HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Make your work out routine FITT

Just for the Health of It with Coach Shell

Did you know that the current recommendation for adults, even seniors, is a minimum 150 min per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity? And that only 1 in 2 Canadians on average are meeting these guidelines?

Not only with the immediate physical and mental benefits of a regular exercise routine, accomplishing this goal weekly leads to so many other benefits for adults including not only living longer in quantity but aging with a good quality of life with disease, injury, and accident (falls) prevention. Thus, we need to stop thinking of exercise as just a way to move the needle on the scale or to get a calorie burn. We need to think of working out as a necessity to have a good quality of life now and in the future

If you are currently not in an exercise routine, the time to start is now.

To put a routine together you want to think about the FITT principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

For Frequency, if you are currently sedentary start with a scheduled time a few days a week, working up to doing some sort of physical activity every day for at least 30 min. Pick a day/time that works best for you, as that is the time that you will stick with. Sometimes people can get caught up in what is the best time to workout for weight loss and in reality, the best time is the one that you will stick to as it fits into your lifestyle.

For Intensity start slow. Most people give up on a program because they start at too high of an intensity for their current level, leading to injury, excessive soreness and/or an inability to keep up with what has been planned. For strength training start with bodyweight exercises that you can perform correctly for 15 reps or 45 seconds and when that becomes too easy then add weight to the movement

When it comes to Time, start with short increments, such as a 15-minute upper body session and then when you are ready add more, until you get up to a 35 min session. You can always find 15-35 minutes in your day and therefore this becomes a manageable and not a daunting amount of time that you can't stick with for the long haul. Lastly for type, start with what you love to do. Everyone searches on the internet for the best workout for fat loss or latch on to the latest craze when in reality the best workout for weight loss, fat loss or just better health is one that you like to do, because if you enjoy it you will continue to do it and not think of it as a chore.

Another thing that will really help in your journey to establish or reestablish a great workout routine is to surround yourself with like-minded people. Going to the gym with a friend, a long walk with your spouse, or a weekly strength class with your coworkers is a fantastic way to keep consistent with your routine as you not only have a workout to look forward to but people you care about to do it with.

At GFS we have established a community of a few hundred women who support and encourage each other in and outside of the gym. This has really helped the women to not only get into a good workout routine but more importantly to stay in one, making their daily workouts their lifestyle and not a quick fix or shortterm plan.

If you need help setting up a workout routine that works for you, feel free to reach out to me for advice anytime!

Coach Shell is the proud owner of GFS and is committed to helping you discover your healthy lifestyle. Reach out at any time to learn more about our programs and services by sending an email to gaudetfitnesssolutions@gmail.com