5 Habits to Achieve Your Ideal Body By Summer!

Learn these 5 habits you can tackle to help achieve your ideal health and body by summertime!

1.    You Wear Worn Out or Incorrect Footwear

One of the first things I address when working with a new client is their footwear, especially if they are complaining of any joint pain from impact related exercises such as running and plyometrics. If you’re going to invest in a gym membership, a personal trainer, you should also invest in proper footwear. I recommend changing your footwear every 6 months to ensure support and comfort. As well, be sure to go to a specialized store where you can be properly fitted for your body and specific exercise demand.  Do your feet pronate or supinate? Do you have a short running stride? Do you even know? When you start wearing the right shoes for the right activities you will maximize your results and save yourself from discomfort and potential injury.

2.    You Don’t Rest, Maintain or Recover From a Workout

If you exercise a lot and don’t prepare your body properly with rest and recovery then you are potentially setting yourself up for setbacks.  Rest and maintenance are crucial for injury prevention and optimal results. Stretching, myofascial release, proper nutrition, supplementation and rest will help with recovery and repair of the muscle tissue. If you aren’t getting the results you desire, look to what you’re doing when you are not exercising to maintain and recover your body.

3.    You’re Only Active Three Days per Week

As much as I am a firm believer in adequate rest and believe you should not repeat the same exercise patterns daily; truth be told the human body is meant to move! I recommend to all my clients that you should be doing something physically active every day, whether it’s traditional exercise or simply “Active” rest.   For overall general health, the American Heart Association recommends a minimum of five days a week of at least thirty minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise with an additional two days a week of muscle strengthening activity.  This can be broken up over the week for a total of 7 days!

4.    You Do the Same Routine Everyday

Repeating the same exercises and workouts will not get you the results that you are looking for. Have you ever noticed people in the gym who repeat the same workout always look the same? Our bodies are incredible machines, which can acclimate to whatever we throw at them. I always tell my clients to step outside of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to a new exercise or program for best results.  We always grow through change – both physically and mentally.

 5.    You Set Unrealistic Goals

Many of us are guilty of holding ourselves to high, unrealistic expectations.   We desire to look like a model in a magazine when many of the models are either seasoned athletes and/or fitness models or have been airbrushed to create a certain look.  Set realistic short and long-term goals and assess on a monthly, weekly and daily basis to ensure you are on track with your progression or lack of.  Identify your unique shape and make improvements where you feel you will benefit from naturally.

Check out 5 more habits that may be sabotaging your health and fitness goals…

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