Exercising With Someone At A Different Level

Ok, let's face it. Each of us are at different levels in our exercise and nutrition program. We want to exercise with others that are either more or less advanced than where we are. Although not ideal, this does not mean that you can not exercise with them.

In order for you to be successful.

1. Maintain your own food and exercise journals.

Make sure that you are keeping track of progress through your own. Do not get caught up with what the other person is or is not doing. You are ultimately responsible for your own success or failure.

2. Continue to exercise even if your partner does or does not.

Although your partner can hold you accountable, you must be account for your actions. Your partner should be your second source of accountability not your first.

3. Determine your own goals.

Your goals may or may not be the same as your partner's. Even if you have the same goal(s), then you may have different steps to reach the same goal(s). Take the necessary steps to make sure that you reach your goals at your own pace.

You can exercise with someone at a different level, you just have to follow these basic guidelines.

How To Get Started Again After Not Exercising

There may have been many times when you have been going strong with your exercise and nutrition program and then all of a sudden it seems that you have absolutely no motivation to continue. We all go through those times, the difference is that you know how to recover and start again.

In order to succeed starting again, you must first completely understand why it was that you stopped in the first place. Otherwise you will just repeat the same cycle of starting and stopping over and over again. This is a good time that if you have not started a journal, to start now. Here is a good journal to get you started.

Write down the following:

What worked for you in the past? Why?

What didn't work for you in the past? Why?

Why did you stop? Be honest and truthful. This is the most important step. If you don't understand why you stopped, then you will be more likely to stop again.

What is different in your life now than the last time you exercised or ate right?

What do you have to do today in order to do what worked for you in the past?

If it is not the same as before, then what were the reasons that it worked for you in the past. Take the time to analyze the reasons that you were successful.

When you focus on the reasons that you were successful, you will be more likely to succeed again. You may need to change or modify something so that it will work for you now. That is why the reasoning is so important. If cardio on the treadmill worked for you in the past, but you got bored and stopped try a spin class.

Don't be afraid to add variety so that you will not get bored and stop again. If you tried something in the past and it didn't work, be willing to try it again. You are not the same that you were when you first tried it. It is very possible that it may work wonders for you now.

Don't Forget Breakfast

I still can not believe that so many people still do not eat breakfast each morning. It simply amazes me that people wonder why they get so groggy and run down by mid morning. After you wake up your body is completely depleted on nutrients that can provide energy for your day. Make sure you are getting your daily vitamins.

It is important that you eat a healthy breakfast each morning so that you can have the necessary energy throughout the day. There are so many different options so that you cans start you day off strong.

Breakfast should be something that is simple, quick, and convenient. When you eat breakfast every morning it doesn't mean that you have to eat first thing, but it should be as close as possible to the time that you are starting your day.

Stop making excuses for skipping breakfast. When you skip breakfast you have basically fasted for over 8 hours. Your breakfast should be nutritious so that you have a healthy start. You also won't be as hungry through out the day.

You May Want To Limit Your Cardio Workout

Cardio is something that often times we begin especially on the machines and we get almost obsessed with it. I am talking to those of you, that do cardio, cardio, cardio, and then more cardio. There is absolutely no reason for that much cardio for one person. You only need 30 to maybe 45 minutes of cardio a work out. Anything more is overkill and can cause over exercise. If you are doing cardio outside, you can use a pedometer to keep track of your steps to be sure that you do not over do it.

You are so much better off doing 30 minutes of cardio and then use the remaining time with strength training with free weights, machines, etc. You will burn more fat. You open the door to too much wear and tear on your muscles which can cause multiple injuries that you can not recover.

When you do the same thing over and over again, not only are you going to become bored, but your body will become bored. This will cause you to plateau and you will not lose any more weight.

I am not writing this article to stop you from doing cardio. We all need to do some cardio. What I am trying to get you to do is to rethink your cardio routine if you are doing cardio like there is no end. Mix your routine up so that you incorporate cardio into your strength training and then you don't have to run or step for miles upon miles at a time.

Over-exercising Can Be Dangerous

We all get so revved up when we begin a exercise program. Exercise is one of those things that has to be done on a regular basis without being overdone. This is a major reason that it is recommended that you utilize a exercise journal so that you can be sure that you are not over-exercising any one muscle.

This is also why it is recommended that you do not exercise every single day, so that you force your body to rest for some time. There are some health concerns associated with over-exercise that you need to know about. Although, it is not that common, it is possible.

Exercise is a stressor that causes catabolic effect when proteins are consumed in order to give us energy. When we exercise, we are in effect causing many micro tears within our muscle. When we fail do not give our muscles time to rest, we run the risk of not allowing our muscles to recover.

In some instances of extreme over exercise as found with the military, it has been shown that there can be some performance loss and cause damage to the muscle. It is also possible to over train to the point where the muscle simply can not recover.

In some women that over exercise, it has also been shown to stop menstrual flow. In younger adolescents it has also been shown to stunt growth.

The chances that you will over-exercise are small, but just be sure to take the necessary precautions to ensure that you are giving each body part the proper amount of rest. You should also limit to less than 2 hours for any single work out.