Olympic Athletes Share Their Fitness Secrets

Olympic Athletes Share Their Fitness Secrets

The 20th Winter Olympic Games have recently concluded. I enjoy watching the athletes as they attempt to perform feats that are beyond the capabilities of the average person. As I watched the skiers hurtle down the mountain at an average speed of 65 miles per hour, I couldn't help but think about how hard they must have worked to be where they are today.

Even if they don't all finish in the same place, we may take pride in the fact that we got to see something on television that few of us will ever see in real life: the finish of a major competition. They have put in so much effort that they occasionally question their sanity. There are times when they feel like sitting down, sobbing, or giving up because they have pushed themselves so far. However, they will not accept defeat or give up because they possess a rare competitive drive—both internally and externally.

But what can YOU learn from these world-class athletes to help YOU get in shape?

To begin with, they didn't magically become so fit and skilled overnight. No, not everyone comes from a prestigious genetic background. Determination, motivation, and consistency are more important. Although they may be resting, they instead labor and train. Remind yourself of it the next time you make an excuse not to get up 15 minutes earlier and squeeze in a brief workout.

I advise my customers that the intensity of their workouts is less crucial than their consistency, especially at the outset. Getting up and doing it or making the time or space in your schedule to put the shoes in the car will pay dividends in the long run. Your fitness and weight-loss goals cannot be met by randomly exercising once or twice a week, or even three or four times a month. The minimum recommended time is 30 minutes every day, five or more days per week. For optimal heart health, a daily commitment of one hour is suggested.

There is no need to commit to a full hour at once; studies have shown that it may be split into 10-minute increments just as effectively. You can park your car further away from the office in the morning and walk briskly into the building, ride a bike for 10 minutes before showering, walk for 15 minutes over lunch, then ride a bike again to jolt you awake during your afternoon break. Once you arrive home, you can finish your workout while watching 30 minutes of news before you eat or prepare dinner. When you add it all up, you probably worked out for an hour and a half or more that day.

True, regular exercisers may need to exert more effort, but by that point, they're well on their way to achieving their fitness goals. In order to lose body fat after reaching a specific fitness level, you will need to put in more effort.

The next step, like with any endeavor, is to establish objectives. Athletes in the Olympics undoubtedly do this, and the gold medal is often their ultimate objective. So what if you just want to drop a few pounds before summer? Successful people all have goals that they work toward. If the process of setting goals seems too daunting, try setting a more manageable one. Possible "doable" first-month goals include wearing shoes to work every day and walking during lunch. When you have decided what you want to achieve, the next step is to formulate a plan to get there. The use of 10-minute intervals is one example of this. How will you ensure that you get frequent exercise? If you rely mostly on walking, you should devise a plan B in case it rains.

Don't beat yourself up if you ever find yourself not wanting to go for a walk, though; even the most dedicated athletes have off days. But don't let yourself get back to working out less frequently than once or twice a month; make sure to at least hit the bare minimum of days and times. Listening to your body has a narrow relationship with laziness.

Next, keep in mind that it's better to begin with baby steps than giant leaps. Don't make the decision today to begin running tomorrow. Get moving. I always urge my customers to take it a little easier on their feet than they believe they need to. Once your doctor gives you the green light to begin exercising again after a long layoff, you should take things very slowly and for shorter durations at first. I tell folks who have a lot of weight to shed to walk for 5 minutes a day, every day, and to walk slower than they believe they should. After a week or two, they'll be ready to walk for 10 minutes, and then 15 minutes, and so on, until they can walk at a respectable pace for 30 minutes straight. This process develops gradually.

Even a short walk can seem like a pain after 5–10 minutes of exercising for the first time, and this is especially true for those who have a lot of weight to lose and haven't exercised in a long time. In the beginning, Olympic athletes did not perform acrobatic maneuvers like flips and jumps. They had to get their feet wet with the fundamentals and take it gradually while steadily working toward their goals.

These tips are quite basic, but they come straight from Olympic-caliber athletes:

First, they all began on a simple level before progressing to more difficult ones. To get started, think about something easy.

Two, they all knew that repeating the same routine every day was the most important factor. This crucial factor is what separates those who succeed from those who failmportant factor. This crucial factor is what separates those who succeed from those who fail. So, even if you want to sleep in, force yourself out of bed.

Three, it is essential to establish objectives. In order to go where you're going, you need to have a destination in mind. The keys to success include setting small, attainable goals and developing a strategy to achieve those goals.

Fourth, when Olympic competitors ignore their injuries or illnesses and continue to compete, they usually finish up worse off than they were to begin with. That was on display at this year's Olympics. It is critical that you learn to tune into your physical needs. Overtraining or trying to exercise through an illness or injury will only slow your progress. You should verify that the intended message is to prioritize your own well-being and not let yourself lose steam.

You can get in shape and lose weight by thinking about the Olympics that were held last month. Write a short list of objectives you'd like to accomplish and then work up a plan to do so. In that case, "just do it," as Nike used to urge.