The holidays are over and most of us are full of chocolate, cheese and regrets about poor choices made in December.
Is joining a gym the best way to get in shape and shed those extra pounds? Not necessarily.
If you don’t enjoy it, it’s not going to be an effective way to stay in shape. Instead, find an activity that interests you, and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.
Last year ParticipACTION highlighted non-traditional sports such as Quidditch and axe throwing as a fun way to stay fit and keep active, says spokesperson Dr. Allana LeBlanc.
According to the health and fitness organization’s Canadian Health Measures Survey, only 15 per cent of adults get the 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity that they need to stay healthy.
For sedentary adults, adding any amount of physical activity is beneficial, but they should work up to meeting the organization’s guidelines.
Exercise can help ward off a host of problems including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, while also promoting physical and mental health. Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
Research has shown that those who are overweight but fit are less likely to die prematurely than those who are normal weight but unfit,’ says LeBlanc.
Get moving
The most important step is to start moving. “Every little bit counts,” says LeBlanc. “Going for a brisk walk during your lunchtime or after dinner, even in small chunks it’s really helpful and help you reach your fitness goals.”
Walking is a great way to begin exercising, and it doesn’t require expensive equipment. Meeting the 150 minutes per week goal would mean 30 minutes of brisk walking five days per week, at a pace where you’ll break a sweat but can still hold a conversation.
Obviously walking can be done anywhere, but for those who need group support, you can join clubs like the ones at stores like The Running Room, or find a local non-profit group in your community.
Get smart
“Setting goals is really important. Just saying ‘in 2016 I’m going to be more active’ is not the best or most attainable goal,” says LeBlanc.
Instead, her organization encourages people to set SMART goals. The acronym stands for:
Specific: Say something like “increase my physical activity by 10 minutes per day.”
Measurable: “I will walk 1 km at lunch” is a measurable goal, rather than an abstract idea.
Attainable: Start slowly, work towards good habits you can incorporate it into your life.
Realistic: Don’t start with 150 minutes - don’t set yourself up for failure.
Timely: Make sure you can fit exercise into your schedule, so book it into your calendar.
Step it up
Along with getting off the couch and moving, adults should do resistance or impact activities at least twice a week increase their muscular and bone strength, according to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Examples include shovelling or digging, running, jumping rope and lifting weights.
If you don’t get enough snow shovelling in, or want to do something indoors in the winter, gyms offer a wide variety of exercise options for beginners and pros.
There are plenty of workout plans online, from lists of exercises to videos. These can be a great resource for budget-minded fitness buffs, but using proper form is important to make the exercises effective and prevent injury.
You might consider expert help, but make sure your personal trainer has certification from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, says LeBlanc, adding that credentials from this group will ensure that your trainer understands proper techniques and your limits.
“You can easily hurt yourself, which will not only set you back in the short term, you may put yourself off exercise in the long term which is even more damaging.”
What about yoga and pilates?
“In general, it doesn’t fit into the moderate to vigorous category, but that depends on the style and the teacher,” says LeBlanc. “For weight loss specifically, you generally need higher intensity activities — think spin class.”
“Overall, exercise in general is not actually super effective for weight loss – it takes a lot of work to burn calories but it’s really easy to eat more,” she says.
Maybe the gym doesn’t want to see you anyway
A Planet Money podcast explored the phenomenon of low-priced gyms a year ago. They found that Planet Fitness locations in New York City, which charge $10-$20 per month, have an average of 6,500 members, yet hold about 300 people. This works because many members only attend for free pizza and bagel events, which is enough to encourage them to maintain their membership despite not working out.
They found that the people who are drawn to bargain gyms are wowed by massage chairs and spa treatments, while gyms that charge $500 per month have dedicated users who risk being kicked out if they don’t attend regularly.
Be realistic when setting goals
Signing up for a triathlon isn’t the best approach for dedicated couch potatoes. Even seasoned fitness buffs struggle with cold temperatures and icy roads in January, so this is not the best time to haul your bike out of the garage for the first time in years.
Instead, consider yoga as a gentler way to get moving, or sports like swimming, skiing or skating, which can be fun for the whole family. Making activity part of your lifestyle, and not a chore, will improve your chances of keeping your New Year’s resolution past the first month.