Lessons On The Run

So yesterday we talked about learning to control our food intake. Obviously, controlling the calories that go into our body is a major factor in keeping our weight under control. But just as important is making sure that we are also increasing our ability to burn through calories. If you want to be a success with your fitness you gotta learn to love to sweat!

Have you noticed that today’s gyms look a lot more like a social meeting place than a place to get fit. I often chuckle at people who come in to take a  10 minute “stroll” on the treadmill or who pedal the stationary bike as they catch up on texting or their favorite afternoon television show. Here is the deal. The gym is happy to take your money for that effort but you are not going to get much gain for the dollar.

My goal is to leave the gym exhausted and dripping wet with sweat! I run 25-30 miles a week at an average pace of 8 1/2 minutes per mile or less. When I run I make sure that the last mile of the day is the fastest mile. When I am on the weight machines, I make sure that I am increasing the weight every couple of weeks because I want to keep pushing past comfortable into the strenuous zone. Whether you are at a gym or on your own at home, you must discipline yourself to work hard and work often.

Why do you think people on “The Biggest Loser” are successful? It is because someone has helped them learn to control their diet and has taught them to push their body past what they thought was possible. You can give yourself excuse after excuse, go from fit to overweight to obese, or you can make your body your slave and begin to change who you are. It is a matter of the will!

Pick a goal and go. You want to run 5 miles and right now you cannot even run to the mailbox? Start by walking,  jogging, walking. Time yourself. Then next time run a little more and cut your time. I PROMISE, if you do that 4-5 times a week before long you will have run your first mile and be well on your way to five. Can you run 3 miles in 40 minutes? Next week run three miles in 37! I sure didn’t get to my fitness goals by waking up one day and declaring a thirty mile week. This has been years in the making.

Make sure that both cardio and weight training are a part of your routine. When you build muscle you will increase your metabolism, which means you will burn more calories during the day even when you are not working out. Do it at the gym, get some resistance bands and do it at home or at the office, just do it somewhere. Get a workout DVD, get an app for your phone, look up a fitness website, but get going with the sweat equity that will get you fit.

Create a regular routine. How many times a week are you going to workout? When are you going to workout? Where are you going to workout? You need to find a schedule and a routine that you will not violate. For me it is now 5-6 days a week, for at least an hour each workout. Sometimes I have to skip lunch to get my workout in and sometimes I go at the end of the day, but not going is not an option unless there is a REAL emergency.

Let’s go to WORK on our weight and fitness! No more excuses.

Next up: Can we apply the same strategies to our spiritual life?