Your exercise routine has fizzled out. Now what?

Ok, so we’re nearly two weeks into January, and I am wondering how many fitness resolutions are already out the window. As someone who loves being active, I’m all for goals that promote a more active lifestyle. But if you don’t get off on the right start, well-meaning intentions will only go so far in delivering you to the gym. Before you commit to getting fit, evaluate your motives, and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. (Read What Motivates You to Move?) Once you’ve established that your goals come from a genuine desire for well being (rather than trying to reach an unattainable or unmaintainable body weight/shape/size), you still might get discouraged at what seems like a long road ahead of you. If your motivation has already petered out, here are a few suggestions to help spark the flame again.

Buy some new work out clothes. This may seem like a shallow approach, but if you feel self conscious in your over-sized holey sweats while everyone else is walking around in their Nike/Reebok/Adidas gear, you will look for every excuse not to go. While there is no limit to how much you can spend on fitness apparel, you don’t have to spend a lot on functional, yet fashionable clothing that will give you the freedom you need to move. I recently stocked up on Champion boot-cut fitted pants from Target, and while I was lucky enough to catch them on sale for $14.99, their regular price of $19.99 still can’t be beat. I also got a few tank tops with built in bras, like this Champion Racer Back Tank for $18.99. And speaking of bras, make sure you have a properly fitted bra that gives you the support you need. If you are uncomfortable because the girls are bouncing around too much, that will just add to your list of excuses to avoid moving. For extra support, check out the Ultimate Sport Bra from Lane Bryant. Old Navy is another great source for reasonably priced fitness clothes, and Junonia is a good source for plus-sized active wear. If you’re ready to spend a little more and want to check out some fun styles, try the newest brand from the Gap brand of stores, Athleta. While many of their price points are beyond what I’m willing to spend, I definitely love their styles and would enjoy heading to the gym in some of their cute tops. Whatever you do, find clothes that are comfortable to work out in but make you feel good too. You’d be surprised what a difference it can make.

What Motivates You to Move?

Do you feel chained to the treadmill? Do you dread the gym? Maybe you go every day, or every other day, or every third Tuesday of every leap year but with every workout, you are cursing, swearing and gritting your teeth, praying that it will all be over soon. If this sounds like you — if you work out because you have to instead of because you want to, it’s time to take a look at what your motivation is.

If the primary goal for every workout is to burn as many calories as possible, then you might be leading yourself down a dead-end. Why? Because if it hasn’t already happened, sooner or later, your workout will become drudgery in the name of exonerating you from your eating “sins.” Once that happens, discipline will carry you only so far in keeping up with your routine before you become resentful of exercise and give it up all together. Even if you are one of the rare people to maintain an exercise routine through sheer will power alone, you probably would rather be attending a life insurance convention.

So, you may be wondering? How does one fall in love with exercise? Is that even possible? I like to think that yes, it is possible to fall in love, though sometimes you have to look in unexpected places.

First of all, anything that you have to do is going to be less enjoyable than what you want to do. Ever heard the expression “force causes resistance”? When you force yourself to exercise, there will be a part of you that resists. You may go through the motions, but eventually you may quit as your will power wanes. Instead of thinking about what you have to do, or trying to burn off the extra piece of cake you had last night, think about how the act of motion actually makes your body feel. Even if you feel a little sore after a workout (if you consistently feel extremely sore, it’s time to re-evaluate your workouts), you might notice that your mind is clear and you have more energy. By paying attention to your body, and the sensations you feel in your muscles during and after exercise, you might gain a different perspective and view it as a way to appreciate and love your body instead of using it as a punishment for your food crimes.

It’s also counter-productive to have the attitude that says exercising for less than 30 or 60 minutes is not worth doing. Studies have shown that cumulative exercise is as effective as doing it in one big chunk in terms of many health benefits. Plus, the idea that you have to do something that you might not enjoy for 30 minutes or longer is a lot harder to stomach than 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

Think back to when you were a kid. You probably weren’t concerned with the number of calories you burned doing your favorite activities and you were happy to do the things you enjoyed even if you could squeeze in just 5 minutes of whatever it was you were doing. And if those things gave you pleasure then, maybe they still do. Did you dream of being Olivia Newton John, roller-skating gracefully through the land of Xanadu (ok, I’m really dating myself here), wearing pretty white roller skates? If so, try roller-blading. It’s a great low-impact activity and you can choose your own pace. Don’t think about burning a certain number of calories. Just enjoy the motion of moving your legs, and the thrill you feel as you glide along.

Or maybe instead of roller skating, it was ice skating you got excited about. I wasn’t actually much into ice skating as a kid, but when I signed my kids up for ice skating lessons, I decided to give it a try. It turns out, I really enjoy it! Now when I take the kids to practice in between their lessons, I get on the ice too and enjoy (un)gracefully gliding along the ice. Given the rising popularity of ice hockey, I’d be willing to bet there’s an indoor ice skating rink near you.

Did you love to splash around in the pool on hot summer days? Then check out your local community pool or see if a nearby gym has a pool. You really can’t do much better for your body than some laps in the pool since you get a total body workout with no impact. I used to think I hated swimming. The idea of going back and forth and back and forth without any change of scenery seemed like the most boring kind of exercise one could do, topping even a treadmill, where at least you can watch TV. But determined to do a triathlon, I finally challenged myself to take it up, and I’ve actually come to love it. I don’t try and swim fast or hard. I just keep a steady pace, focusing on my breathing, much like one does while meditating. In fact, it really puts me in a meditative state, clearing my mind, and giving me a great feeling of relaxation. I often finish off my swimming workouts with a few minutes in the hot tub.

Maybe you were obsessed with horses as a kid. Though horse-back riding lessons can be costly, it’s great exercise and can provide a lot of enjoyment if you’re a “horse person”. (Check out the article Don’t ‘Weight’ for Life to Happen to read about Karen who lists horse-back riding lessons among the many activities she enjoys regularly.) Other outdoor activities you might enjoy are hiking, rock climbing, or even just taking long walks through your neighborhood, park, or nearby woods if available.

If you were on a team as a kid, perhaps it’s time to revisit that sport, or other sports you always wanted try but didn’t. Most communities have various levels of team sports for women, ranging from the casual, play-for-fun leagues, to semi-competitive, or, if you’re really serious, the “stay out of my way or I’ll kick your a__” leagues. Did you know you can even join adult kick ball teams?

And of course there are the more obvious forms of exercise like running or biking. It could be that you once enjoyed those things but turning it into something you have to do has taken away all the pleasure. Many years ago I decided that since I loved running, it would be fun to do a marathon (yes, I realize that ‘fun’ and ‘marathon’ aren’t something many of you would put in the same sentence). But once I began training, meeting weekly mileage goals, and feeling the need to run a certain number of days each week to hit certain bench marks, I no longer looked forward to my running workouts. I felt like I couldn’t take the time to do any other activity I enjoyed because I felt like I should be devoting all my time to my training. About half way through my training, I finally decided to quit, not because I didn’t think I could do a marathon, but because I wanted to regain my enjoyment of running. And I did, once the pressure was off and I could balance it with other forms of exercise I enjoy. Since then I have run a number of half marathons and I even did a triathlon, but my outlook on training has changed. I have learned to bring balance to my workouts through cross training and, importantly, rest.

If you can afford a gym membership, the variety of classes most offer these days can help stave off exercise boredom. Many gyms offer Latin, hip hop, salsa and ballroom dancing, just to name a few, and that’s in addition to the standard step aerobics, kick boxing, and core strength building classes you will probably find. If you haven’t looked at the class schedule at your gym, it’s time to revisit it and perhaps try something new.

I believe there is something out there for everyone to enjoy. We already fill our lives with mundane responsibilities — life is too short to add one more thing to our routine that we loathe doing. We were meant to move, we simply need to figure out what makes us feel good, and “just do it.”

Be a Healthy Runner with Proper Running Form and Shoes

Danny Abshire, co-founder, Newton Running

By Danny Abshire, co-founder, Newton Running

Do you think a running shoe with a thickly cushioned heel pad and rigid medial post can keep you from suffering common running injuries such as plantar fasciitis, iliotibial band syndrome or shin splits? Think again.

Recent research and news reports are confirming what those close to the sport have known for years: running shoes with thick midsoles, extensive anti-pronation devices and large heel crash pads don’t prevent injuries.

The key to preventing running injuries is to run with lightweight shoes and efficient, low-impact running form. Running in heavy, overbuilt running shoes can put more strain on a runner’s body, reduce proprioception necessary to engage proper form and make a runner’s feet and lower legs overwork braking and propulsive muscles and connective tissue — a combination which can actually make a runner more prone to common overuse injuries.

A recent study at the University of Newcastle in Australia concluded there is no scientific evidence to support claims that running shoes with elevated heel crash pads and elaborate anti-pronation systems prevent injuries in runners. The findings have been published in the March 2009 edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Since the 1980s, distance running shoes with thick, heavily cushioned heels and features to control how much the heel rolls in, have been consistently recommended to runners who want to avoid injury,” Dr. Craig Richards, one of the researchers, said in a press release announcing the results of the study. “We did not identify a single study that has attempted to measure the effect of this shoe type on either injury rates or performance. This means there is no scientific evidence that [those shoes] provide any benefit to distance runners.”

Dutch researchers have previously found that between 37 and 56 percent of recreational runners become injured at least once each year. The most common maladies are found in the feet and lower legs, but others include pelvis and lower back injuries.

“Not only can we no longer recommend a shoe [with an elevated heel and pronation control system], but the lack of research in this area means that we cannot currently make any evidence-based shoe recommendations to runners,” Richards said in the release. “To resolve this uncertainty, running shoes need to be tested like any other medical treatment, in carefully controlled clinical trials.

“This will ensure that only running shoes with proven benefits can be marketed and sold as therapeutic devices. Until this occurs, health professionals will not know whether the distance running shoes they are recommending are beneficial, harmless or harmful.”

A recent story in the London Daily Mail confirmed what the Australian report suggested in an excerpt from a new book called “Born to Run” by journalist Christopher McDougal. That story referenced Dr. Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological anthropology at Harvard University, who offered the startling conclusion that: “A lot of foot and knee injuries currently plaguing us are caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to overpronate (ankle rotation) and give us knee problems.”

To run efficiently, you have to understand your body and how it naturally moves across a surface with as little muscular force as possible. The tenants of good running form include running with short strides and a quick cadence, landing lightly on the midfoot/forefoot area (the ball of the foot, but not the toes), and quickly lifting your foot off the ground instead of pushing off with excessive muscle force. A slight forward lean and a relaxed arm swing are also key components.

To illustrate what Newton Running calls the “Land-Lever-Lift” technique, take the simple test of running barefoot across a smooth floor. More than likely, you’re naturally going to land lightly at your midfoot/forefoot and quickly pick up your foot to start a new stride. Your body doesn’t allow you to land on your heels because it isn’t engineered to accommodate the blunt force trauma of repeated heel striking. Unfortunately, most contemporary running shoes have been designed for running form that demands heavy heel striking and dampens the afferent feedback which allows the foot to sense the ground.

Two of the biggest mistakes distance runners can fall prey to are 1) excessive heel striking that causes abrupt braking of forward momentum, and then pushing off too hard with the toes to start the forward motion again; or 2) using only propulsive muscles,(the calf group, hamstrings and Achilles tendon) by running too far up on their toes like a sprinter and not using the body’s natural cushioning system. Each of those form flaws puts too much vertical movement into every stride, and that leads to inefficiency and considerably more impact, muscle and tendon stress on the body.

Danny Abshire is the co-founder of Newton Running, a Boulder, Colo.-based company that makes shoes that promote an efficient midfoot running gait. He has been making advanced footwear solutions for runners and triathletes for more than 20 years. You can also learn more at his Running Front Blog.