Usually when we start with an exercise program, things tend to be hard. But as we get used to the routine and the time our stamina progresses, such activities turn to be as easy.
Fitness and health experts say that if we feel this way, it’s time to level up to beat boredom. Maybe from walking we move on to jogging, instead of a light spin on our bikes, we sprint for five kilometers. If we’re pumping iron, increase the weights.
In comes the FITT principle of exercise as our guide. It is frequency, intensity, time and type.
Frequency – If we’re doing it three times a week, we could have another day added and see where it leads us. Adding a day to our usual routine could motivate us to achieve our goals.
Intensity – If we feel that what we’re doing is getting easy, let’s have a little bit more. Say, if we walk around the block once, we can add another round and pick up the pace a little. From walking, we can upgrade to slow jogs or for those who had been jogging, do some runs. If we’re doing weights, we add a few pounds to feel more muscle burn. If the activity feels a little easy, work a little harder. Just don’t overdo it.
Time – If we stroll around the neighborhood for an hour, an added 30 minutes can do wonders. We just might pick up tidbits of interesting information from the local intregeros and intregeras because of the added extra time. Likewise, with Iloilo City being bike friendly, we can add the extra kilometers and the minutes. We spin light on the way back to cool down.
Type – What kind of activities are we doing? Swimming, weight training, aerobics, walking, cycling? Maybe we can consider other activities aside from the usual like yoga, wall climbing, dancing or boxing for added variety.
It is best to consult trainers if you’re in a gym as they can tweak your routines according to your fitness level. Sudden changes can do more harm than good. But trainers sometimes can cost us some extra pesos so we might consider a training buddy. Let’s just make sure that our partner is much fitter than us. Working out with someone who has more muscle definition inspires us to push harder.
Taking off from our comfort zones has its benefits. We get better sleep and we’re more in shape to play with our children or grandchildren. We have the needed energy if we plan on going on vacations, yes, hopefully if this COVID thing becomes a footnote.
Getting FITT is doable if we sweat out a little bit more, a little bit further. But with the current situation, it is always prudent to observe health protocols even when working out./PN
