By Audrey Burghard, Heath & Wellness Coordinator
Another
frequently asked question from my days as a Personal Trainer was “How do I
increase my fitness?” and “How can I break through a plateau?” regarding
fitness level or body weight. An easy acronym to remember is the F.I.T. rule.
There are three variables you can change to create what is called the training
effect in your body. The training
effect is felt when we are making progress or increasing your fitness level. It
is seen as weight loss, muscle soreness, or fatigue. We all like to see
improvements when we exercise, and oftentimes we hit a plateau or place where
we aren’t seeing the results we desire.
If
you adjust one or more of these variables in your training routine, you can
break through that barrier of stagnation:
§ Frequency – Refers to increasing the number of days you exercise. Add one more day
to see some results. If that’s not doable, adjust your…
§ Intensity
– Increasing intensity refers to your heart rate or how many beats per minute
(BPM) your heart is beating during your exercise routine. For example, if you
are walking for your workout, add a few minutes of jogging to bring the heart
rate higher. If that’s not doable, adjust your…
§ Time –
Refers to the duration or time spent in each training session. If you work out
for 30 minutes three times per week and you were to increase each session by
five minutes, you add another 15 minutes per week. It all adds up!
Pick the variable that you
can work with easily. If you cannot add another day, play with intensity or
time. If your time is set – for example you work out on your lunch break – then
either add another a day or bring up the intensity. If you feel like your
workouts are as intense as you can handle, then look at adding another day or
increasing your time.
Try it, and let me know how
it goes! We all have 24 hours in each day. Let your health fall into the top
five spots of how you spend your time, and you will surely succeed.
In Health,
Audrey
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