5 things people never tell you about exercise & weight loss.

     Alllllllrighty then! My 6am client didn't show up, so instead of going back to bed-

I decided to get my blog on! 

      Today I present to you (drum roll please.. yes I am expecting you to be frantically tapping on your desk right now) 

The top 5 things people never tell you about exercise & weight loss!

Lets do this!

      1. Any movement is better than no movement.

Hey Mel, what do you think of Cross Fit? Is Zumba good? Should I do HIIT once or twice a week? Im thinking about bootcamp, is that good for toning? Lots of people ask me about exercise and how they should best move to reach their goals. Yes some goals require specific movement patterns, but for the general population who are exercising for health, I always say anything! Just move, go for a walk with a friend, try yoga, pole dancing, group fitness, stretch in front of the TV at night, throw the ball with your dog- just move. The body wants to move and is designed to move, don’t stress about the very best way to do it, because the very best way will be different for everyone.

My parents love to dance, so that is what they do. :)

2. Don’t underestimate your need for REST.

Back in my Les Mills teaching days, I would do 3 pump classes in one day and then get into bed and not be able to sleep because of the sharp pains running down my legs- only to then get up the next morning at 5.45am to attend a spin class. I mean really Mel? Come on!

Your body needs to rest, rejuvenate and repair. If your body is sore, it is telling you that it needs to rest.

I actually remember saying to someone “I wonder what it feels like to walk up a set of stairs and not be in pain?”- insert face palm here.

It wasn’t till I started resting that I actually started seeing results, and there is a good reason for that, your body needs to rest. 

If you struggled to rest (cause you’re a super fitness freak) try a long walk, a massage or some flow yoga.

3. Find exercise you actually enjoy.

When fitness professionals say things like “no pain no gain” or I watch the poor contestants on the Biggest Loser cry while they run on the treadmill it really.. how do I say this nicely.. it makes me feel sad inside.

Since when did exercise become a chore? Movement is fun, do you see little kids at the park crying because they get to run around and play? Arghh.. no (not unless they fall over). Just last week my work collogue once sent me the group fitness timetable at a local gym and asked me which class she should do, my response… “the one you enjoy the most.”

Its Dr Phil logic- (insert a thick southern, bald, accent here) "If you enjoy it, you will do it."

If you don’t enjoy exercise you just haven’t found the right type of exercise for you- so keep looking. There are a billion trillion ways to move your body, keep trying till you find something you love.

Woah yeah, looks like fun!

4. Listen to your body.

Your body is telling you stuff all the time, start listening to it. 

You know don’t have a headache because of a aspirin deficiency right? You have a headache because your eyes are sore from straining at the computer, you are stressed out, you haven’t had enough water, you need food or sleep or rest. If you bloat after eating, maybe that is your body telling you that its not working properly. Pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, are you actually hungry? Is going to the gym right now the best idea when your throat is aching and you feel tired?

5. Experiment with what works for YOU. 

Why do you think there are SO many different dieting methods out there? Because, they’ve worked for SOMEONE. Ashy Bines gets her bikini body from her clean eating whoo harr, I take a flexible dieting approach with myself & my clients and Freeleethebananagirl eats nothing but fruit and we all claim to look at feel amazing. A Paleo diet works for some and weight watchers for others. There are ripped yoga instructors and there are ripped cross fitters- both do completely different exercises. You get my point right? What works for your old mate down the road or what works for Oprah might be different to what works for you.

As long as you avoid those ‘quick fix’ diets and choose a sensible long term approach, I don’t see the harm in trying different methods- even if you do not achieve your goal, you will probably learn something in the process, which is valuable in itself.

I hope this has given you some guidance & motivated you to try something new!

Mel xx

melvfitness.com.au