Last updated at 12:54, Saturday, 04 October 2008

YET ANOTHER Monday morning; what a day; winter is defiantly coming, and getting up this morning seems harder than normal.

Christmas is only 12 weeks away and then 2009 will be here in a flash. Not a very good start to my article, but I have a point here.

Whatever the day, whatever the time of year and however you feel, it’s never too late to kick-start the fitness plan.

After a few months out with house moves and everything else I’ve managed to start back on my long road to a fitter me.

Being a part-time personal trainer has a pressure, and that’s trying to look the part, but more importantly it’s getting back to something I love to do.

It’s an important message; if you have been away from the gym for a while or you are just new to training you must enjoy whatever lies ahead of you.

Pick something you enjoy. If going to the gym isn’t your thing, then try a sport you enjoy, whatever it takes to participate in fitness and have a smile on your face, then that’s the magic ingredient.

It’s difficult to forget the pain and stress you might feel from your first workout back.

We have all been through it; it’s frustrating not being able to perform the training you did two years ago or you might think you are fitter than what you’re first session showed. At the end of the day it’s about feeling comfortable for the first three or four sessions.

In my experience nothing makes me feel more comfortable than the sound of music.

Buying an iPod was the best thing I’ve ever done; you can listen to your own tunes and after a while you forget how hard you are working.

A song lasts between three and four minutes so when you think listening to four songs is about 18 minutes then you have started your training in the right way.

It doesn’t matter what the song is either. It might be a song that means something to you or it might be a song that lets the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

I was brought up on Rocky movies, so the Rocky soundtrack is perfect for me; a good bit of dance music as well really gets you moving.

I got an iPod shuffle which to me is the best for training on the market; the other iPods are a bit clumsy and generally it means attaching it to your arm which doesn’t feel right. The shuffle can be attached to any part of your clothing.

So many people start the training right but forget the nutritional side.

It’s very important to consider what is right or wrong for you.

If you are losing weight then a weekly recall on your nutritional habits is a must.

You don’t need ‘you are what you eat’ to tell you what’s bad for you, I have a feeling you already know.

If you eat too much saturated fat like chips, chocolate or crisps, then reduce them or cut them out altogether.

If you have no breakfast then add that to your new nutritional menu.

If you need help with any nutritional advice then please contact me and I will be very happy to help: my mobile number is 07908219623.

When you eat right the training will become easier in a shorter space of time. Having a burger after training will only have a negative effect on the hard work you just put in – think protein and low carbs.

Low fat is a must and if possible the fats you consume must be good fats like omega 3 oils.

Looking the part when training might sound egotistical but if you feel good in what you wear then you will take pride in how you look.

Wearing a smelly T-shirt might seem manly, but the only looks you will get are of disgust from the local gym members.

It sometimes feels easier to train in good clothes as these days the clothes help your body breathe and make it more comfortable to run, lift weights etc.

I used to wear the bodybuilder pants which look a bit like MC Hammer; they looked awful but at the time I thought they looked cool. Then a year or so ago my mum was clearing my old stuff out and she came across these pants. They were laughable to say the least and it’s certainly not something I would wear now.

So look right and you’ll feel right.

Devising a plan is a must when starting out again, but it needs to be realistic.

It always looks good on paper when being over enthusiastic but in reality performing that routine might not be suitable.

Always think long term, as short-term gains will always be achieved especially after missing a bit of time training.

My advice is to follow these simple steps:

For the first two weeks rest more than you train. For example train three times in week one and week two and have four days rest in both weeks.

Sleep is very important; don’t be going to bed at midnight and ensure you have eight hours sleep each night. This will aid muscle recovery.

Pick a target in six months time. Maybe you want to compete in a 10km run or enter another competition.

This will challenge you and will ensure you continue to build up to the target.

Get yourself checked out. A fitness check would be ideal and can be arranged by your own doctor.

Measuring your weight and body fat at the very start then again in six weeks will enable you to see progress.

Never be too downhearted if you don’t see considerable change; be patient, results will come in the end.

A reward like a chocolate bar or maybe a set of new clothes shows that you are making results.

If you haven’t put the effort in then don’t give yourself the reward.

Note down your progress on a spreadsheet. It’s great to see what you have achieved on a chart.

If you have measured your weight on a fortnightly basis it’s great to see a line decrease after time.

Place it on your wall; it’s a proud moment so if you can see it then it reminds you how well you’re actually doing.

Take a picture and place it on your fridge door. The before will ward you off the bad foods that may lurk in the fridge and after time if you put up a picture of what you look like now then it will remind you that going back to the before photo isn’t the right thing to do.

First published at 10:32, Friday, 03 October 2008
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk