A personal trainer’s things to consider making New Years resolutions (part 1)
A personal trainer in Toronto has some good ideas
It’s that time of year, where we reflect on where the year has taken us and look ahead to the next year’s journey. Coming out of the lockdowns this year and (for most - but not all of us) things beginning to get back to some sort of normal, it has been a time of struggle and possibility for a lot of us. I hope the possibility has outweighed the struggle or, that the struggle has been edifying if nothing else. We need us some struggle to get our house in order. May yours be a bit more orderly going out of this year than it was going in.
Although just another day in the calendar I always relish the new year. It is, in it’s own way, young and fresh and ready for new. I love that feeling. There’s an opportunity within it.
In that spirit, of new and fresh and opportunity, I submit a few ideas of how next year and all it’s possibility, could be supported and celebrated by these sometimes small and sometimes big suggestions. This persons little guide to the best you possible. This is part one of two. There are a lot of good ideas in here and even if you do just one, I genuinely believe it would have a tangable impact on your life. Let’s get to it.
A personal trainer in Toronto says resolve to move well
Whether this means taking a course, or watching some solid movement videos on the internet (see some of my suggestions for that in a previous post) or hiring a personal trainer like myself, commit to upping your movement acumen. This could be done in a couple of different ways: by choosing exercises or movements that you do already OR by looking into some new movements. Either way think about it in terms of function. What will make you a better mover in your day to day life and what will, once you really get the hang of it, positively effect whatever it is you are trying to do in the gym. This resolution will increase the likelihood of you reaching your goals and bulletproof how you age. Several wins all in one.
It should come as a shock to no one (hopefully) that I practice this regularly and yes I would say it’s super fun and makes a serious difference in my day-to-day life. Partially a bias based on my general passion for this sort of thing aside, check this out: so let’s say you tweak your lower back - easy enough to do and it’s more than likely just gonna happen every now and then. But here’s the thing: if you know how to move, you will heal astoundingly more quickly and you are far less likely to make the situation worse. If you tweak your lower back and then bend over a bunch with poor form, get up and down out of a chair with poor form etc etc you’re aggravating the injury constantly. But if you know how to deadlift and squat holy - you can support yourself and give your back the time and space it needs to heal so you can get back to all your usual activities. For that reason alone: it’s worth it.
A personal trainer in Toronto wants you lifting better. Resolve to.
By this I mean, a lot of the exercises you see commonly being done in the gym are not particularly effective. We can measure effect in a variety of ways - cardio-respetory engagement, muscle recruitment, functional movement practice…A lot of movements are not making you sweat, making your muscles grow or become more resiliant and not helping you move better. And here’s a secret: if they aren’t doing any of those things, it is highly unlikely it is helping you to look any different either. Resolve to learn some exercises that will do all of the above and watch your goals get smashed.
I teach and I practice fundamental lifting and moving or derivatives thereof and yes I tend to swear by it. In my own practice and sometimes with clients I totally throw in things that are… I don’t want to say useless, but of limited usefulness let’s say but that are quite effective in terms of specific muscle hypertrophy or something. It’s fine to have some of that in your workouts (or exclusively - you do you) but here’s something to consider: I think most people want to look physically capable. That is one of the big reasons people go to gyms. The easiest way to LOOK physically capable is to BE physically capable: fundamental basic lifts and there derivatives. You will look like a million bucks.
A personal trainer in Toronto suggests beginning a morning practice
This can be as little as two minutes to as much as a half hour. It can make a huge difference in your day. A little bit of movement, gentle or vigorous. A little bit of stretching or yoga. A little bit of writing, intention setting, meditating, breathing. Taking a minute to get your self settled and set and ready - from a deeper place ready - for the day. If you can, at the same time, prepare your body for whatever it is about to be confronted with is a huge bonus. If 10 minutes seems like too much, start with two. Seriously. Two minutes. Set a timer. It will make a difference.
A personal trainer in Toronto wants to follow that up with a suggestion of an evening practice
Kind of the same as the above but in the evening. Hey look if you could take five minutes at the beginning and end of your day and do it consistently I guarantee the quality of your life would go way up. For real. I like to gratitude journal in the evening. We can tend to focus on the negative - this practice helps to wire our brains away from that habit. Add in a brief meditation and maybe a few gentle stretches to down-regulate us right off to sleep. It can be a powerful combination. Try it for a week and you’ll notice a difference.
A personal trainer in Toronto begins a three-or four--parter
I hope some of this has been inspiring! The second part will be up in a couple of weeks and this could go on for a bit depending on how people like it. Regardless, enjoy the holidays please and I will see you soon!