How to improve your training
Have you ever made resolutions that haven't lasted Have you ever enrolled in a gym, but without going more than ten times Have you ever purchased an online course or a subscription to a platform without never do it If so, you are not alone! Most people will make several mistakes when they (re) start physical activity. Here are some tips to avoid the usual pitfalls.ls.
Train too often
Have you ever gone from potato couch to 5 workouts per week Have you ever decided to hit the gym every lunchtime after years of inactivity If this sounds familiar to you, you've already fallen into the trap.ège.
The body is not a machine, you have to be sure to maintain it and if you stop for more than 8 weeks you will lose what you have learned. Yes, yes, you got it right! The good news is that if you have a good athletic background, your skills will come back faster. On the other hand, your skills do not come back by magic, you have to give the body time to get used to it.
If you had too high a frequency from the start, you could feel certain perverse effects: intense fatigue after a few days or weeks, a difficult schedule to manage, dissatisfaction with the results vs the time invested, injuries, demotivation, etc.
What to do then In the first weeks, to establish a habit, I encourage my clients to establish a low frequency (1-2 times a week) for a specific activity, for a minimum time (5-10 minutes) depending on the intensity that suits their state of health. Here are some examples ::
- Sedentary person with poor health: 1-2x / week, 5-10 min, low to moderate intensity, walking.
- Sedentary person, in good health: 2-3x / week, 10-15min, moderate intensity, activity of your choice.
- Active person, in excellent health: 2-3x / week, 15-30min, moderate to high intensity, activity of your choice.
This allows: to avoid certain injuries by gradually preparing the body, to learn to manage everything that surrounds physical activity (preparation, time, money, etc.) in a more gentle way, to (re) discover what we love and appreciate it, but above all to build a new habit.
Train too hard
Have you ever taken a super cardio or BeachBody class filled with jumps that made you lose your breath as soon as you warmed up Have you ever started running again on day 1, after years of absence in your shoes If so, read the following.e.
The fitness industry is really good at making you feel bad about your body. It works to make you realize that you are not fit enough. One of the ways to make yourself feel that way is to make yourself too intense for your level of fitness. For example, doing several consecutive exercises (with little or no rest) or having a difficult experience (bootcamp, military style, etc.) that will certainly make you feel sick. Why To make you uncomfortable or to glimpse you with almost magical results in an attempt to get you to buy.eter.
Here, I am not saying that these courses are bad, but they are not suitable for people who are starting or returning to sport after more than 8 weeks, especially if the person has a limited sporting background. In physical activity, impatience is the mother of injuries. Yes, we would love to be able to do intense training and get away with it, but we have to do it in due course, not right from the start. You have to learn to crawl, then walk before you run. Muscles, joints and the cardiovascular system should be allowed time to adjust before undertaking more strenuous activity.
A very useful tool is the Borg scale. This scale allows you to self-assess your perception of exertion. It's as good, if not better, than relying on your heart rate (although the two are highly correlated).
Here's how to use it: During your workout ask yourself how hard you find the effort. As you warm up, you should experience gradual shortness of breath. Then, during the session you should be between 3 and 4, especially for your first workouts. Over the weeks, slowly increase the intensity of your sessions to between 3 and 6.
In summary, if 20 years ago you were riding a bike every day, you shouldn't assume that your body will be ready to do the same thing again overnight. Increase the frequency gradually, and then increase the intensity of the workouts to avoid injury. If in doubt, consult a kinesiologist accredited by the FKQ to help you in your progress. Good training!
Article written by:
Claudia Labrosse
Kinesiologist certified by the Federation of Kinesiologists of Quebec (FKQ)
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