I have been convincing my friend Dave to go back and start with his fitness regimen. You see, he recently had a visit with his doctor and was told that he was bordering obesity already. I have been pointing that fact to him already and was constantly in denial. This time, as corroborated by his doctor, he had no option but to heed his advice lest he suffer other forms of illnesses such as heart problem or stroke.
But, now comes another problem for Dave - cost of working out in a gym, plus the price of hiring a personal trainer. I didn’t want him to back down anymore since it took months to convince him to exercise, so I explained to him that he can do his own exercises right at home – with himself as his own fitness trainer. I also taught him how to motivate one’s self.
He was, naturally, skeptic at first. But with much prodding and explanation, he took the opportunity.
DAVE’s METHOD:
1. Goal-setting. It all boils down to knowing what you want to achieve. In Dave’s case, he wanted to lose weight, so after identifying his objective, I sat down with him to further put structure on his goals and schedule. We included information such as timelines, expectations, expected results, and high-level steps to achieve the intention.
2. Accountability. Dave felt that everything would have been easier had he enrolled in the gym where a fitness trainer will supervise his moves. However, due to financial constraints, that is simply not possible at the moment. So, we came up with this idea that I will be his workout buddy. I will monitor his progress and will not let friendship get in the way – especially when Dave feels lazy to work out. Besides, I, myself, am a fitness instructor although I live several miles away from Dave’s place. So, in your case, find someone who’s commitment is the same as (or more than) your commitment to the plan.
3. Diet. To ensure that Dave is getting enough nutrients from his food intake, we both worked together to come up with a diet plan. He can lessen his intake of calories to prevent weight gain, and to balance things out, he should increase his fiber intake. Likewise, I explained to him that getting 2nd helpings of food would backfire on his plan, so, instead of eating large amounts of food in one sitting, I advised him to eat at least 5 times a day in small amounts. That way, he can manage his hunger pangs when they occur.
4. Workout. Now comes the actual work. Dave and I sat down and discussed activities and exercises that he can and cannot do – all based on his doctor’s recommendations. To lose weight, he should eat a balanced diet accompanied by 3-4 times a week of exercise routines. It is not advisable to let Dave exercise7 days a week as it could result to adverse effects to his heart. Instead, he should be given enough time to rest and go back to his normal pace after each exercise. So, we started his training plan with stretching, cardio, interval trainings, and strength training – all done in moderation.
I sometimes visit Dave at home just to check his progress. And fortunately, he’s such a disciplined friend that he stuck to the plan as we agreed. And for me, Dave is a classic example of one who became his very own fitness trainer.
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Here’s a sample exercise that you can do from home (lower back stretching exercise):
