The Seasons Are Changing: Is This Your Season for Strength?
As my summer vacation is wrapping up and I head back into the school building for the year tomorrow, I am already feeling the change in the air - the slightly chillier under current in the breeze, the sense of urgency of folks to get in the last beach trip for the season, the back to school clothes and supply ads plastered all over social media and TV (thank you staples for your reminder this is the "most wonderful time of the year" for caregivers.... 🤣).
And any seasonal change, just like a Monday or first of the month on a calendar can signal for us for a fresh start or new beginnings. And if you are an educator or caregiver or someone who has a different schedule in the summer than the rest of the year, the change over to fall can come with major changes to routines and schedules and the strong desire to be more organized and thoughtful about how our time outside of work is spent - more efficiency, more intention, increased attention to self care, including in the form of fitness and nutrition.
And at the same time, there can be a tendency to want to change all the things all at once, to kick off the fall - or new year, or summertime pick any seasonal change - so that we are setting new habits into place aligned with this fresh beginning. And I think and believe that this is an incredible time to assess and reflect and set new intentions and goals, however, many of us have a tendency to over due it with our plans for fitness and meals, overhauling everything all at once and then fall into an all or nothing mindset, and when life gets lifey, everything you set out to do can fall to the wayside, leavig us thinking I'll just start again on Monday. once the first of the month. On New Year's day. When I have more time in the summer. and so on.
I see it too often Folks get PUMPED to start or restart a fitness program and try to overhaul their entire life - allll the nuts and bolts.
But most often, doing too much too spins leads to overwhelm. And then a sense of frustration. Feeling of failure and then giving up.
If you are feeling the desire to start or restart a fitness routine this fall, may I suggest that instead of going from 0 to 100, pick 1-2 habits that you can implement to start and then build on that as you are finding consistency? This is more likely to lead to sustainability for life as opposed to a start and stop cycle. And may I offer the suggestion that adding strength training to your routine is possibly one of the habits that will give you the most bang for your buck health wise? If you've been here with Coach Tina and I for a while, you have heard us talk about the positive impacts of strength training: build and maintain lean muscle mass, keep our bones strong, help decrease risk of falls and injuries, increase mobility and flexibility, boost confidence and self esteem and so much more.
But knowing it's great for us and figuring out how to start and keep going can be a huge area of confusion and even frustration for many folks.
There is so much information out there in the internet streets about strength training and strength training for beginners (some of it great and some of it not so great) that it be overwhelming and confusing!
But it doesn't have to be this way!
If you are ready to start strength training but not sure where or how to get started, we've got you!
When starting out with strength try these tips:
Instead of trying to go big, think small. A full body strength workout, 2-3 times a week, 20-45 minutes in length will allow you to hit all your major movement patterns 2-3 times a week and practice your form and work up your endurance and strength consistently, laying a solid foundation for what is to come next.
Err on the side of lighter weights as you start out - no need to over do it the first few sessions, blowing yourself out and making yourself so sore you can’t walk or sit on the toilet. THIS does not help build consistency or motivation to train again. Start with less volume and stress and progressivley work your way up! The great thing about being a beginner is that you will feel and see adaptations to your body pretty quickly with strength training at the start!
Having a coach or trainer as you begin is a gift - so if you can, I strongly recommend working with a qualified trainer who enjoys and understands beginners to help guide you as build that first layer of training - form, range of motion, figuring out which variations provide the right balance of do-ability and challenge to meet you where you are at and bridge you to the next level.
Coach Tina and I are excited to be opening Fitness Academy For Beginners up for a new cohort to start October 12th! This is our signature 6 week online course to support beginners to strength build their strong strength foundation so they can continue for a life of strength, mobility and independence.
This one of a kind course consists of one, 40 minute live session a week to focus on one of the "big 6" movement patterns plus practice your own via our app, supported by text and video messaging with both Coach Tina and I between the live sessions.
At the end of the 6 weeks you'll:
Have a solid foundation of the habit of consistently strength training
Feel confident in your form and understanding of movement patterns to pick up weights at the gym, in your home or group fitness class.
Have a strength program that you can continue to progress with for the following few months, thoughtfully designed by 2 highly qualified coaches, specifically with beginners in mind!