Health and Wellness 101: Keep it safe and simple for 2 months…then add the fun!

One of the most common topics that comes up when I meet a new client is the failed attempts to get going with a new diet/exercise routine. Starting a new routine can feel amazing and empowering but sticking to it is…well…it sucks.

We make the decision to start a new routine with the big picture, final result in mind. We decide to start dieting and working out to feel or look a certain way but thanks to our immediate gratification demands, we tend to feel defeated when the ideal image we had in mind doesn’t look back at us in the mirror within the first week.

Need a quick hypothetical example?

  1. I catch The Avengers on FX randomly and OF COURSE it is right at the final battle scene so I must watch it again.
  2. I decide I want to look like Captain America or Hawkeye.
  3. I tweak my workout routine and diet just a bit to begin my path towards heroic awesomeness.
  4. In reality, I know I’ll need a solid month or two to acquire that result so I try to amp up my discipline to get ready for the long haul.
  5. Then, OF COURSE, multiple people in my life decide it’s time to bake and share their homemade brownies, or chocolate chip cookies, or zucchini bread.
  6. WEAKNESS FOUND!!! MISSION ABORT!!!
  7. (Usually 2–3 weeks later) See the Avengers on FX again…………
  8. Repeat

It seems like as soon as the decision is made to accomplish a new goal by doing a new routine, temptations bombard us and continuously wear down our discipline. These challenges are inevitable but they can be overcome!

For any new client I work with who is trying to begin their Wellness Walk, I make the following recommendations:

Sleep


Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep and begin shutting down your brain 1-2 hours prior to the planned bed time. Shut down the screens and pick up a paperback book, write in a health journal, or simply lay there with your eyes closed and reflect on your day.

Daily intake


Liquids:

First thing in your system each morning, WATER! 16oz

Good: Coffee or tea(little to no sugar added),water, wine (1 serving), milk with fat (skim milk is really just sugar water), almond milk or soy milk (choose the option with fewer sugars)

Bad: Energy drinks (sugar bombs), soda (sugar bomb), multiple beers/alcoholic drinks, sweetened iced teas (unless homemade with low sugar)

Meals:

Build every meal. When you look down at your plate, are all of your needs met? Is there a protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat represented?

Example: If you look down at at your plate and see a bagel(carb) with cream cheese(non-healthy fat + low protein), you are looking at an incomplete meal. Instead, try a bagel (carb)with peanut butter (healthy fat + protein)and fresh fruit (carb).

Cheat Meals:

When you look down at your plate, take a moment to ask yourself “would the future ideal image of me eat this?” If the answer is “NOPE!” then chances are you are looking down at a cheat meal. It’s ok! They are bound to happen. Plan 1–3 cheat meals per week and look forward to them. If you can, try to consume the cheat meals on the days you are able to workout. That way you are actively burning some of the cheat meal calories.

Snacking:

Rotate your snacks throughout the day.

AM Snack: Crunchy granola bar (carb)

PM Snack: Handful of almonds (healthy fat and protein)

Fitness: Keep it simple!


Foundation Workout:

I am often told by new clients that they would often get frustrated with different workout programs because they would feel

  1. sore ALL the time
  2. uncoordinated throughout the different workouts
  3. like they could not keep up with the video actors
  4. like they were alone in their journey

For someone beginning a wellness walk, I always suggest a foundation workout. This type of workout works the entire body using simple bodyweight exercises, can be done anywhere, and completed within 30 minutes by using one piece of equipment. I tell clients to perform their foundation workout 3 times each week for at least a month and sometimes through the second month. The exercises and circuit remain the same but the repetitions and number of sets will change based upon muscle progress and confidence. The benefit to this style of entry level training is a definitive sense of accomplishment. If performed 3 times a week for over a month, the client will establish a new routine with easy to track progress.

Like most other skills, exercises can be learned and mastered with enough practice. By utilizing the same exercises, a client is able to track their progress by using one variable rather than mixing up exercises for each workout. For example, the client can see progress in their ability to perform pushups by practicing pushups for a month.

Here is an example of how I will begin with a new client:

Step 1: Ask your doctor if you are physically fit for moderate exercise.

If “yes”: read below

If “no”: ask your doctor to recommend some activity you are capable of and then let’s reconnect so I can better assist you with exercise programming

Step 2: Purchase a Suspension Trainer (S.T.). I recommend the Mostfit Strap or the Woss Trainer.

Step 3: Always give your entire body a quick little warm-up to get the blood flowing (approx 5 minutes).

Step 4: Complete the following circuit: (Each of the following exercises can be modified depending upon fitness level)

  1. S.T. Push-ups (10–15 Reps)
  2. S.T. Back Rows (10–15 Reps)
  3. Body-weight squats (10–15 Reps)
  4. Mountain climbers (10–15 Reps/side)
  5. Reverse Lunge (10–15 Reps/side)

Move from one exercise to the next without taking longer than a minute between each exercise. Once you complete exercise # 5, celebrate that first Set with a quick (under 3 minutes) water break. Then repeat the circuit a second time for a second Set. Then cool down with some simple stretching.

Breathing Tips:

  1. Inhale through your nose as you allow gravity to work like when you lower yourself for a push-up and then exhale as you work against gravity like when you push yourself up from the ground.
  2. As you move through the circuit, you should always be in control of your breath. If at any point you are gasping for breath, your heartrate may be too high. Take controlled breaths and maintain control before you begin the next exercise.

An Eample of The 2 Months: 3 days/week

Week 1: 2 sets of the circuit

Week 2: 3 Sets of the circuit

Week 3: 3 Sets with more reps/exercise

Week 4: 3 Sets

Week 5: 4 Sets

Week 6: 4 Sets

Week 7: 4 Sets with more reps/exercise

Week 8: 4 Sets

Week 9: NEW ROUTINE!!!

If you have any questions or would like to suggest a topic, feel free to reach out! Happy Wellness Walking!