Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who had a great holiday season, and now you have to work off the holiday pounds. What exercise tips do you need to keep in mind to make sure you are being safe, yet effective, with your post-holiday workouts?
1) Consistency Trumps Perfection
Tip number one – now, after the holidays, it is easy to get so excited about going crazy at the gym, getting everything done, and going hardcore with your workouts. But, during this time, you also have to remember that consistency with your exercise is more important than perfection or “killing it” at the gym. Make sure that you are doing workouts that you can return to time and time again. This is one of the biggest secrets to success when it comes to working off the holiday pounds.
Action Step: Make sure you are exercising in a manner where you are hitting “singles”, not “home runs”. Want to know the difference between the two? Check out our podcast on the topic! **(Scheduled for release on 1/10/2018)**
Related: Tips for Fighting the New Year’s Gym Crowd
2) Do More Than Just Cardio
Tip number two – make sure you are not just doing cardio. Incorporate resistance training into your exercise plan on a very consistent and regular basis. Doing resistance training two to three times per week can be more effective at helping you lose weight than doing five days of cardio each week. So, make sure you are still getting your strength training in even if your goal is working off the holiday pounds.
Action Step: When planning your workouts for the week, make sure to plan for at least two, if not three, days of resistance training. This will help you to build muscle and lose body fat more effectively than doing strictly steady-state cardio.
Related: 3 Little-Known Facts About Resistance Training
3) Exercise Is A Lifestyle
Tip number three – make sure to remember that exercise is a lifestyle, or at least built in to be part of your lifestyle. This means that you don’t do it sometimes and then stop doing it other times. There may be periods where you are exercising more intensely and others times when your exercise is more low key. But it has to always be part of your lifestyle.
Action Step: Plan ahead with your exercise. Not having time is not an excuse. Exercising must be prioritized in order for it to remain part of your life, so give it the respect and attention it deserves and plan ahead to make sure exercise can always be part of your life and schedule.