Finding the right exercise regime for your body and your lifestyle is key to staying committed andgetting results.
– Lisa Brisse, State of the Heart Fitness
Finding Balance
For an engine to run smoothly, efficiently and optimally, it is imperative that all parts are working together and in balance with each other. If one part is off, it compromises and wears down the whole engine. The human body is the same way. As we all know, in order to experience optimal health and well-being, all components – exercise, eating, nutrition, and stress management – must be in balance. In this article, I focus on the exercise component.
Getting Visible Results
How many of you are exercising and still not seeing the results you desire? In all of my years working as an exercise physiologist and wellness coach, this is actually more common than not.
When people come to State of the Heart Fitness looking to lose weight, tone up, or address another more specific health issue, it is important to do a thorough assessment of their current exercise program (if there is one in place). Interestingly enough, even if people are exercising on a regular basis, oftentimes many still do not experience the results they are looking for and this can be extremely frustrating.
For example, one may be doing yoga or pilates 4x/week, which is great, but if weight loss is a goal, these forms of exercise will not necessarily help with the required calorie burn. At the same time, someone might be doing intense cardio for 45-60 minutes 6x/week and still experience no weight loss. Someone else may want to tone up a particular area on his or her body, but are still not seeing any change.
Why is this happening?
The truth is, every person is an individual and it is only when we are balanced in body, mind, and spirit that we actually feel and experience more lasting and effective results from our exercise. The key, however, is recognizing what YOUR particular body needsand what is really going to work for YOU: Not what the health magazines sayor what your friend does for exercise.
Mindset
Another key element is your mindset and approach to exercise. For instance, do you use exercise as “punishment” for “bad” eating habits, or do you find it an opportunity to truly appreciate the joy of movement and the miracle that your body really is? All of this has a huge impact onyour exercise really helping or hindering you.
When designing a successful exercise program to give you the results you desire, along with ensuring that you are doing the RIGHT exercise for you, we at State of the Heart Fitness assess several components:
- Your overall health concerns, fitness level & goals
- Your lifestyle & circumstances
- Your nutrition & eating habits (assessed by a dietitian)
- Your stress levels & management (ie. breathing, meditation, smoking, eating, etc.)
- Orthopedic concerns (ie. back issues, knees, etc.)
- Your current exercise program (ie. type of exercise, intensity, attitude about exercise, etc.)
- What’s do-able & realistic for you?
- What/Whom you’re going to need for support
If you are feeling frustrated, disappointed and/or have lost motivation with your exercise, let us help find theRIGHT exercise program for you. It can make all the difference in the world and you deserve to not only feel better, but also to feel better about yourself!
During this time, she has coached people of all ages, health concerns & fitness levels. It is Lisa’s personal mission, along with the staff at State of the Heart Fitness, to educate, inspire and empower people to live their best life of optimal health & fulfillment and also to live life with and from one’s heart. It is her belief that when we heal our own heart, we, in turn, heal the world.
