercise class? Some examples are videos, treadmills, walking or jogging around the neighborhood, slide boarding and stair climbing.
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Gym-based exercise as an accessory: Once you have achieved consistency and progression with your lifestyle activity and home-based exercise programs, going to the gym one or two days a week will provide access to equipment that can push your fitness gains to the next level.
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Phone-based accountability: Virginia Polytechnic, Stanford University and many other major research institutions have conducted almost a quarter century’s worth of solid research proving that phone coaching for physical activity increases motivation and compliance by 2200%! Holding yourself accountable by someone other than yourself by phone builds an irresistible internal drive for success.
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Phased approach to strength training: Just as in any change, making small, logical, progressive steps is greater assurance of success. I encourage you to wait until you have mastered sustainable change with your lifestyle activity and home-based aerobic exercise program BEFORE engaging in strength training, Pilates training or gym-based exercise.
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Expert coaching: Adding the expertise of a fitness coach boosts your confidence and drive by guiding you through safe and effective progression, technique and accountability. Make sure that your fitness coach is more committed to developing your internal drive than creating dependency on him or herself.
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Values-based exercise: A good trainer will also work with you to identify your value hierarchy and ensure your exercise program is congruent with your values. And, if exercising doesn’t serve your top values right now, you’d be better served to wait and find a time in your life when it will.
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Behavior-based goal setting: Outcome-based goals like how much weight or body fat you lose do not serve long term success with exercise. However, goals based on your behavior, like the readings on your heart rate monitor and Caltrac, are real numbers you can control on a daily basis. Imagine discovering, through your diligence of following these ten secrets, you effortlessly and joyfully went from burning 200 calories a day to 700 a day. That’s a pound a week and you haven’t even started your new eating plan yet!
Another Fitness by Phone® Success Story
“The diaries and phone sessions have given me the structure I need to accomplish my goals.”
When I first heard about the FBP program it sounded very interesting. I have never heard of a program like this before. I belong to a gym and have always wanted some advice and fitness help but sort of felt embarrassed to hire a personal trainer and have someone work out along side me. I decided to give this program a try for many reasons; I wanted to lose some weight, tone up my body, and create an all around healthier self. I used to have a more active lifestyle until I started working a full time office job. I sit most of the day at a desk and started to realize that my inactivity was catching up with me. I started to work out a little more at the gym but wasn't really noticing any results because I didn't have any structure. I would randomly go to the gym and work out on machines not really knowing what I was doing.
My FBP Coach explained in great detail all about the program and what I could expect from and out of it. The first week was great because I started to use my Caltrac which has now become a part of me, and I was able to see how doing small things can make a huge difference. For example, my Coach had recommended small steps like parking at the opposite end of the mall when shopping to burn more "C's", and break up my work day with 5 minute walking breaks outside of my building. The Caltrac has made me more aware of the daily calories that I should be burning. I then started to use my heart rate monitor which is awesome because you can see where you need to be while working out in order to see results.
Why I love it: I like having the phone sessions each week to recap the week before and then get ready for the upcoming one. My FBP Coach keeps it interesting because each week she gives me something new to try and new goals to strive for. The diaries and phone sessions have given me the structure I need to accomplish my goals. If I am ever unable to make a work out I am able to call or email my Coach and she can give me advice on how to make up the workout or something else I can do to burn calories. She is constantly praising me for doing well on my week. We set goals that are obtainable so it really keeps me motivated. I know that my Coach is working hard for me so I want to work hard at my work outs and reach my goals.
What I have gained: Well one thing I haven't gained is WEIGHT! I have lost 5lbs in the first month and feel that I am on my way to losing more. This is more than some crash diet, it is a gradual lifestyle change which proves that I will not just gain the pounds back. My Coach answers all my fitness questions and thoroughly explains the benefits of each new thing she teaches me. I have learned that 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat. She is very smart about all things fitness and how the body works. I have gained a new sense of self-esteem because I now realize that I can reach my fitness goals. I am really excited to see my results from month 2!!
Janice Strohbach
Willoughby, Ohio
Step 1
Sit on top of the body ball with your feet placed flat on the floor about hip-width apart. All the basic crunch tips still apply: hands behind your head so that your thumbs are behind your ears, elbows out, eyes and chin up.
Step 2
Slowly pull your abs inward as you lean back on the ball so that your entire back from your tailbone to your shoulders is resting on the ball.
Exhale as you curl up and forward until your shoulder blades come off the ball. Hold the midpoint position for a beat, then inhale, lowering slowly back down onto the ball. For a real challenge, try performing the same exercise with one foot elevated several inches off the floor.
For more info about Katdance Fitness by Phone, email: kblumkatz@verizon.net,Or call 410-757-8830
©Fitness By Phone®2007
