by Dr. William Horton
Six Elements of a Successful Fitness Program
Part 1
As a hypnotist I am constantly working with clients who want to lose weight and get in shape. With this in mind I want you to have a good working knowledge of what a good program for lifestyle changes and physical fitness is all about. It is not to say that we need to become personal trainers, but we need to be able to understand the basics, so we can communicate this to our clients.
When working with people to help them achieve a lifestyle change it is important to have a working knowledge of what a complete fitness program contains. These fitness programs can be assembled in many ways. In fact there are so many diet fads, supplements, and training techniques that it is easy to become overwhelmed. There are six factors that should be considered as key elements of a good overall fitness program.
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Mental attitude
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Training
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Diet and Nutrition
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Stretching and Flexibility
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Supplementation
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Rest and Recuperation
The most important of these elements is the one where Hypnotists can help the most. It is proper mental attitude. A person with a good attitude toward exercise will exercise. It should become part of your everyday life. This does not mean you have to become a total gym rat, or live to work out, but an attitude that expresses the physical part of us in a positive way.
Paul of Punta Gorda has lost over 50 pounds in 6 months using these methods with hypnosis as they key. He can now tuck in his shirt, and he loves to exercise! Suncoast Hypnosis will help you change your mental attitude so you can be successful.
We may have to remove any negatives toward a fitness lifestyle, before we can help install the types of mental constructs that will help you achieve your goals. Many people have been preprogrammed into a belief that exercise is something to be avoided, or something to do to hit a goal, then stop when that goal is achieved. How many times have you had a friend work out until they hit their goal weight, then quit exercising and wonder why they put the weight back on? (My most vivid memory is of a lady who exercised and followed a proper nutrition to fit into her wedding dress, then afterwards gained 48 lbs. by her first wedding anniversary.)
What is a good mental attitude toward fitness? I would say it is one that realizes that with a healthy body you are able to enjoy life more fully and live longer. Your body was meant to get physical exercise, and by getting it on a regular basis, it really does enhance your quality of life. I personally use the mental saying, “I will feel so much better when I am done.” and then visualize how I look.
The next thing is training. Training must be customized to your clients personal goals. A male wanting to build muscle will train much differently than a weekend tennis player. Training can be anything from brisk walking to a full weight lifting workout. What does your client want? Also find activities that provide good physical outlets by doing them that your clients will enjoy. Nature walking, hiking, bike riding, and scuba diving are but a few. Do not forget tennis, golf, soft ball. The point is to get active. Do the sport, not watch it. Monday night football does not count.
Training helps to regulate metabolism. A person who is active in training will have a much more active metabolism than someone who is not physically active. You need to also think of aerobic activity, also known as cardiovascular training. It is the best way to burn fat and speed up weight loss. It also strengthens the heart and lungs and makes your body much more efficient.
Diet and nutrition is the basis on which you build your body. No matter what the goal, weight loss, muscle development, or just physical toning, good nutrition is a must for success. In addition, proper nutrition will help regulate and control your metabolism, which in turn keeps your body balanced. There is as much misinformation as there is good information, so you should be open-minded and do research on the current trends and research. Do not rely on non-proven fad information to guide you. On one end of the spectrum the current Atkins, low carb diet has a lot of research behind it, as does the low fat Ornish diet. Be open to find what works.
Part 2
We left off last time in our quest for the elements of a Successful Fitness program with nutrition, the next 3 will place you years ahead of the rest in you desire to become the person you want to be, as these are the overlooked aspects of health!
The six factors elements again that should be considered as key elements of a good overall fitness program.
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Mental attitude
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Training
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Diet and Nutrition
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Stretching and Flexibility
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Supplementation
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Rest and Recuperation
I personally believe that the next key, stretching and flexibility, are too often over looked. Several years ago I was a power lifter and body builder, but I had no flexibility. When I got back into the martial arts I was reminded of how important flexibility is. I am now more flexible at 45 than I was at 25. (Compared to many martial artists I am still stiff because I enjoy lifting weights.) When you look at world class athletes you find they are all flexible. Current research also shows that flexibility will add years to your life, and life to your years. It keeps joints loose and may help joint problems. Any good training program will build in stretching as a part of it. As hypnotists who sit all day, we need to add this to our own routine.
When you combine strength training with stretching and flexibility you have a winning program. It also ties in a unique way, not just the mind body connection, but the cross lateralization of the brain. Martial arts, gymnastics, and dancing are great.
When my wife started doing Flying Trapeze I witnessed numerous benefits of her rigid training. She dropped weight, muscles reshaped giving her a “buff” appearance, she regained her flexibility, her chronic bad back improved, and her strength increased. All of which added to her self-esteem in other areas. I see the martial arts do it for people all the time.
Supplementation is a factor that will take you to the next level. It is naïve to think that in today’s overly processed world you can get the proper nutrients from our overly farmed soil. Have you ever eaten a strawberry that had little taste, or an orange that didn’t have much “orange taste”? Something was missing. Those are nutrients, vitamins and minerals. With the great advent of current research it is now possible to help our bodies as never before. Read up on the information, and get involved so you can talk knowledgeably. We do not prescribe, but it is good to know what’s out there in this area.
Lastly, rest and recuperation is the most overlooked in our rush, rush world. Quality rest is vital, as this is when your body releases the hormones that encourage muscle growth and recovery. It is also when your body repairs itself in other ways when needed. (That is why you sleep so much when injured or sick.)
It is also important to add in fun things to do in your physical routine. The mental release of having fun cannot be overlooked. You can be physically drained but mentally great from a fun action packed activity.
I have many clients that have lost from 50 to over 100 pounds following these ideas using hypnosis as the active ingredient. Use your mind to help you change your body.
Lastly we are seeing more and more overweight children, many times this can be traced back to the family of orgin, are they overweight, do they eat healthy, do they exercise? Are you the role model of health, or fat?
Become the person you desire!
