Fitness Tips
What tips would you give to someone who has hit the wall in fitness?
Talk to a coach or team mate about your training.
Evaluate your training plan and see what needs to be changed. If you don't have a training plan: ask a coach, training partner, or team mate about setting goals and incorporating intervals. A person could also consider some cross training if it is a mental "wall" that one has hit.
Challenge yourself.
Don't keep doing the same routine whether it's exercise, nutrition, or your mental game.
I think most people get into a rut when it comes to exercise, and when
you come to a plateau; you need to mix up what you are doing for
cardio, and weight training. Try longer, slower cardio sessions, in
between some intense shorter interval days, change the order of
activates you do, and cross train with a variety of exercises, to keep
your work outs from getting boring.
Do something new.
Even better if it's scary or incredibly challenging. To improve past a plateau, you have to move beyond your limits. If you've gotten comfortable riding around on your road bike, try racing, mountain biking, or riding at the velodrome, or heck, even rock climbing or adventure racing. Challenge yourself.
Get a buddy, get a goal, and get moving!
Take a break from the area of fitness that you are struggling with and try something new for exercise. Get outside and go for a walk in the woods, ice skate, go sledding with your kids (if you have them), take a yoga class, take a weight training class… When you find what it is that you love to do, it will no longer seem like a chore
Enlist a friend for fitness support.
I went thru a difficult fitness period and a friend down the street and I made a pact to run every Wed AM @ 6. We kept each other on track, even in the winter when it would have been easier to snooze in, and we had fun along the way.
Commit to a Goal.
While I was living in Boston, I decided to sign up to do the 1st Aids Ride from Boston to NYC. I needed to raise $1000 and also ride my bike over 250 miles in 3 days. Both goals at the time seemed out of my reach. As I got more involved and the pledges came in, I became really focused. Through well-organized training rides, I met many inspiring people and we all supported each other to make it happen. And, it did. It was an amazing adventure.
Do something different.
Write down what you like and dislike about what you're doing now. See what you can do to shake it up. Have you had a job or lifestyle change? Maybe it's not as convenient to get to the class or group run you've been doing. What is available to you? Sign up for a class, a race, ask a friend to do something with you. Or just go on your own and make friends while you're running, riding, swimming, rock climbing, etc. Join a club. There are so many things to do. If you're bored with what you're doing, it's not right for you any longer.
