Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: What Is Your Outlet?

no outlet
 

Everyone needs an outlet to blow off steam, relieve stress, or simply unwind. If you don’t already have an outlet, make sure you choose wisely; the wrong outlet could leave you fat, tired, or unproductive. 

Though working out is my outlet now, it wasn’t always. For that, I have my parents to thank.

When I was a kid, I struggled in school. I was hyperactive, had a hard time focusing, and usually spent the day counting down the minutes until lunch, recess and the end of the day. Tired of getting stern calls from my teachers about how I was disrupting class, my frustrated parents decided to enroll me in sports. This turned out to be the best decision for everyone involved. Competition quickly became my outlet. 

For the first time, I had found a place where I excelled and that I could take out my frustrations in a healthy manner. Not only did competing help me learn how to deal with stress, I started to become a better student. Staying busy with sports helped me to stay focused in the classroom. Though I don't participate in competitive sports anymore, working out remains my favorite outlet. 

What is your outlet and do you make a daily practice of it? If you don’t, I recommend finding one immediately. Take it from me, healthy outlets help restore balance to the most chaotic of lives.  

*image by Matt Niemi, Flickr

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!

 

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tips | How Long Does It Take To Create Healthy Habits?

healthy habits
 

When it comes to making decisions about your health, fitness, energy, or emotions, you are probably a creature of habit. Whether or not this is a bad thing depends solely on you. 

Are you someone that starts out with the best intentions but then somehow ends up back at square one (aka unfit and unhappy)? Or are you someone that is motivated to continuously try and better yourself, be more efficient, and/or feel comfortable in your own skin?

Regardless of your answer, if you want to make healthy habits stick, you'll need to be patient. 

How long does it take for healthy habits to stick? 

I don't usually see healthy habits start to stick with my clients until around the 90 day mark. Whether you want to build strength, improve cardio, build confidence, or gain mental toughness--it will most likely take you 3 months.

What happens at the three month mark? 

Motor patterns are mastered, strength gains are made, and mental fortitude has been built. The body and mind now crave the workout. You have made a positive habit that will result in the desired change. If you are patient, consistent, kind to yourself, and you do the work--you'll succeed at creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime. 

Image by Unsplash

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!

 

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Want to Make A Change? Go All In

Make Change
 

Almost weekly I hear a client say something like “I want to make a change.” To which I reply, “what exactly do you want to change and how do you envision getting there?" Sure, everybody starts a workout plan with good intentions, but staying 100% committed is tough. Whether you want to be skinnier, tighter, or bulkier you’ll first need to make sure you have the following; a clear goal, a path to achieving that goal, and a desire to GO ALL IN. 

Clear Goal

The more specific your goal is, the easier it will be to stay on course. Instead of saying “I want a beach body,” say, “I want to fit into my size 8 jeans.”

Path

If you find yourself too busy to cook or eat healthy during the week, prepare your meals ahead of time. If you find yourself too busy to make it to the gym during the week, schedule workouts in your iCal ahead of time. Set yourself up for success, not failure. 

Go All In

If you are serious about achieving your goal and you have a clear strategy about how to get there, the last thing you’ll need is gumption. It’s going to take time, energy, and sacrifice but anything worth having is worth fighting for. I can tell you that my greatest accomplishments in life, my marriage, my relationship with my kids, and my health & fitness all work because I GO ALL IN, every day.

*image by Jason Devaun, Flickr

Sign up below and every week we'll send you one short but effective idea that can help you improve your performance.

We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!