Selecting the Right Program
The health and fitness industry is probably the most saturated industry in the world today. Part of the reason for that is people try out one program and then fail because of their own lack of determination and then think the program is worthless and try another. What the health and fitness industry doesn’t tell people on their face is that they are failing mostly because they are not able to resolve themselves to stick to one program. They will probably fail with this one too because their minds are rolling stones, but it doesn’t matter because presently they are spending thousands of dollars on buying their products.
It works that way. But the fact is that the industry is saturated. So what do you do when you are looking at a program for yourself? If it is a health treatment program, your choice is simpler. You just go to a doctor that you have faith in – usually your family physician – and
then do as they say. But the issue is very much complicated if you are looking for a viable fitness program. What do you use to stay fit – diet, exercise, aerobics, calisthenics, what?
Researching on the Internet is not the answer. What you will find mostly is articles full of sales pitch, written by people who are trying to promote their own product. They won’t have any qualms in painting some other perfectly good product with a negative color if they can
improve the impression of their own product. The world gobbles it, so it works.
Now, if you want to choose a program, the best thing you could do is to head to your nearest bookstore. You should first narrow your choices to two or three fitness programs that really interest you. It is great if you get to speak to some people who have used the programs you are contemplating on and who have absolutely no commercial interests whatsoever in promoting what they are doing. Join a health and fitness club. This is a great place to meet people who are conscious about their fitness and they won’t mind giving you great advice.
Many fitness clubs have their own libraries too, so you could find a lot of educational material in them. When you get the books on what you are thinking about, take time out and read them. Read them mainly to understand what you will have to do, how much time you will have to devote, what equipment you will need, whether you will be able to do what is mentioned, what the results will be and how soon you will get them, etc. These facts will
help you decide whether you want to be with the program.
Don’t trust anybody when it comes to deciding a fitness program for you. Most people will have commercial interests. Some well-meaning souls will give you advice too, but they may be limited in their knowledge. It is best to speak with impartial experts, like your doctor, or read books and form an initial decision. Of course, you need to speak with a qualified person before making your eventual decision about what program to take.
Target the Right Parts of the Body
One of the biggest problems in following health and fitness programs arise when people don’t know what they should really do. This makes them try out things that they shouldn’t be doing, which actually prove ineffective for them. Not just that, but they also spend time and exert themselves in doing worthless things.
Take the example of someone who needs to gain muscle on his chest. Now, if this person tries a workout routine that focuses on other parts such as his legs, he wouldn’t be doing a very wise thing. There are many exercises that can target the chest specifically. Finding out about them and using them in your methods can bring the quickest results.
That is what you need to do. When you are looking at a health and fitness program for your needs, look for a specialized one that will provide you the benefits you are looking for. This ensures that you get your results quickly and because you don’t overexert your entire body,
you have better chances of keeping up with the program.
In fact, some people try prioritizing their fitness regimens. They see what they need to do first and focus their energies on that. When that aspect of their fitness has improved, they move on to another. Such focused attention works quite well, especially in today’s world when we are cramped for time and don’t want to spare the effort either.
That is why most of the gyms have a structured program for working out. If you are joining a gym after a long time of physical inactivity, you will find that they will instruct you to focus more on building your stamina first. For that, you might be asked to work on the treadmill or
an exercise bike a lot initially. Once you have built up your system’s capabilities, they will ask you to slowly start with resistance training.
But, before that you might work out with a lot other things. You might be focusing on one particular aspect one fortnight and then move on to another area. This actually helps you – you are working out as per what your body needs. Now, if you were to go all out at once, you would end up stressing your body to the max and this could be disastrous to your long-term
planning. You might stretch your body so extensively that you will not be able to lift a finger. When that happens, people don’t stick to their fitness plans.
The mistake here isn’t of the program itself; it is of the way in which you approached it.
