I only have time for one workout (if that) a week, so what's the point? I'm not going to sign up to a gym, or Personal Trainer or a bootcamp if I can only make it once a week, I would you rather do nothing, I'm fine doing my own thing. What can one workout a week do for me? 

"think you won't make a difference with just one workout, you won't make any difference doing nothing".

Chances are when you join or commit to something, whether that's tennis with a friend, walking with a mate, joining a gym, bootcamp or signing up with a Personal Trainer you'll probably only be able to afford, and commit, to once or twice a week, we are all so busy these days, I hear you!

One workout a week can do so much for you, it can adjust your lifestyle and habits without you even realising! Here's how just one workout can affect 3 days of your week;

Day 1 -The day before your scheduled workout.
You'll feel good through the day because you know you have some exercise booked in the next day, you are taking care of yourself and you feel really great about that, you might even talk about it with those around you which leaves you feeling happy and light. You'll feel that today should be healthy - because you have a workout the next day. You'll go to bed early and have a good nights rest.

Day 2 - The day of the workout.
You'll wake feeling a bit excited (and nervous) about your exercise activity that day. You'll feel a bit happier and you'll have more energy, you'll eat a bit healthier and generally take care of yourself better.

Day 3 - The Day After Your Workout
The following day you'll wake feeling refreshed, proud of yourself that you did a workout yesterday, maybe a bit sore and a bit tired but for some reason you feel just a little bit lighter, a little bit stronger, you know that one workout won't have made a difference to your waistline but for some reason you feel slimmer...

So what's happened? Without knowing it you've affected your image of yourself, you see yourself in a different light, and so will others. You know you are working out now and taking care of yourself, you feel less sluggish, you feel happier and healthier.

​You have felt the effects of just ONE WORKOUT  a week.

There is a ripple afffect in your habits and lifestyle. So just start, if it's one workout a week, one workout every fortnight, it all counts, and yes it's always better than nothing.

Are you too afraid, or too embarrassed to get started? Does joining a group class, a boot camp, or a gym leave you feeling fearful, unfit and unmotivated?
Well If you feel like this I'm happy to announce you are not the only one, a lot of people don't exercise with the fear that when the do they'll embarrass themselves, fear of not knowing the moves, or their fitness will let them down, or they'll be on the only one puffing and have to stop, or they'll be wearing the 'wrong' exercise gear.

I am a personal trainer and I work out in various places, one of them being a  gym. When a new person walks in, sure I can tell they are new, do I think "oh ha ha look at them they are doing it wrong", absolutely not, I am so happy they are here, just being at the gym means I have something in common with that person. At times I would love to walk over to them and say "go you!", but I don't, that would really freak them out. 

Another thing to realise is when I'm working out, I do so with intent, I'm focused on me, I'm pumped up, I really don't watch other people, I don't judge and I certainly don't feel that anybody is any different from me. I'm sure you'll get the odd judgmental person, they are everywhere right?

Stepping out of your comfort zone and joining that gym, or that boot camp, or that tennis club or boxing class will give you so much more confidence. Not just in the workout itself but in walking through that door the first time, in meeting new people, in pushing yourself, in humility.

We all had to start, I had to walk through those doors as a first timer too. I still go to classes that I feel are over my head, I love that feeling of exhilaration and nervous energy, I use it to drive me, not hold me back!

​So join me in not judging, not quitting and pushing out of your fears - you can do it - you really can!

Have you got to the point where working out is hard work, it's not fun, it's a drag to get to, and you just can't wait to get it over and done with?

You wouldn't be alone in thinking this, a lot of others feel the same and for many good reasons - injury, general tiredness, money, timetable, boredom, difficulty factor, embarrassment... so what do you do about it?
How do all those people get the energy to run or to get to the gym? Surely they must have an un-organised house with unhappy kids right? WRONG - they simply make it work.

The secret of a fit energetic person is that they schedule their workouts in as a first priority, and the other stuff goes around it. They have just as much time as you, they also have kids, jobs, injuries, money issues, but fitness is the first priority.

By making fitness the first priority other positive things spiral from this. Suddenly you have more energy to get up in the day, the day seems less hard work, going to work becomes less of a chore because you've scheduled in your fitness time, you are not constantly thinking "oh i should have done that run" or "when am I going to get time to do this gym visit". Once it's scheduled out and stuck to, it's out of your head and it's one less thing making you feel miserable.

"You can choose to motivate yourself, or choose to be miserable, whatever has to be done  it's always your choice - Wayne Dyer"

Step 1 - choose to put your fitness first, then work, friends and kids can work around this
HOW: get a calendar and write it down, get up 20 minutes earlier and do that walk, walk home from work, walk on your lunch break, walk after work when it's cooler and the kids are down.

Step 2 - choose to be happy, make a conscious choice to do a happy fitness activity.
Don't choose to do a run if you HATE running. It might take a little bit more effort to drive to the pool for some laps, or put the bike in the boot and ride around the Lake in Takapuna, but if it makes you that much happier, and gives you an awesome talking point to your family and friends the next day then choose to be happy!

THE BEST EXERCISE YOU CAN DO, IS THE ONE YOU ACTUALLY DO!

Step 3 - commit. Fit people get into a routine, they love it, they stick to it, they'll turn you down for a coffee if it's their gym time, they aren't being rude, they know they must stick to it...

So do something you enjoy, work out with a friend, make it your pleasure time, not your pain time. If that gym membership makes you feel yuck, do something else, if not having a gym membership makes you feel yuk then tighten the purse strings elsewhere and get a gym membership.​

Ask yourself "why you workout?" Find out your because...

Sharon Bouwer
Registered Personal Trainer 
letsgetactive.co.nz