Fit Tips that are actually useful and not lame. Really!

I recently was asked to come up with my top 10 fitness tips for a TV network that was starting a (far inferior to vox) blog site.  Why was I asked?  Oh - because I'm a personal trainer.  And apparently that makes me the voice of authority.  These are real tips.  Written in a ... well, an accessible way.  Or at least I think so.  It reflects how I try to live my life: kooky and fun and somewhat useful.   When I was selected for the writing gig (after they went through tons of submissions), I was told that mine was BY FAR the funniest.  Woohoo!

So, without any further ado, my first blog submission for Vox:
(quiet applause - *clapclapclap*)

Sonia’s Exercise Tips EVERYONE Should Know
(or “Exercise: Easy as Pie.  Mmmmm. Pie...”)

Ok.  Somewhere along the line someone made working out hard.  Not “hard” as in running a marathon or going 15 rounds in the ring.  That’s HARD (but doable, which I’ll get into later).  But someone convinced all of us that there is this very complicated formula for getting the perfect work out.  The ONE work out that will get you the perfect body and if you don’t do it all just right, well, why bother - because it won’t work and you might as well grab the Starbucks gift card you got for your birthday and eat all the crap-tastic treats washed down by a 1000 calorie coffee drink.

Or not.

Here’s my point: it’s not that hard.  And it’s not that bad.   It’s kind of like “The Wizard of Oz”:  there is no man behind the curtain.  Or maybe there is and he’s just a little creep making billions on the diet and exercise industry (Hello?  The Ab-Lounger? Really?!?!).  It may seem difficult to get started at first, I’ll give you that, but there is no reason all of us can’t make our work outs better with 10 simple things to keep in mind.

1) IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT!
Crazy, huh?  If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I should do Pilates because it’s “THE BEST”, I’d have at least a hundred bucks in my pocket.  Here’s the thing: I don’t like it.  I know I will never get into it.  It’s just not my thing.  I love to run.  Note that I’d have another hundred bucks in my pocket for everyone who told me that running is bad for me.  But I have found a great combo of strength training and cross training that’s allowed me to get my body ready for good runs.  And I’m happy running. But running isn’t for everyone.  YOU SHOULD FIND WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO AND, GOSH DARN IT, DO IT!  Are you a swimmer?   Swim!  Do you like to walk?  Then Walk!  How about  Cycling? Boxing?  Yoga?  Do it! DO it!  DO IT!  If you don’t like something, or it doesn’t feel good on  your body, then trust yourself and say “No Thank You” and go back to “Denise Austin’s Power Vacuuming” for another 20 minutes.

Whatever gets  you moving, you should do it.

2) IF IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD, DON’T DO IT!
Ok, this may seem obvious, but too many of us injure ourselves because we don’t listen to what our body is trying to say.  I see that person doing some crazy move in class and I try it, but it hurts.  Then I try it again because she’s at least 20 pounds heavier than me and I played college volleyball, dammit!  But my body keeps trying to prevent me from doing it by signaling me with pain.  But I keep doing it?  Does that sound very smart?  Do you keep touching the hot stove when you get burned?  Let’s hope not.  Remember this: when we say “Ouch!” our body is saying “STOP YOU FOOL!  WHAT ARE  YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME?!?!  AFTER ALL I’VE DONE FOR YOU....” and so on and so forth.  Pain is an indicator that something is wrong.  Let me state that again, in caps: PAIN IS AN INDICATOR THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG.  Not an indicator to keep going until you get to the end of your class or until you finished your set of 10 like that guy on the other side of the gym.  And if you are working with a trainer or someone who is guiding your work out, say something if it doesn’t feel right!  If  he or she is any good, they will be able to make adjustments with your form or the resistance and can find some other exercise that is just as good, hitting the same areas, but without pain.  

Listen to when your body says “Stop.”  Then adjust.  

3) FIND A FITNESS ACTIVITY AND SET THAT AS YOUR GOAL
Losing 10 lbs does not qualify as a “fitness activity.”  Sorry.  Studies have shown that when people start exercising with weight loss as their only goal, they have the least likely chance of success.  If you want to get in shape, find a physical activity that you can measure.  Like running a 10k race.  Swimming 40 laps without stopping.  3 pull ups.  Getting to the top of your stairs without going into cardiac arrest. The size and shape of the goals don’t matter.  Having them and then keeping them in your sights does. I signed up for a marathon years ago, before I was even a trainer,  because I knew the only way I’d get out and exercise in my first New York winter was to have the threat of dying half way through the London Marathon.  Note: I didn’t die.  Sure,  it felt like I was about to, but didn’t.  Nonetheless,  I was able to finish because I just got out there (or ‘in there’ on snow days) and did it.

Make your goal small and measurable at first, maybe recruit a few friends to do it, too.  Sometimes just signing up for a race or activity is all you need to get going.

4) EVERYTHING COUNTS
You know how they say that  if you want to improve your fitness “Take the stairs every chance you get!  It makes a difference!”  Cool, huh? Just 3-5 minutes can make a difference in your fitness level.  Did you hear that?!?! Let me rephrase it: you don’t have to dedicate one straight hour to working out to get an official “work out.”  Lots of research has shown that the benefits of working out are cumulative.  Duh, when you think about it, right?  You jog for 15 minutes in the morning.  You jog 15 minutes in the evening.  You’ve jogged a half hour.  Your body doesn’t say “You lazy sot!  You didn’t do it all at one time!”  It just says “Whew!  Cool.  Heart rate up!  Yay!”   You burned calories and strengthened your body.  I, being a lazy personal trainer (psst: that’s one of the great secrets of personal trainers, we’re a pretty lazy lot), spent last summer dropping by the gym for  10, 15 or maybe 20 minutes every day or every few days, to do strength training. Whatever I had time for.  But I got so many comments on how good I looked.  People asked what was I doing with my work outs. “Doing Less!” I’d glibly say.  I was doing less, but just more of it.  Instead of telling myself that I only had a half hour and it wasn’t worth doing, I just got there and did SOMETHING.

If you just go to the gym and intend to only spend 15 minutes, often you’ll end up spending more time squeaking out another 5 minutes of something.  If you don’t,  you still did something.  Getting there is the hardest part.

5) DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP – LITEREALLY OR FIGURATIVELY
Literally is the easy part (see: point #2).  Figuratively is harder.  Trickier, really.  For example: don’t yell at yourself for not making it to the gym because you were stuck at work until 10pm.  You’ll get there tomorrow.  If you haven’t had sleep in 3 days, stay in bed and let your body recover instead of going to that step class.  And don’t, DON’T get in a bad headspace so that all you are thinking of is the cupcake you had, what a miserable human being you are for having a treat and then working out to punish yourself for that and all of your personal shortcomings.  Seriously.  I’ve done it.  I see it done all the time.  You don’t have to do that.  It’s actually counter productive.  Your body won’t be as efficient.  Try to enjoy the time you have to work out. It’s good for you.  Next time you are exercising take a look at your posture (usually easier to do on a cardio machine, but you can check it out whenever).  Then when you are thinking about something that upsets you (work or maybe just whomever may be driving you absolutely nuts at the moment), look at your posture.  How did it change?  Usually, the shoulders roll forward and/or up.  Your form goes all to heck and you are just a crunched up mess.  Now think of something that cracks you up or makes you happy, or when one of your favorite cheesy songs comes on.  Now take a look at yourself.  You’re probably more upright, “good” posture and  you are probably enjoying yourself more.  Try it.  I don’t watch the TVs in the gym if they are tuned to the news for just this reason.  I find that I get all hunched and slumped over listening to the latest horrible thing lurking in our back yards.  But if the Golden Girls is on? Bring it!  

Life is hard enough.  Let the gym, or wherever you exercise, be your place to enjoy yourself.  You can find joy in the work out.  Look for it.  It’s there.  Trust me.

6) The Deleted 11th Commandment: Ladies, Thou Shalt Not “Bulk Up”

Ok, this one really chaps my hide.  I must physically restrain my own damn self whenever I start training a new female client and she says “...and I don’t want to bulk up.”  AAAARRUGGGHHH!  Ladies, you WILL NOT, nay, dare I say CAN’T bulk up!  That’s why the commandment was edited from the Moses Top 10.  God simply said “Hmm. I don’t like the number 11.  What if we just give men the hormones that allow them to “Bulk Up” like the comic book superheroes they’re so fond of, and give women other hormones so they can’t?   Maybe... Female type hormones that make them release eggs instead?  Done and done.  Whew.  Now - who wants to play Liar’s Dice?”

God was wise on that one.  And a fierce competitor, despite the fact that he could always beat your ass and take your last 5 bucks.  But I digress...

Ladies, you are NOT NOT NOT going to bulk up from exercise.  Unless you start downing multiple protein shakes a day, increasing your caloric content to gigantic amounts, lifting heavier and more specific weight than you ever will and, just for good measure, start shooting up growth hormones.  That’s the only way to look like an eastern European shot putter.  (No offense to all of  you eastern European shot putters... but come on.  You are never going to be mistaken for Kate Moss.  You’re big girls!  And can throw a lead ball much farther than I ever could.  Which is awesome!  I wish I had an Olylmpic medal!  Kudos to you!)  Back to everyone else: I will say that you may experience some hypertrophy, the engorging of muscle fibers.  You are getting more blood to the muscle because you are actually using them.  It’ll all settle down.  Just keep moving and keep exercising.  Trust me on this one.  And, one of the best quotes on this subject came from a gym owner I know.  He said “If it were that easy to bulk up, I’d be HUGE!”  And he’s a guy with the special guy hormones that allow him to get big.  

So don’t even try to use “I don’t want to bulk up” as an excuse not to strength train.  

7) Strength Training To Lose Weight?  You Bet Your Sweet Ass!

Muscles use fuel.  Fat is simply stored fuel.  The more active muscle you have, the more fuel (calories, fat, etc) you’ll burn.  But that’s not the coolest part!  The best part of doing resistance training (other than the fact you’ll have a leaner, more toned body) is the fact that you’ll burn more calories at rest.  Did you hear that one?  Burning calories while sitting on your ass!  How cool is that?!?!  Do a little work and then earn the right to be lazy... and gloat about it.   Work out and watch TV later, saying to your boyfriend/girlfriend/next door neighbor “Check this out: I’m burning more calories right now.  Ungh!”

Ok, another bonus is that you will look good.  Nothing makes a difference in body composition like strength training.  Whether you do push ups or bench presses, leg presses or squats, you will be making huge gains in looking better and toned, not to mention helping prevent osteoporosis.  Strength training will also make you stronger for whatever other activities you do, making running and cardio easier,  even preventing injuries.  It will make you stand taller, feel better and smell good (still haven’t proven smell good, but am working on it).  But focused strength training is as close to a cure all for feeling and looking good.  Sounds crazy, but true.

Make sure you incorporate strength and resistance training into your program.

8) Turn yourself into Maria Von Trapp, baby!
Climb every mountain!  Ford every sea!  Have fat old ladies ask themselves how do they solve a problem like you!  Spin circles on grassy hilltops like an unwashed hippie chick at an outdoor music festival!  Make clothes out of window dressings!  Do it all!
Ok, I’m not saying you should marry an autocratic widower and instantly become mom to Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So and Latifa.  I’m just saying “Do different things.”  Do fun things.  Even if boxing is what gets your juices flowing, mix it up.  Always incorporate strength training.  Try a new cardio activity.  Play with the toys at the gym.  Go outside and play! Whatever.  The more cross training you do (and really, “cross training” is simply doing more than just your one favorite activity), the better you’ll become at everything.  Also, your body will stop reaping the benefits if you just do the same thing all the time.  Example: let’s say you go to the gym and do the elliptical on level 6 for 45 minutes.  All the time.  That’s all you do.  Your body will eventually adapt to that, so that you’re not as challenged.  Therefore, you won’t reap the same benefits.  It’s called a plateau.  You may still sweat, you may still get benefits (as I’ve said before: something is DEFINITELY BETTER than nothing), but if you really want to see changes and not get bored, mix it up.  And come on.  Do you really pay $92.50 a month to only get on the elliptical trainer each time?  Really?  Save your cash and go for a walk.

Change things up.  And rent “The Sound of Music” if you haven’t seen it in a while.

9) WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT?  FOOD!  DUH!!
This, my friends, is another radical concept.  I know, I know.  What else are you supposed to eat? Ok, grab the wrapper of what you were just snacking on.  Or what you just fixed for yourself.  Or whatever.  If it came in a package, it probably has chemicals or additives in it so that it can stay on the shelf a bit longer.  Can you read all the ingredients?  Do you know what they are?  Do you think your body does?  

Our body was made to process food.  Not process processed food.  Food is fuel.  We NEED it.  But you wouldn’t put something that wasn’t gas into your car’s tank, would you?  I bet a lot of you even pay for premium gas so that it runs better.  But what are you putting into your body?  Think about that for a second.  Then spend the next week or so thinking about everything you put into your mouth.  If you can’t identify 5 items on an ingredients list,  you may want to think twice.  In a month, you might be moving up to more natural foods.  You may or may not link the extra energy you have and weight loss to eating real foods, but your body doesn’t care.  All it knows is that breaking down real food is much easier than breaking down a bunch of chemicals.  Yes, I said it.  You are eating a bunch of chemicals.  How do you feel about that?  I’m not saying you have to go out and go vegan, but be aware.  I’ll often get a bag of BBQ chips,  or sometimes I have an out and out need for Oreos, but I know what I’m getting.  And I don’t do it all the time.  And often, because I’ve gotten used to eating better (a long, slow journey), I can actually feel the difference in my body when I eat something that’s not good for me.  Crazy, huh?

Eat. Food.  Simple, but it may take some extra effort when you make choices.

10) YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHANGE, JUST BE AWARE.
This was one of the most amazing pieces of advice one of my teachers has given to me: start by just becoming aware.  You don’t have to change over night.  You really can’t.  That’s why crash diets don’t work.  That’s why you try too much at the gym the first day back and you can’t move for a week.  Just start with being aware.  Be aware of what your body feels like.  Be aware of what you are thinking.  Be aware when you are slumping over on the cardio machine.  Be aware of all the crap in your “healthy” food.  Be aware of your emotional state when you open the fridge.  Eventually, you can make changes.  But start off with an easier (and necessary) task.  Just start noticing.  Things will fall into place.  When I say trust me, really.  Trust me.  Just start with becoming more aware of things, and the road to easier health and exercise will open up to you.  It’s all a whole lot simpler than the billion dollar diet and exercise industry wants you to believe.  How else are they going to sell you pills filled with lord knows what for $65 a bottle?   

Becoming aware of how you are living is the most powerful thing you can do for yourself.  

CONCLUSION:

I hope you found these tips to be helpful.  I know I’ve gotten fitter employing them.  I’ve enjoyed exercise more with them, too.  A client of mine recently asked if it made me upset that Oprah (apparently) said “No matter what, I will never like exercise.”  I thought about it and said, that no, it doesn’t make me upset, just kind of sad.  Sad that no one has shown her that exercise doesn’t have to be a miserable experience.  That it can actually be enjoyable and, dare I say, fun.

Good luck.

s.

Sonia Ulrich
ACE, NASM, IDEA Certified Personal Trainer.
Fitness Consultant.
Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) Specialist.

Sonia works out of Peak Performance in New York City

Also she’s a....
Marathoner
Basketball Player
Volleyball Player
Mountain Climber
Cyclist
Triathlete
Pugilist
And someday... Surfer.  Someday!!!