Another year has come and gone and that means another chance to crush some new fitness goals. We want to help you with the most common New Years resolution of all, fitness. More than half of who are reading this have most likely made the get healthy and fit resolution before but we thought we’d help you get motivated and inspired by talking to personal trainer and bootcamp instructor at BodybyBrandt, Tynea Cottreau.
She started out by just going to the bootcamp classes as a student but soon realized she wanted to help people with their health and fitness journey just like her coaches had helped her. Certified with the International Sports Science Association, Cottreau has been working in the fitness industry ever since. Here is my sweaty up close and personal fitness Q&A.
What are the first steps to crushing a health and fitness New Year’s resolution?
First steps to get started with your New Years resolutions for better health and fitness is to write them down! Have them somewhere you can see them as the reminder can help keep you accountable. Do make sure your goal is realistic and attainable. Don’t take on too much and try to be perfect or you may find yourself giving up before you see the results. Small consistent efforts are the key to improving overall wellbeing, strength and fitness.
How much is it diet and how much is it exercise?
They’re both important in order to get your health and fitness in top condition. I would say it’s 80% diet and 20% exercise but both are equally important and you can’t get to 100% of your health with out either.
What is the best type of exercise to do for someone just starting their health and fitness goals?
If you have never exercised I encourage you to try different things. Hire a personal trainer, try yoga and sample different classes. Find what works for you, and find a form of exercise you enjoy. Not every form of exercise works for everyone but I find an equal amount of weightlifting and cardio is what works for both myself and my clients. I don’t enjoy sitting on machines at the gym so I tend to join in on bootcamp classes and get outside for hikes in order to get my cardio in.
A lot of people expect that once they start exercising and eating healthy they will get dramatic results fast, what are realistic expectations to have?
It is unrealistic to expect dramatic results unless you are taking dramatic measures. Unless you are able to keep up with the dramatic changes that are required to get those results quickly and keep them up forever you will likely find yourself gaining all of the weight and more once you go back to your regular lifestyle. That is why I stress making your goals attainable and more about your lifestyle then a race to lose weight. It is better to make small consistent efforts on a regular basis and lose and to keep the weight off. Realistic expectations depend on how much you are committed to a healthier lifestyle and yourself and how many changes you are willing to make to your current lifestyle without being overwhelmed.
In regards to diet, what should people be eating and not eating? Is it necessary to cut everything out like carbs and sugar etc?
There are a lot of different theories out there about diet and what you should and shouldn’t eat. Eating healthy for me involves eating a mix of different proteins, carbs and fats and avoiding dairy, majority of the time. In all honesty though as long as your calories in are less than your calories out you will lose weight. I suggest to stick to whole foods if you would like more volume and nutrients for your calories. Downloading a calorie tracking app is a great tool I suggest for everyone and start by sticking to a calorie count once you get used to that then you can try and figure out what ratio of macronutrients works for you dependent upon your goals.
What are some tips to help them stick with their new years resolution of being healthy and fit?
I suggest My Fitness Pal for tracking your food. Step one could be drinking 8 glasses of water a day after you’ve done that and it feels like second nature trying to eat more fruits and vegetables at each meal. Have a calendar that you can give yourself a checkmark for each day that you stick with your goal and reward yourself with something either than food when you have kept to it for a certain period of time.
For someone who has a very busy schedule and not much time to focus on their health and fitness what are things they can incorporate into their day to day life to help?
If you have a busy schedule, schedule in your exercise and make yourself a priority. Get up from your desk during the day go for a walk during lunch. Pack your lunches for work and don’t buy lunch everyday. It all comes down to loving yourself and your body enough to take the time to take care of yourself and making health a priority.
Anything else people should know who are starting their fitness journey?
If you mess up don’t be hard on yourself just get back on the wagon the next day. Being mean and treating your body poorly to get fast results doesn’t normally work to lose and keep weight off. Make sure to love yourself enough to make the changes you want and honour your body with healthy eating and exercise, you deserve it !
No Comments