Today my message is fairly brief, not based on any statics or facts, but just what I see pretty much on a daily basis. And I’m sure most of you see it too (whether you take much notice though is another thing…. Maybe you will after reading this!)

Lately I’ve been reminded that I need to exercise and eat well for more than just being happy with what I see in the mirror. I’ve been reminded that it’s about more than a kg goal, or a dress size goal, or wanting my dream body.

More and more often I’m noticing people, who don’t appear to be ‘old’, but are either struggling to walk, way too overweight and struggling to function, relying on walking sticks, and generally day to day life seems to be a battle. And again, these are not always people who I would consider to be old or elderly, not at all! When I see these people, I do wonder if they’d taken better care of themselves earlier in their lives would they be having a much better time now, and would getting in and out of their car be an easier task, for example. It’s a reality check that I think we all need. Take some notice next time you’re out and about.

I badly want to stay fit as I go through my life. I think too many of us take for granted that for now we’re moving well without pain or walking frames, but if you don’t keep yourself fit and maintain (or get to) a healthy weight then it won’t last forever. I have more specific goals right now too, but in the bigger picture, I want to stay fit and well for as long as I possibly can. I will do whatever it takes to maintain my fitness, and I hope you all will too. I don’t want to get ‘old’ before my time, I would imagine this would cause quite a lot of misery and cause people to miss out on a lot of fun stuff. It could also result in hefty medical bills and many doctors appointments.

I understand that there are some conditions that are out of our control, but as far as keeping yourself fit and moving, you’re completely in charge of that. And that’s much easier to maintain when you’re capable, rather than trying to get it back once it’s gone. I know when I was in my 20’s I didn’t think twice about any of this stuff, but as time flies by I think we all need to be grateful for what we’ve got and hang on to it. So if you’re not in a good routine now and living a healthy lifestyle, my advice is to change that quick smart! Don’t look back with regrets.

I know we can’t slow down or turn back time, but keeping yourself healthy and fit while you can is an absolute must.

Never forget the bigger picture, keep your body ‘young’ for as long as you possibly can!

Have a great day,

Paula

If you’ve been through periods of time when your health and fitness has taken a back seat, you’re only human, and absolutely not alone. You can be going along quite nicely, and then all of a sudden without even realising it, you’re making very little effort (if any) to care for yourself. You’re feeling flat, possibly emotionally eating, and feeling a little like you’re never going to get yourself back on track and in a good place. Fortunately for myself, this hasn’t happened to me for years and years, but I do see it all the time and it makes me feel sad to see clients kicking huge goals one minute, and then regressing back to square one the next. Shame to see all that hard work come undone, but it does happen quite a lot.

I’m here to try and help those of you who have lost your motivation, and also anyone who is testing the health and fitness waters for the first time.

Fitness Is About YOU

One of the mistakes I often see is people trying to stay fit and in shape for everyone else, but not themselves. These days, a lot of my motivation comes from wanting to keep strong and in shape to hopefully inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle, but even before I was a personal trainer and worked in office jobs, I worked out and kept fit purely for myself and how that lifestyle made me feel. To be truly successful long term, you have to get it out of your head that health and fitness is all about looking great on the outside or pleasing others, and realise that fitness is an inner happiness that only you can control and be a part of.

You need to understand that you are the owner of your body and mind, and that nobody else’s opinions of you matters – once you get your head around that you’ll be well on your way to being healthy and fit, long term.

It’s you against you, and that’s the way it should be. Outside pressures from family, friends, or society can cause insecurities and usually leads to loss of motivation and giving up. Striving to be better for you and you only, is what it’s all about!

It Only Takes One Small Change

Another common health and fitness mistake is when people try to make too many changes all at once. This usually becomes all too hard and again we’re back to square one. You’ve probably all heard that small changes can make a big difference. Just set little goals, make small changes, and go from there.

We are creatures of habit, and destructive behaviours can very easily become part of our daily lifestyles. Sometimes it seems impossible to see the end goal through the many negative feelings. The good news is that you don’t need to see the end, you only have to take that first step.

Creating change and breaking old habits is a difficult thing to do for the majority of us. The key is to start doing something different, anything that’s outside of your normal routine that will take you one small step closer to your goal. Even just one thing to begin with. You might just be surprised at how big of an impact these small changes can make. A new thought or positive habit can start to make a huge difference to your mind and body and hopefully will have a snowball effect.

Write to Yourself!

A little trick I read about a while ago, is to sit down after your workouts and write a letter to yourself about how you feel (or even a diary entry). Take note of your stress levels, energy levels, mental state, and you can even give yourself a pat on the back while you’re at it! This can help re-enforce in your mind how great working out makes you feel both physically and mentally. You could also do the same thing when you’ve eaten really well, at the end of the day write down how it’s made you feel – a great reminder for the following day!!

You never know what’s going to be that driving force that changes your life, but I can assure you that if you do nothing, nothing will ever change. Take your positive thoughts, make it an action and then go with the flow. You never know how it might change your life, forever. Wouldn’t it be nice to get on track and STAY on track this time?!

Have a great day!

Paula

Do you get enough sleep??

So many of us don’t even come close to getting enough shut-eye. Maybe you are not allowing for ‘wind down’ time before jumping into bed, or maybe you are going to bed with a head full of thoughts that you can’t shut down. Whatever the reason, lack of sleep is such a huge issue and needs to be worked on, especially due to the negative effect it has on weight loss.

If you are trying to lose body fat, adequate sleep is so important to help you on your way. Lack of sleep can cause poor judgment, including poor food choices, and lack of motivation, which can lead to ditching your workouts. Not enough sleep can also mess with your hormones. The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone which tells us when to eat, and when we are sleep deprived our ghrelin levels rise. Leptin is the hormone which signals that we’ve had enough to eat, and sleep deprivation decreases leptin. SO….. Excess ghrelin combined with decreased leptin results in unwanted weight gain!!

Here are some helpful ways to change your lifestyle, keep those hormones in check, and get some decent sleep:

• Meditation – on a personal level, meditating has made my sleep patterns so much better. I used to get anxious before bed time worrying that I wouldn’t sleep, but meditating on a regular basis has changed that completley. This is the book I use, and I highly recommend it – http://www.booktopia.com.au/silence-your-mind-dr-ramesh-manocha/prod9780733628771.html. However, there are many other great books, and you can also get lots of good (free) apps for meditation too.
• Avoid stimulants after 2pm – everyone responds differently to stimulants such as caffeine. For me, it doesn’t seem to keep me awake no matter what time of the day I might have a cuppa, but it can leave some people wide awake at night – and if this is you, I’d make your last coffee or tea around 2pm.
• Have a wind-down ritual – ideally start winding down a couple of hours before you plan to get to bed. This can include dimming lights, staying off your computer/iphone/ipad and any other gadget which emits light. This will help let your body know it’s night time and almost time to sleep. This one is really important this day and age, as we are so over-stimulated with lit-up screens and gadgets.
• Keep your room dark – if you can’t get your bedroom to be pitch black for whatever reason, maybe try using a sleep mask. And ideally aim for a room temperature of around 18 degrees.
• Allow for 7-9 hours per night – this means knowing your wake-up time and working out the time you need to get to bed for adequate sleep.
• You may have heard that every hour of sleep before midnight is much more valuable than the hours after midnight. Your best quality of sleep is obtained when your circadian rhythm is at its lowest point – usually between 10 pm – 5 am. Therefore even if you obtain a good amount of sleep (7-9 hours), going to bed too late is likely to lead to a large amount of your sleep being inefficient. So plan your night so you’re relaxing or winding down from 8-9pm, and make the most of those quality hours before midnight.
• Check your Vitamin D3 levels – the part of the brain responsible for sleep has a large concentration of vitamin D3 receptors, and the entire sleep-wake cycle is disrupted if the receptors are deficient. Vitamin D3 also influences many other hormonal processes in the body that affect body rhythms, including reproduction, metabolism, digestion and cardiovascular health, all of which influence fatigue and sleep regulation. So get your levels checked!

If you’re not getting enough sleep, try to recognise why and start working on the necessary changes. Your mind and body will thank you!

Have a great day!

Paula

Something I get asked often is how to spot reduce fat.

Examples:

· How do I get rid of this stubborn fat from my thighs?
· How can I lose my back fat?
· How do I stop my arms from jiggling?

Most of us have that one area we aren’t so happy with, and the fat there just seems to be more stubborn than other areas. It’s frustrating, as you’re possibly losing fat from everywhere else, but just can’t get those thighs to tighten up.

I’m not here with great news!! Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth.

I know I’m often saying “stop blaming your genes” when it comes to fat and fat-loss, however, in this case, your genetics and body shape/type will determine where your fat is most likely to be deposited first, and where you will lose it from last.

For example, if you are a ‘pear’ shape (bigger hips and thighs, smaller waist) then the hip/thigh area will be your most stubborn for fat loss. If you are more of an ‘apple’ shape, where your stubborn area is around your middle, then your stomach will be your problem area. If you put on weight, that’s where the fat goes, and it’ll be the last to go.

So, how do you best deal with those stubborn spots? Eat a nutritionally balanced diet and watch portion sizes, keep muscle on your body using compound movements, and keep your cardio workouts short and intense (get your heart rate up high). The way to work on your arm fat is exactly the same way you tackle your hip and thigh fat. No rocket science, and nothing changes, same solution for all problem areas.

If you are a pear shape (common for women), don’t expect fat from your hips and thighs to be the first place for fat to leave, and if you’re bigger in the middle, same deal. It will go when it’s ready, IF you keep up with your super eating and regular workouts.

Your specific problem areas are the first place fat will go, and the last to leave. There’s really nothing that can be done about that, other than your brilliant eating and exercise routine.

One thing you CAN do though is spot build – so, if you’re wanting bigger, stronger looking legs, arms, calves, etc, then you can absolutely spot build muscle through targeting those areas with weight training. Spot-build muscle – yes, spot reduce fat – no!!

So treat fat on your legs or bum the same way you treat fat-loss in general. Great diet, regular and intense exercise and get as much muscle on your body as you can. Those stubborn areas will catch up, as long as you’re consistent!!

Have a great day!

Paula

Fibre is often forgotten about. We always talk about fats, carbs and protein, but fibre often misses out. Shame, as it’s super important and has many health benefits.

The main role of fibre is to help keep the digestive system healthy and keep our bowel movements regular. It has also been shown to benefit those with diabetes, control blood cholesterol and glucose levels and also assists with weight control – yay! In countries that traditionally eat high-fibre diets, it has been found that diseases such as bowel cancer and coronary heart disease are less common.

In regards to helping to control weight, high-fibre foods tend to have a lower energy density, meaning they have fewer calories per gram of food. So a person on a high-fibre diet can consume the same amount of food but with fewer calories. High fibre foods are often bulky and therefore more filling, this can extend the time that we feel ‘full’ which stops us looking for more food. It also helps to maintain lower blood sugar levels and prevent blood insulin levels rising rapidly, which has been linked with obesity and diabetes risk.

Many of us are consuming too little fibre (it’s suggested we eat 25-30g daily), but the good news is it’s quite easy to increase the amount of fibre in our diets (rather than relying on supplements):

• Choose whole grain breads and cereals instead of white, refined alternatives
• Quinoa
• Eat enough veggies!
• Fruit – leave the skin on where possible
• Baked beans / lentils / chick peas
• Nuts and seeds

Dietary fibre absorbs fluid so it’s important to drink enough water, aim for 2 + litres. As a rule of thumb, having wee that’s clear rather than yellow (except first thing in the morning) is a sign that you’re getting enough water. I’m sure you’re all hitting your 2 litres daily anyway right?!!

Hopefully most of the above foods are already a part of your balanced diet, and you’re already getting sufficient fibre. If not, it could be worth having a look at your current intake.

One thing to remember, if you’re currently on a fairly low-fibre diet, don’t increase your fibre intake too quickly, this could make for a gassy, bloated and irritable stomach. Slow and steady!

For weight control, good health and digestive system, take note of your fibre intake! If you’re a bit low – (under 25g) it shouldn’t be a matter of adding extra food to your diet, you may just need to make a few changes and better choices!!

Have a great day!

Paula

At some stage, you have probably felt some frustration or confusion about why you may not get the fast results you were hoping for. You’ve started exercising, changed some eating habits and expect to be fixed overnight!!? Sound familiar at all?!

I absolutely understand that it’s easy to be impatient and we’d all love quick changes. BUT, next time you find yourself wishing for faster results – ask yourself if you’ve actually been earning it or not. Ask yourself HONESTLY!!

If you’re currently following a food plan – have you been following it, or adding a few snacky extras? Have you been measuring your food or are you going way over on your portion sizes? Have you been planning ahead with your food, or are getting caught out with ‘nothing’ in the fridge which leads to a quick trip to KFC? Have you been eating mindfully, or eating without even thinking about it? Have you been consistent, or are you having a good few days then a rubbish weekend?

Now think about your workouts – have you been giving it 100%, or taking it a bit easy? Do you push yourself out of your comfort zone? Do you make a million excuses why you can’t exercise?

If you are currently wishing for better results – have a good think about the above questions and see what you come up with. Like most things in life, you get what you deserve. And that doesn’t have to be directed at poor results – if you work your butt off and eat right consistently, you’ll get great results, and that’s what you deserve. If you’re not watching your food and only doing a half-arsed workout once in a while, you’ll get what you deserve. Either way – your actions will determine your results.

There’s no point bitching if you aren’t happy with your measurements, knowing you’ve been slacking off. Just use it as a reminder that you need to work at it, consistently. It’s not easy, if it was easy everyone would be doing it and our growing obesity rate wouldn’t be so scary. It does take time and planning, but it’s absolutely worth it.

So eat for your goals, give it your everything at training, and you’ll get what you deserve!!

Have a great day!

Paula

I hear of this more often than I’d like – people deciding that it’s ok to keep up their current eating habits (and for the sake of this story let’s assume those habits aren’t great) because they exercise and believe they will “burn it off.” Then, even worse, there are some people who eat MORE food (on top of already not-so-great habits) with the same mindset – “it’s ok, I’ll burn it off.” You absolutely do burn calories when you exercise, and if it’s intense you will also burn calories later in the day as you recover, but you can’t out train a bad diet. Unless you’re planning marathon style exercise sessions – you CAN’T do it!!! And if you’re guilty of ‘I’m too busy to exercise’ this will hopefully hit home.

Two groups of people who are most likely to get away with excess calories are professional athletes…. and kids – the ones who run all day!

But for most of us – we will be very lucky to lose weight (exercising or not) if we eat badly/too much. Have a think about your own journey – and I think you’ll agree.

The day I realised this, was the day I stopped banging my head against a wall. I then worked on my eating as a priority, as I knew that had the most control over weight/fat loss, and my workouts were much more enjoyable with a focus on being fitter and stronger (and subsequently being happier with how I look). The focus wasn’t on burning off excess food or punishing myself, as I’d learnt this isn’t how it works. I wish I’d worked it out sooner – but better late than never I guess.

I must admit, if I’ve gone off track with food (which thankfully happens rarely these days) I still sometimes find myself using workouts as a kind of ‘punishment’ ….. Even though I know that’s not what gets me my results. It’s pretty hard to snap out of that mentality, it really is. But you need to try, otherwise you’ll be an over-eater and over-exerciser forever (or until you change your ways!). If you’re relatively new to the whole weight loss world, the first change you should be working on is your food. Get yourself in the right place mentally by understanding your need to look at your eating first, then focus on the exercise. If you’re not open to making some changes with your food, you’re going to be in a bit of trouble. Change brings change.

As a trainer, I find it sad and frustrating seeing clients bust their butts at training, but never get the results that they want. If you feel like you are working really hard, but see no change over a period of time, it usually means there’s an issue with food. You are more than likely getting fitter and stronger, and feel better within yourself, but if you are eating too much and making poor choices, your weight is unlikely to change and your clothes probably won’t feel any looser. Please, please please understand that your eating must change first and foremost – IT’S A MUST!!!!!

If you choose not to change or fix your eating, your relationship with exercise will become more damaged than it maybe already is – you’ll be giving it everything but it will give you very little back (assuming that weight/fat loss if your goal). This then results in frustration and confusion and either give up, or you’ll question if the type of exercise you are doing is wrong, and wonder what changes you need to make to your workouts. Some people even try to workout for longer, or push a little harder. But again, it comes back to moving on from the mindset that you’ll ‘burn if off.’ I can’t emphasise enough how much more enjoyable workouts are when you’re not in ‘punishment mode’ – the pressure comes off and you still get great results. AND you will hopefully enjoy working out a little more!

So make a conscious decision to end the vicious cycle of over-eating – punishment and guilt – over-eating – punishment and guilt, and so on . Its unhealthy, and a waste of time and effort. And back to those that claim ‘I’m too busy’ to effectively lose weight – think about getting your food right (takes little time) and cutting out time-consuming punishment style workouts.

Again, exercise DOES burn calories and is a huge part of your weight loss efforts, but you won’t see much change (in regards to weight loss) if you still eat whatever and whenever you like. And don’t get me wrong, your diet does NOT need to be crazy strict and hard to maintain, just balanced, sensible and consistent. Come and see me if you want a hand with your eating plan.

Make today the day you realise that you won’t out-run or out-squat or out-cycle a poor diet. I wish we could, but we can’t.

Focus – fix food first!!

Have a super day

Paula

So these words are probably not going to sit well with everyone, I understand that we all have different views on whether Mums taking time out to exercise and look after themselves is selfish or not.

If you’re a Mum, I’m sure at some stage you’ve battled with this issue, or maybe even used kids as a ‘reason’ for not having the time to take care of yourself. For me, I love my kids more than anything. But never once since having my kids have I been tempted to put my health and fitness on hold. Sure I backed off a little during my pregnancies, and I relaxed my eating a bit but still ate well. I kept healthy for my own benefit, and for the benefit of my kids. It never, ever occurred to me to stop investing in my health because I have children – why would I put that at risk when these 2 need me and rely on me. To me, I kind of see it as the opposite of selfish – as I want my kids to have a healthy happy Mum who will be around for a long time!

I hear it so often, Mums telling me that their kids take up all their time, and put themselves last at the expensive of their health and fitness. I have no doubt that the intention is good – but putting yourself last all the time doesn’t help anyone. By taking care of ourselves, we are in a better place both physically and mentally to take care of our children.

We are reminded of this when we fly – incase of an emergency while flying with children, we are instructed to place the oxygen mask on ourselves first and then attend to our children. Is this selfish? No, it just puts us in a much better place to be able to look after our kids. To be able to protect our kids, we need to be well first.

By working out and eating well, we help prevent illness, maintain or build strength and reduce stress levels so that we are better prepared to look after our loved ones – as well as feeling great ourselves. You are not much good to anyone when you’re ill or lethargic all the time. If you’re spending all your time focusing on everyone else, you’ll end up exhausted, with little left in the tank physically or emotionally. Eventually, your body will tell you that you need some personal attention. Hopefully, this won’t be in the form of anything serious such as a heart attack or stroke. And obviously if you get yourself to this point, you’re no good to anyone. Best to not wait for something like this to happen before you decide it’s time to change – much better to be on the front foot – get well and stay well. For you, and your kids.

Not only will you be fit and healthy and in a better place to be a great parent, you are also being a super role model and encouraging them to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle too. Show your kids this great way of life and they’ll not know any different. If they are constantly watching you make poor food choices and rarely (or never) see you exercise – it’s not setting them up for a healthy way of life. In the past I have absolutely had moments when I’ve felt selfish for taking time out to exercise since having my kids, but when I see them run laps around our driveway just for the hell of it, I have no regrets whatsoever. Same goes for your food choices. Don’t expect your kids to eat veggies if you never eat any. Show them the way! Everyone wins when your great habits are passed onto everyone in your family.

My other message today is about being careful not to make kids an excuse as to why you “can’t” exercise or “don’t have time.” If you are genuinely “too busy” with kids to look after yourself, then sounds like your kids lives are way too hectic and things may need to change. School holidays – and our Group PT session this morning – is a great example. There were kids galore at training this morning! Every one of the Mums could have used having the kids home as a reason not to exercise. But they brought them along, and in turn showed them that they care about their health and fitness. AND they worked on being their best so they can continue to be awesome parents!

Having kids is one of the best reasons to keep yourself healthy and fit – so take time out to keep yourself well for you and your family. And if anyone wants to call that selfish, that’s ok! Sticks and stones, right?

Have a great day,

Paula

It’s hard to find a magazine these days that isn’t full of crazy diets promising you the body of your dreams. More often than not, these diets are promising unrealistic and unmaintainable results. But don’t feel bad if you’ve fallen for them at some stage – the advertising is very clever, and often even a hot celebrity is used as a marketing tool. Why wouldn’t you be tempted? Like everything though, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If you’re considering a diet that mentions any of the following – tread carefully!!

• One that promised a quick fix
• One that excludes or severely restricts food groups or nutrients, such as carbohydrates
• One that makes claims based on a single study or testimonials only
• One that provides bars or shakes as your meals
• One that includes diet or weight loss pills
• I think you get the message.

My belief is that everything your body needs can and should come from real food. Meal replacements are refined, usually not very enjoyable, anti-social and hard to maintain. If you are like me and love to eat – why would you spend every lunch time forcing down a meal-replacement shake instead of enjoying a nutrient-rich meal that you can look forward to eating? Why would you prepare a beautiful meal for your family, only to sit down with a tasteless bar or shake? Surely the better option is to learn about nourishing your body, enjoy eating great food knowing that at the same time you’re looking after yourself.

One question I like to ask people is “How long can you maintain this diet” – if it’s only very short term, then chances are your results will only be short-term too. And for me, to lose weight and then put it all back on would make me pretty miserable. So we need to be very wary of ‘quick fixes’ or rapid weight loss claims. Clever marketing can play with our emotions and we can be easily convinced that fad diets are the best thing for us.

Here’s a few reasons why you should avoid them:

• Dehydration
• Weakness and fatigue
• Nausea and headaches
• Constipation
• Inadequate vitamin and mineral intake

Also keep in mind – any initial weight loss on these diets is usually not fat – it’s often water and lean muscle – which is not at all what we want. Very restricted calories can lead to the body breaking down muscle for energy, which will in turn lower our metabolism. With a slow metabolism, when you go back to normal eating again you’ll put all the weight straight back on. Sad right?!

If you’re currently on a restricted, processed, unbalanced diet for weight loss, then I would highly recommend you switch to a healthy eating plan that fits with your goals and lifestyle, is packed with nutrients, and can be maintained. As fad diets cannot be maintained, continuing to experiment with them will have you yo-yo dieting for the rest of your life. Eating great is easier than you think. All you need is an open-mind, and a strong desire to look after and love your body. You will feel better, look better and be confident that you can finally maintain your healthy weight once and for all – without the pressure of being on a highly restrictive diet.

And if you’ve been telling yourself that you’re ‘too busy’ or ‘don’t have time’ to eat well – MAKE time – that’s no excuse!!

If you want a hand, I LOVE to talk about food and would love to help you on your way. I offer 30 or 60 min Nutrition Sessions! (30 mins is best for a follow up/tune up session, 60 mins best for first time consultation).

Please let me know if you are sick of the diets, sick of your weight going up and down, sick of starting and searching for new diets all the time, and want to get on track once and for all!!

Paula

www.beyourbestpt.com.au

PS – There is a place for very low calorie diets (VLCD) such as meal replacements for anyone with a medical condition who needs to lose a lot of weight – this would need to be discussed with your doctor.

Cardio – you either love it, or you hate it! Or…….. you hate doing it, but love the feeling once it’s done! (that is me)

A cardio workout is great for our heart and lungs, for anyone training for an event such as a fun run or marathon, a great way to relieve stress and great for a bad mood!

But for losing fat, steady state cardio such as a jog or walk, or an hour on a bike (at the one pace) is not overly effective. Is it better than doing nothing?…… of course!! But it’s not essential or very effective for fat loss. When we perform steady state cardio, like a jog or walk, we do burn calories. But when the jog or walk is finished, so is the calorie burning. The calories will only be burnt for the duration of the session.

Before I go on, I need to say that if you’re new to exercise, ANYTHING you do will have a huge benefit. Your body won’t be used to doing much at all, so even a walk can shock your body and calorie burn will be high. But once you’ve past the beginner stage, you need to start changing things!

What is much more effective for fat loss is combining strength/resistance exercises with high intensity interval training – HIIT. If you use HIIT rather than steady state, you will be burning calories during the workout, but the great news is you’ll also be burning calories after your workout is finished. High intensity = all day long calorie burn, and this is what we want for fat loss. Another bonus of HIIT is that you spend a lot less time doing cardio – which is brilliant news and also removes the “I don’t have time to exercise” excuse. A steady state cardio session can take an hour or more, much more time consuming than a quick 20 minute HIIT workout. The HIIT session will have you out of your comfort zone (or at least it should!) but will be over much quicker and so much more effective. A great way example of a HIIT session is to jump on a treadmill for 20 minutes – begin with a 30 second sprint following by a 60 second jog or walk – and as you get fitter, you can increase the length of the sprint (or decrease the rest time). You will definitely feel the difference once you’re finished! And again, it’ll be over in no time!! Much more effective than the time consuming steady state stuff.

Another big argument against steady state cardio is how easily the body can adapt to situations and get used to doing the same thing, and this can result in slow (or no) progress. So, if each week you do a 5km walk, your body will soon adapt and your walk will become much less efficient over time. When you first start out doing something new, your body will react and burns lots of calories, but once you’ve adapted, the calorie burn decreases. So after a while you’re investing a lot of time into your long walks, with little reward. HIIT will challenge you, and it’s challenge that brings about change.

Saying all that though – if you really enjoy your long walks or steady jogs, keep doing them!! But if you’re doing this and are unhappy with your results, then you may need to mix it up and throw in some intense intervals. Something that gets your heart pumping fast, has you huffing and puffing and covered in sweat! And if your program doesn’t include any resistance work, then I’d be definately adding that in too.

If you’re looking to achieve faster results and keep your workouts short – HIIT is the way to go!!

As the saying goes – “if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”

Have a great day!

Paula