Is your workout actually helping you?

As it's #workoutwednesday I thought I would run through some of the mistakes I see being made because we tend to what to progress too fast too soon when it comes to fitness and exercise.

As you will appreciate our body's physiology is changing as we age. What we did in our 20s for exercise, however much we might want to keep doing it as we did, isn't realistic for long term fitness and staying consistent. As we age we need to pay attention to how we workout and getting the most out of it. Form must be our priority over speed and chasing bigger weights to lift too soon.

So what should we be considering when trying to stay consistent with our fitness and continuing to see results?

I've talked about this before - being SMARTER with our training. Setting a goal gives you something to focus on so you are much more aware of what you are doing with your body in your workouts and what you are trying to achieve.

Our body loves variety so make sure that you are not doing the same style of workout again and again and again. Too much repetition can cause overuse injuries. Also our bodies can plateau if they get too used to moves so you won't see the gains you are looking for, you might event see a drop in strength or cardio capability.

Let's think longer term, bigger picture. If your workout is completely wiping you out, leaving you unable to move for days, is this what you really want? It certainly isn't helping you move better and deal with your daily activities more easily. Over exertion can lead to muscle and joint damage that makes you more vulnerable to injuries. This means we are creating more inflammation in our bodies too.

Just because you are comfortable doing something still pay attention to your form but bear in mind we shouldn't be doing the same exercises at the same intensity we did when we were younger. We have to allow for ageing which will mean your body will be less flexible and have a slower response time to sudden and more powerful moves so once again if you want to do this type of workout be aware of what your body can do and make sure your form is spot on.

If you are coming back to exercise or new, then don't expect to go full pace in the beginning. Ease into the exercise, gradually build up the intensity whether it be going faster or adding heavier weights. Please don't go for it straight away as this can lead to injury and put you off staying consistent with your fitness.

Remember our bodies need some TLC. They need flexibility, mobility and stability exercises too. Balance and co-ordination are also extremely important as we age.

I often refer to a car when thinking about fitness. If any of your lights aren't working you have to get them replaced/fixed. It is the law. So why if you're body is finding some exercises difficult would you not take the time to learn them properly and start at the beginning rather than dive into moves that are too hard for you and if you're car won't start then you need to look at different exercise activities that are more suitable for you at this point of time.

Although I am discussing fitness, just a reminder that a car without petrol will burn the engine out so if you do like to workout a lot, and with intensity, then please fuel appropriately so that engine stays strong.

Fitness should be enjoyed and we want to be consistent with it so always do the exercise you enjoy, try to have variety and cover all aspects of your fitness so not just to get stronger, but also to stay mobile and flexible, to be able to balance and co-ordinated.

Any questions, feel free to get in touch. And if you would like to do some group training, I will be starting a six week LIVE coaching programme in March ????