The arrival of good weather, with summer just around the corner, can serve as an impulse to launch into it. Basic-Fit, the largest fitness chain in Europe, gives us the keys you need to know to achieve your fitness goals in 12 weeks and maintain them without losing motivation.
“The average time necessary for a new habit to be maintained is approximately 66 days (that is, about 12 weeks of 5 days). To develop it, it will take at least two months, but if you need a little more time, don’t worry. Continue with it for longer and you will acquire a habit that you can maintain almost automatically ”, says Paula Vercauteren, Fitness Content Specialist at Basic-Fit International.
“First of all, you have to believe in yourself and feel proud. A positive mindset is essential and having a positive environment is just as important. Plan your workouts, congratulate yourself after training and celebrate your fitness adventure. Surround yourself with family and friends who encourage you. If you commit to going to the gym with someone else, you’ll have more motivation to make fitness a part of your lives,” she advises.
The steps to follow
Paula Vercauteren recommends:
- How often do you have to exercise? Basic-Fit recommends that you focus on a full-body program (combining cardiovascular and resistance training) to be developed in three training sessions a week, two in the gym and one at home. Of course, this will depend on your lifestyle, your needs and your weekly schedule. In the event that you practice another sport, you can decrease this frequency. If you are a beginner, you will need to adjust the intensity and frequency to your goals. In Basic-Fit you can choose between doing individual sessions (at home or in the gym), GXR face-to-face group classes and the audio workouts available in the Basic-Fit app.
- What should be the intensity of the training? When we talk about intensity we are talking about the weight used, the breaks or the speed. Obviously, the shorter the rest time, the higher the intensity and, conversely, the lower the weights used, the lower the intensity. Starting off too strong can cause problems that will eventually demotivate you. Actually, it all depends on your level and your goals. What is essential is to always start with a warm-up. When doing a resistance exercise for the first time, start with a weight 50% less than you expect to lift. It will seem easy to you, but what matters is to do it carefully and to acquire the correct technique from the beginning. Gradually increase the weight and do a couple of repetitions with each weight. If you have any questions, Basic-Fit offers you the option of using the personal trainers at the gym or taking a look at your Personal Online Coach.
- How much weight should I lift. Although there are several factors that influence the effectiveness of your training sessions, none has as much impact as lifting the right weight. For the first week, keep track of how you feel at the end of each set. Adjust the weight you work with so that each set requires effort. If you can’t get to a certain number of repetitions, the weight you’re working with is probably too high. Take it easy, you don’t always have to lift a weight equal to or greater than the previous session. If, on the other hand, you finish your assigned reps and feel like you could have done a few more, it’s probably time to increase the weight.
- What is the best time to exercise? The most important thing is to carry out a training plan that is realistic and coherent, that adapts to your lifestyle and goals. There are people who wake up with energy, others are motivated during the break at lunchtime and there are also those who prefer to exercise at night. The advantages of exercising during the day are that body temperature is higher, reaction time is faster, and heart rate and blood pressure are at their lowest, so performance improves. If exercising in the morning motivates you, go for it. It’s a great way to start the day, it will give you energy to face everything that comes your way.
- How to maintain continuity? Among the most frequent reasons for those who throw in the towel a few months after starting a training plan are lack of motivation, having unrealistic expectations and not making fitness a priority. To create and maintain healthy habits while you continue having fun, Basic-Fit recommends: treating your training plan as if it were an unbreakable contract and including it in your weekly schedule; go step by step, slowly but steadily; always congratulate yourself after each workout; make it easy for you to go, for example, by having the gym bag ready in the car or in the office to reduce possible excuses to a minimum; as well as looking for someone to go train with.
