From time to time you may consider stepping things up. Maybe for a comp or an event or whatever.
But bear in mind that stepping up too much too soon can be detrimental.
Stepping particular things up to much, such as interval training, can be detrimental.
So what could you do?
Just a little bit more. Let your body settle for a few weeks and adjust to the extra load, then add a little bit more if you want to.
Sure you can step things up real quick, but you run a higher risk of injury and you are much more likely to quit it after the challenge ends or whenever you lose motivation.
Step up just a little and you are far more likely to stick with it.
Even this year I’ve been doing just a little more.
I’m doing some sprint training on a Monday, but only doing 5-10 minutes after a short warm up.
In the last week I’ve started a new stretching series for my hips from a new program called focused flexibility. It goes for 17 minutes.
Just knowing that these things only run for such a short duration lets me know that they are achievable so I go and do them without thinking too much about it.
It’s also quite easy to stick with for the same reason.
Another way to do a little more exercise is to go play a sport or do a fitness based activity you find fun.
Crazy right?
Breakdancing has been so easy to stick with because I’ve wanted to do it forever and its fun!
I have the same response to Salsa dancing, where I hate missing a night out.
So what are you going to do?
Firstly make sure you get your strength training sessions in.
You could do 2-3 full body sessions or a heavy upper body and a heavy lower body session once each per week with a full body session if you have the capacity.
Next, add some interval training. 1-2 short sessions is plenty.
Go do some driveway sprints (I did em on Monday), hill sprints, a fast run around your block, sprints between light posts or letterboxes, or follow an interval training program.
If you don’t want to do run sprints or your body doesn’t want you to, use a rowing machine, a bike, skipping rope, boxing or some other cardio apparatus.
Your martial arts sessions contain a lot of intervals in them so they count too.
Fit some recovery work in there too. Do some stretching, yoga, tai chi, qigong, mobility work, etc.
If you don’t have the focus or discipline to do it yourself, go to a class or watch a follow along DVD with your phone turned off.
Want to do more?
Go play.
Play with your kids.
Play a sport.
Go walk or hike or surf or whatever you want to!
Seriously, play is so important to our happiness and we forget to do it as much as we age.
Play is the best kind of exercise and its fun. When we play we are more creative in what we do and where we go.
We make the rules, we break the rules, we surprise people, we scare people, we play pranks and joke and laugh.
More of this kind of fun is necessary in keeping our sanity some days.
Go and play with a kid for half an hour and see how hot and sweaty and tired you get. Make sure it’s a kid you know or you could end up in trouble.
You have no idea what you’ll end up doing when you start and the game can switch constantly.
That’s all.
So what will you do just a little more of this coming week?
Is there a sport or activity you are going to do this weekend that you’ve been looking forward to for ages?
Why not plan one?
Hope this has helped encourage you to do a little more or given you some guidance on how to structure your training or helped enrich your life in some way.
Enjoy your day and don’t forget to play.
