Always have a plan

Everyone knows the saying about failure to plan being planning to fail, and this is particularly applicable when you want the family to exercise together frequently. Setting goals and defining schedules allows family members to keep track of fitness efforts, gauge progress that has been made, and stay motivated.

Aside from serving as a daily reminder of why you’re exercising together, goal setting and daily/weekly/monthly schedules also help stave off complacency. They’re also a record of activities that are more or less suited for families.

Maintain a sustainable tempo

One common reason many people drop out of an exercise program is that they try to do too much, too soon, and too fast. The same can be applied to getting everyone in the family in shape. If there’s one thing people resent, it’s being told what to do, and when. That means that family members new to exercise won’t take kindly to daily 30-minute runs in all weather conditions at X pace, even if you think nothing of it. Keep in mind that while slothful attitudes can be changed, it won’t happen overnight.

To ensure a successful family fitness effort, you must keep it enjoyable. Making people do something they don’t enjoy is more difficult to maintain than herding cats, as they say. In addition, exercising at a comfortable pace also minimizes the chance of overwork injuries from occurring.

Make it fun

If you have kids, you’ll know what it’s like to herd cats. The key to getting younger children involved in fitness is to show them that exercising isn’t a chore; it can be a synonym for “fun.” An example would be this conversation with my nephew:

Me: James, let’s go for a walk.

James: No, I wanna watch Thomas (the Tank Engine).

Me: James, wanna go to the playground?

James can’t put his shoes on fast enough when he hears that. We go to the playground, climb the monkey-bars, play hopscotch, tag, and/or hide and seek. All of these activities develop strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. It sounds dry when you interpret it as such, so I try not to, and concentrate on having fun instead!

This year will be different.  You have the next few weeks to create a solid plan and schedule the time for implementation.  First, what is your fitness goal for 2009?  Mine is to focus more on my core.  Exactly how would you define success in this area?  For me, it will be to shed two inches and lower my heart rate by five beats per meet (BPM).

Now the most important question, why?  I know having a strong core will greatly reduce my chance of serious health problems and eliminate potential back ailments.  Also, heart problems are hereditary, and less mass allows my heart to work less, as will a lower BPM.

This is my purpose.  That is why it is the most important question.  If your goal is to lose some weight because you want to fit in your skinny jeans again, that is yours.  Without the passion to succeed, you won’t.

Now, it is time to plan.  I am going to run a total of five miles per week.  Two days of 2.5 miles each.  I am going to add tougher core exercises to my daily plan.  Also, I am going to cut back on pasta (I love pasta!) by subbing it with veggies and more protein.

I have a written plan…be sure to write it all down for you to see.  How much time is this going to take?  Probably, two-three hours a week in addition to my current workouts.  That means I need to free up 30 minutes a day.  So, I cut out one tv show or read one less blog – DON’T YOU DARE CUT MY ARTICLES!

It is settled, every morning when I arise I will implement my routine.

What are your resolutions/plans?  Share them with everyone…we will hold you accountable.

First of all, this plan is best to supplement your current plan.  With it you will gradually build your endurance and strength.  You will only do one set of push ups, crunches and lunges.

Here is the plan for day one: Do as many push ups as you can on day one. (ex. 40 total push ups, 40 crunches and 30 lunges (each leg).

Day two: Do half that number in the morning (ex. 20 push ups, 20 crunches, 15 lunges). That night do the exact same number. The key is to do them with perfect technique and not cheating form simply to complete the exercise.  It is better to stop a few short than to cheat.

Day three: Add one more push up, crunch and lunge to day two’s morning and night set (ex. 21, 21, and 16 morning and night) .

Continue doing this every day.

Each week you must add 10 to your morning and nightly sets. On some days you will add more than one at a time. Don’t rush it, though, only add 10 a week!

This requires less than ten minutes a day, and in a month’s time you will have added 40 to your totals! You could be doing 520 push-ups per day in a year! All with slow improvements and a lot of discipline.

I did this back in high school and started with 30 and climbed to 200+. My friend Chris Hubinsky continued on and peaked at 1,000! He and I decided to give it another go and just started over, ten years later. I am currently on 40 push ups, 50 crunches and 45 lunges…and am going for 300.  I always wanted to do 300 push ups straight.

I seriously have been debating the acquisition of a pull-up bar.  It would be a huge benefit to my back strength and a great addition to the program.  Does anybody have any other simple workout plans that provide results?