Exercise Resistance and Avoidance: How to Get Past It

Understanding your resistance or avoidance to working out is your first step toward getting past it. Don't dread- adjust instead because adjusting beats quitting. An open mind will benefit you.

It could be a good thing. Your body could be telling you something important so embrace your feelings of avoidance or resistance as an opportunity to fine tune your fitness plan.

There are choices that can make working out less of a struggle. Try to figure out what isn't working for you. Here are some hints:

• Too much intensity or difficulty

• Too much time needed for your workout

• Wrong time of day

INTENSITY

Intensity is a personal choice. Desired levels of intensity vary greatly person to person and throughout one's lifetime. Today you may need the intensity of sprinting or running 5 miles. At other times- or later in life- you may prefer brisk walking. We use this guideline: make your workout an effort but never a strain. Adjust your workout intuitively- according to how your body is responding in the moment.

Personal trainers often work folks too rigorously. They're probably thinking you'll quit working out if you don't see results soon enough. Guard yourself against this: they may be the expert but you are in the driver's seat. It's your body, mind and spirit and only you know the balance that works for you.

Make it less difficult. Don't beat yourself up if you need to do less. Less can be more-especially if doing less helps you hang on to your fitness habit. Don't become demoralized. Make adjustments.

Cut yourself some slack. Lift lighter weights. Walk instead of run. Go a shorter distance. Eliminate or replace the part of your workout you least enjoy.

TIME DURATION

There isn't just one right answer to the question "how long should I work out"?

Don't get tunnel vision about how long your workout should be. Too much time spent per workout- plus travel time to and from the gym- creates the challenge of finding enough time for that workout. One hour may be your preference but don't skip entirely if all you have time for today is a 15 minute home workout. With a flexible mind you can create a substantial workout to fit even your busiest day.

Focus on consistency. Your body may not require a workout but working out consistently fortifies your fitness habit- a fundamental for sustaining it for your lifetime.

If you regularly avoid all exercise then don't worry about time duration in the beginning. With as little as 3-5 minutes of a daily fitness activity you can lay a foundation to build upon. Is 3-5 minutes enough time to actually become fit? It will be if it leads to more and absolutely anything is better than absolutely nothing.

TIME OF DAY

The specific time of the day you choose for working out can be a huge factor. Be aware of when you're the most energetic, when you most need to relieve stress, or when your mind and body simply feel most ready to work out.

Six in the morning doesn't work for everyone. At the end of a long work day could be optimal for releasing stress- but not for everyone.

Try to set up your life so you can work out when your body and mind both feel most inclined. Consider doing part of your workout at one time of day and the rest of it later on.

Learn to use the time you have.

You may prefer to work out in one block of time but there are other options. Try a "bits and pieces" approach. Capturing 30 seconds here and there- otherwise wasted time scattered throughout your day- can add up significantly. These short shots of time are enough for many stretching exercises or strength training movements using dumbbells.

You can exercise in front of the TV during commercial breaks or while you're helping the kids with homework. Keep a set of dumbbells in the kitchen and a different set in the laundry area.

CONCLUSION

Getting to the root cause of your avoidance and resistance will enable you to get past it and sustain your fitness habit.
Too much is just that. It doesn't lead to anything good. Find your balance- learn your tipping point for what is enough yet not too much.

Notice when your mind- not just your body- is most ready for a workout.

Realize that consistency over time creates a cumulative effect- a phenomenon all its own. Getting avoidance and resistance out of the way makes room for consistency. Consistency, a fundamental component of any lifelong fitness habit, trumps everything else.

Nina Lomax (49, mother of 2) and Frankie O'Brien (62, mother of 4) share their fitness philosophy and expertise gained from 80+ years of combined fitness experience. Visit http://www.fithealthylady.com and see for yourself how these two friends defy stereotypical aging. Watch easy to learn weight training videos. Read articles of encouragement to help you along your fitness journey. Visithttp://www.fithealthylady.com to help you be fit and healthy- because it feels so good. Feel free to leave a comment.

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Managing Weight With Oats

The oat plant is like a wheat plant only it contains a lot of fibre. Most oats are consumed as breakfast cereal and the rest are utilised as oat flour. Oat flour can be used in the same way as wheat flour. Additionally, it can be mixed with soy flour, corn flour or wheat flour to convert it to multi grain. Consuming whole grain diets is good for the body.

In case you are looking forward to reducing your weight, a wholesome oatmeal diet is a good option. Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fibres which keep the body's cholesterol and sugar levels balanced. This raises your energy for exercise program which burns your excess body fat.

The Oat Statics

Studies have shown that oats are effective in trimming down those extra tummy inches. They have a high content of fibre beta-glucan which is responsible for lowering cholesterol. When the soluble oat fibres take part in the digestion process, they convert themselves into gel forms which trap acids which contain cholesterol. So, instead of accumulating the fat, it is excreted through faeces. Moreover, oats have high tocotrienol levels which are helpful in inhibiting cholesterol synthesis.

Reducing cholesterol is not the only benefit of oats. They can also help regulate the blood sugar. The beta-glucan fibres slow down the digestion process, thereby prolonging the carbohydrate absorption into the main bloodstream. This prevents the carbohydrates from converting into sugar and getting stored in the body.

Regular Exercise Works Wonders

If you combine this oatmeal diet with an exercise regimen, it will work wonders. Exercising regularly speeds up weight loss. The oats help in this process by acting as pre-workout food. This is one of the sole reasons why oats are athletes' favourite food. They assist them in working out harder.

Oats help in reducing belly fat by regulating your bowel movements. This is essential for cleaning the guts and in avoiding bloating. Oats are high on density and low on calories. The best part about oats is that they help you in feeling fuller for longer durations of time. It curbs your needs for fat accumulating junk foods.

How to plan your typical oatmeal diet?

If you are wondering how to chalk your breakfast in a nutritional way, read on to find out how to acquire more from oats.

The oats consumed during breakfast are typically crushed oats, also known as rolled oats. It can be taken with milk or water, depending on your food preferences. It is advisable to consume it in a slightly raw form. This is because, the more rawness oats have, the more they are better for cutting down carbohydrates. Approximately three tablespoons of oats along with fruits and milk would be able to keep a person full till lunch.

The Oat Nutrition Chart

Calculating by statistics, oats are full of nutritional value.

100 grams of oats have:

• 380 calories
• 67 gram carbohydrates
• 16 gram protein
• 6 gram fat
• 7 gram thiamine
• 7 mg vitamin E
• 4 mg iron
• 474 mg phosphorous

How Does It Work?

Fibres take long to break down. Their breaking up also consumes a lot of energy from the body cells. Thus, when energy will be consumed, the fat will automatically burn. This will lower down your body's fat levels.

Thus, oats are a wholesome breakfast and a healthy diet for losing weight. All you need to do is include one cup of oats everyday to move up on your health cycle.

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