Stop Exercising So Hard! Why Moderate Workouts Really Do Work
By: Nicole Nichols,
SparkPeople Blogger
11/2/2011 6:00 AM
: 123 comments
: 28,387 Views
Have you noticed how intense workout programs have become in recent years? The top-selling fitness DVDs are by "America's Toughest Trainer" Jillian Michaels (think 30 Day Shred) and also include P90X and Insanity (advertised as "the hardest fitness program ever put on DVD"). Even Crossfit, which combines gymnastics, power lifting, and plyometrics and was originally used by athletes, firefighters, and soldiers, is gaining popularity among unfit beginners and housewives alike. The ever-popular "Biggest Loser" TV series also depicts people exercising to the point of injury, hospitalization, and vomiting.
I remember a time when commercials for fitness products used to show how easy and effortless it was to lose weight and tone up in just minutes a day. But now, we see the sweat and strain and want to be a part of it. Are we crazy? Am I the only one concerned about this trend?
As a certified fitness professional, I can tell you for a fact that it is both unsafe and very risky for the average Joe (or Jane) to jump into high intensity exercise when just starting a fitness routine. Yet workout programs like these aren't marketed to regular exercisers who want to take their fitness to the next level. They target people who are overweight and obese, out of shape, and/or not already exercising consistently. To go from sitting on the couch to performing high intensity exercise is contraindicated by all reputable fitness organizations, including ACE (American Council on Exercise), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America), NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association), The Cooper Institute and more. All reputable fitness organizations say that one must start small with lighter and shorter workouts and then very gradually build up their fitness level before attempting the types of workouts I see being sold to beginners every day.
But safety concerns and risk aside (not that I want to downplay that), what bothers me most about the trend toward high intensity fitness programs is that they are shaping consumers' ideas of what exercise should be like and what it takes to lose weight and get healthy.
Many people believe that this is what exercise is: sweaty, messy, painful, breathless and intense—and that these are requirements for losing weight or getting fit. How likely are you to jump on board if this is what you truly believe about fitness?
Well I'm here to tell you that the ill-conceived ideas of exercise that are shaped by reality TV, late night infomercials, and consumer fitness trends don't hold much water. They sell DVDs and ad space, but they don't help the average person.
Intense workouts set most people up for failure. You fail at the workout itself when you can't keep up. You fail on any day when you can't commit to the full length of the program since most of the workouts are "all or nothing." You fail when you're too sore or tired to want to exercise. You fail when you don't get the fast and amazing results you felt you were promised. And you fail when all of these things combine and make you dread working out.
Here's the truth: Exercise doesn't have to be painful. It doesn't have to leave you tired, sore or breathless. And to be perfectly honest, it should never make you puke. Exercise doesn't have to take hours a day or cost a lot of money. It doesn't have to leave you in dread of your next workout. And it doesn't have to be boring or torturous.
For someone who gets winded walking up a flight of stairs; for the person with mobility issues that has trouble just getting around; for people with diabetes complications that affect their feet; for individuals whose excess weight hurts their joints; for the very people who still aren't exercising regularly for whatever reason—I design workouts, review products, and share fitness tips with YOU in mind. I want you to feel successful on day one, encouraged on day two, excited about day three, energized on day four, confident on day five…
These feelings are far more important than chiseled arms and calorie burn, because these are the things that will keep you coming back to make exercise a habit. Once it's a habit, then you can think about doing more or working harder or challenging yourself with more intense workouts like the examples above (if that's what you like), but first and foremost—you have to just get started. And the beauty of this approach is that YOU CAN DO ANYTHING.
You can walk, dance around your house, try a yoga class or hula hoop in your backyard—regardless of whether it's easy or hard, short or long, or even if it only burns 2 calories per hour. Those intense workouts only burn the hundreds of calories they claim if you're actually doing them regularly, not when the DVDs are collecting dust in your media cabinet.
It's time we stop focusing so intently on the end result and start enjoying the process more. Find a way to move your body that you LOVE and I promise you'll achieve the goals you have in mind. Here are some more workouts and tips to get you started:
Follow @spcoachnicole
I remember a time when commercials for fitness products used to show how easy and effortless it was to lose weight and tone up in just minutes a day. But now, we see the sweat and strain and want to be a part of it. Are we crazy? Am I the only one concerned about this trend?
As a certified fitness professional, I can tell you for a fact that it is both unsafe and very risky for the average Joe (or Jane) to jump into high intensity exercise when just starting a fitness routine. Yet workout programs like these aren't marketed to regular exercisers who want to take their fitness to the next level. They target people who are overweight and obese, out of shape, and/or not already exercising consistently. To go from sitting on the couch to performing high intensity exercise is contraindicated by all reputable fitness organizations, including ACE (American Council on Exercise), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America), NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association), The Cooper Institute and more. All reputable fitness organizations say that one must start small with lighter and shorter workouts and then very gradually build up their fitness level before attempting the types of workouts I see being sold to beginners every day.
But safety concerns and risk aside (not that I want to downplay that), what bothers me most about the trend toward high intensity fitness programs is that they are shaping consumers' ideas of what exercise should be like and what it takes to lose weight and get healthy.
Many people believe that this is what exercise is: sweaty, messy, painful, breathless and intense—and that these are requirements for losing weight or getting fit. How likely are you to jump on board if this is what you truly believe about fitness?
Well I'm here to tell you that the ill-conceived ideas of exercise that are shaped by reality TV, late night infomercials, and consumer fitness trends don't hold much water. They sell DVDs and ad space, but they don't help the average person.
Intense workouts set most people up for failure. You fail at the workout itself when you can't keep up. You fail on any day when you can't commit to the full length of the program since most of the workouts are "all or nothing." You fail when you're too sore or tired to want to exercise. You fail when you don't get the fast and amazing results you felt you were promised. And you fail when all of these things combine and make you dread working out.
Here's the truth: Exercise doesn't have to be painful. It doesn't have to leave you tired, sore or breathless. And to be perfectly honest, it should never make you puke. Exercise doesn't have to take hours a day or cost a lot of money. It doesn't have to leave you in dread of your next workout. And it doesn't have to be boring or torturous.
For someone who gets winded walking up a flight of stairs; for the person with mobility issues that has trouble just getting around; for people with diabetes complications that affect their feet; for individuals whose excess weight hurts their joints; for the very people who still aren't exercising regularly for whatever reason—I design workouts, review products, and share fitness tips with YOU in mind. I want you to feel successful on day one, encouraged on day two, excited about day three, energized on day four, confident on day five…
These feelings are far more important than chiseled arms and calorie burn, because these are the things that will keep you coming back to make exercise a habit. Once it's a habit, then you can think about doing more or working harder or challenging yourself with more intense workouts like the examples above (if that's what you like), but first and foremost—you have to just get started. And the beauty of this approach is that YOU CAN DO ANYTHING.
You can walk, dance around your house, try a yoga class or hula hoop in your backyard—regardless of whether it's easy or hard, short or long, or even if it only burns 2 calories per hour. Those intense workouts only burn the hundreds of calories they claim if you're actually doing them regularly, not when the DVDs are collecting dust in your media cabinet.
It's time we stop focusing so intently on the end result and start enjoying the process more. Find a way to move your body that you LOVE and I promise you'll achieve the goals you have in mind. Here are some more workouts and tips to get you started:
- Exercise Doesn't Have to be Painful
- Hate to Exercise? Try These Ideas!
- Workouts You'll Love if You Hate to Sweat
- Over 100 Cardio Workout Ideas
- 10-Minute Workout Videos
- Small Bits of Fitness Add Up
- "Habits of Fit People" series
- A Beginner's Guide to Yoga
Follow @spcoachnicole
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Comments
Conclusion: Once it's a habit, then you can think about doing more or working harder or challenging yourself with more intense workouts like the examples above (if that's what you like). At no point does she argue that these higher intensity workouts are a bad idea for challenging yourself when you reach a higher fitness level. And I'm just going to add an observation here, somewhat unrelatedly, that it was interesting to view some language in the comment section that expressed value judgments about people who aren't as physically fit. If you're more physically fit, you've "graduated" or are doing something "better." Nice to know. - 2/8/2012 7:27:43 PM
Like many others, I gained a pound a year for forty years after high school. It is foolish as well as dangerous to try to work it off in forty days. Moderate diet and moderate exercise is the healthy and permanent way to get fit. - 11/24/2011 11:17:31 AM
I just think that one should do what works for them and is comfortable but not tooo comfortable. You gotta sweat a little bit and just be smart about your work outs. Don't do strength training every day especially if you do it to muscle fatigue. - 11/23/2011 7:37:35 PM
I love that your philosophy reflects your compassion and respect for people in every stage of life, health and fitness, and that your videos and blogs are always encouraging and never demanding or scolding. The #1 thing that we hefty health-seekers need to remember is that this is NOT a race! We don't have to do this in a matter of weeks (or during one season of reality TV); rather, we can take all the time we need to reset our course.
Wonderful blog! - 11/15/2011 7:00:16 PM
There is usually at least an undercurrent of "if you aren't pushing to your max, you aren't doing anything worth while" and I get tired of it.
Every time I've done an exercise/diet/healthy living program (here or elsewhere) it's always there, the subtle, and often blatant, "you have to push, push, push." And I always end up hurting myself, feeling totally worn out and frustrated. Even with the changing how I eat aspect of it - all those "happy" comments and such about how wonderful it is to totally drop (not just cut back on) all the things you really enjoy and eating stuff you don't enjoy because it's healthier. The point always being that you have to change, change, change to the MAXIMUM to actually accomplish anything.
In one article or blog you'll read all about how slow and steady, small changes etc. are the way to go, then in others you read how that just doesn't really cut it, how that really isn't enough.
I appreciate this article, but it's just more of the confusing, contradicting stuff that is part and parcel of all health/diet/exercise programs and advice. Really, about the only constants seem to be you need to be moving a lot and you have to eat more fruits and veggies than anything else.
Does anyone really expect people to feel comfortable here following the advice in this article? They might when they first come here and aren't reading very many blogs and such, but they'll soon feel like no matter what they're doing it isn't enough.
I quit coming here so much, as I mentioned, in large part because I had once again hurt myself exercising. Once the pain went away, I've just cut back a little on how much I eat, try to do a bit more veggies but not worrying about the 5 or more servings thing, and walk around in my home in three 10 minute shifts (once every hour/3 times). Maybe ride my exercise bike for one of those shifts instead, or as one or two extra shifts if I'm not feeling tired. Sometimes I walk outside and do about a mile. Guess what, I've lost weight that wasn't budging when I was trying to stick closer to the program and doing more intense exercising. I don't feel anxious over every bite of food, worried over every meal and I haven't gotten hurt.
I really am glad this program has worked for so many people. I'm glad it's here and it's free and I may come back more often in the future. But I'll be really careful about getting sucked into the push, push, push mentality. - 11/10/2011 12:05:00 PM
With all the push to intensify and to work your core and many muscles at once, I injured myself.
What got me back? I decided to go old school, simple and what feels good. Once in a while I'll do something "fancy", but I generally do the elliptical or treadmill and listen to my body - some days I'll do hard intervals, other days just stay at my target heartrate (65-75%). As for weights, I went to what got me in shape 20 years ago: 3 set of 12 reps to fatigue of leg press, quads, hamstrings, chest press, lat pull down or row, biceps, triceps, shoulders and, of course, abs most every day.
I understand the benefit of interval training and of integrating the use of more muscles at once while also using your core. But if it hurts, don't do it!
Now mixing it up means different exercises for the primary muscles (like for chest - the bar, or free weights, or incline press, or flys instead).
3 months of this training (strength 3x week, cardio 5-6 days for 50-65 min) and NO PAIN!!
So keep it simple, even if that means just walking and stretching! - 11/9/2011 1:35:20 PM
I'm busy training for my first marathon, and I'm glad I found a real-life personal trainer who is interested in more than just "cute exercise clothes." - 11/7/2011 10:48:01 AM
It's a "short cut" really, and it's going to bite you later on. It's like I said in a previous post, give it 10-15 years and this daily dose of high intensity exercise will be contraindicated by all of the big names in fitness. There's a REASON athletes are pretty much useless after their mid 30's or 40's. Marathon runners get arthritis in their 30's and 40's. Seeing a pattern here? If you do these workouts 5-6 days a week, your body will decline prematurely. They are good every once in a while, but this trend of killing yourself like this, several times a week, is just reckless. - 11/4/2011 11:57:26 AM
FAITH comes before family, which comes before food, which comes before fitness. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."- Matthew 6:33.
Christ died for us on the cross so that we would REJECT sin and the things of the world (beauty, fame, money), and embrace the cross and all things heavenly. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:21.
And regarding food and fitness; why do I think they belong behind Faith and Family??
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25
and
"For bodily exercise profits for a little while: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." 1 Timothy 4:8
...and finally there are numerous scriptures that speak of family priorities...there are FAR to many to list here.
It's all about priorities. My health is VERY important to me, mostly because God commands me to care for the body he gave me.
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
So, for me, it all comes back to serving and honoring the Lord and His son Jesus Christ who has saved me from hell.
How's that for a tangent?
- 11/4/2011 10:51:58 AM
Sometimes I even forget that too.
I always enjoy working out more when I'm not dreading it!!!
Thank you for reminding us!!! - 11/4/2011 10:06:10 AM
If we take a look at what our Federal Government "Does" rather then what it says is good for us, then the answer is to go from couch potato to running at least five miles without stopping in less than eight (8) weeks.
If it was just focused on running, the governments program would be tough enough, but the running is immediately preceded doing 100, sit-ups, 100 push-ups, straight arm extension and hold for 90 seconds or more, a nasty little core exercise the Army calls the "Dying Cockroach" (which is a half crunch with your legs lifted), squats, squat thrusts, etc. for a minimum of 50 minutes - but usually runs an hour of more.
Yes, the military expects you to be able to do all of this, and if you drop out and puke, you are awarded with 3 days where you have to hand-walk a 15' horizontal ladder before every meal.
When I went through this basic physical training back in the dark ages, I thought I was in pretty good shape. I ran Track and Cross-country and played football.
The conditioning of my legs and my cardiopulmonary condition made a large number of the exercises not much of a challenge. BUT, the upper body work initially made it difficult to use a knife, fork or spoon and lift food to my mouth.
Strange. Looking back on it now, it seems almost like fun.
Looking at the philosophy of the man many consider the Father of Conditioning, Jack LaLane, he never warmed up before a set of exercises, long distance swimming events or anything physical. He pointed out that our ancestors (cave-men) didn't have a chance to warm up when attacked - or when laying in wait to ambush game.
I noticed that he never mentioned that the cave-men were constantly walking and thus were almost always "warmed up". - 11/4/2011 2:42:26 AM
Granted when you're beginning, you should begin small and build on. No, you should not plan on running a marathon your first week--that IS a recipe for discouragement.
BUT you do have to do enough exercise to get your heart rate up. Sometimes when you've been doing the same thing for a while, and you are not getting any results anymore, you have to push yourself a bit. Telling yourself that it's okay to take things easy too often ALSO leads to discouragement--because you're no longer getting any results. Sometimes you do have to get up off the couch and move your body--even if you don't want to.
And if you have built up to working out at a higher intensity (like the DVD's downplayed in the article), and it's working for you--MORE POWER TO YOU! :)
Cheers! :) - 11/4/2011 2:27:32 AM
I like some of the things you say about not giving up. It is good to motivate people it may them feel good. - 11/3/2011 8:51:48 PM
However, what annoys me about Spark is the constant need to put other programs down. Yes, they need to make money, but the fact is that people do these other programs and still log onto Spark and click the buttons. There is no need to Attack Beachbody, Biggest loser, Jillian Michaels.
The goal should just be to make money (which they do with every click) and to get people fit.
I also think the article is inaccurate in the wording of the criticism against those programs because I have Insanity and it clearly tells you several times to not do it if..... It is by no means marketed to a beginner.
What makes it sad is that the point of the article is good but gets lost because of that fact. You should work out to your fitness level. That is completely right on... But to make that point you don't have to downgrade anything else.
You don't push someone down to make yourself better. - 11/3/2011 3:43:15 PM
Oh and by the way, I do Turbo Fire 6 days a week and in NO WAY WHATSOEVER found this article wrong. My mom has alot of health issuses and is trying to lose well over 100 lbs. I sent this article to her as soon as I read it to encourage her. Thank you Nichole. You get it. Sparkpeople get it. And I think that if someone doesn't get it who read this then they SHOULD go find another website because theres no room for people like that here! - 11/3/2011 11:03:44 AM
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