I absolutely hate cardio. Walking on a never-ending treadmill, riding a stationary bike to nowhere, or steppin to oblivion on the elliptical stepper gets really old really fast. I know I’m not alone. Cardio burnout is the kiss of death to any weight loss program. I see it everyday with my personal training clients.
Let’s face it mind numbing cardio 5-6 days/week for 30-60 minutes per day is a tall order to fill let alone on a long term basis. The simple truth: if it’s not fun you have no chance for long term adherence.
So how do you have fun and avoid cardio burnout?
Let me introduce you to my little friend the pedometer. A pedometer is a very small device (approx. the size of a pager) worn on the hip or in your pocket that is designed to measure your every step (most pedometers also measure calories burned and total mileage – functions differ with each model).
Last year we did a Step Challenge with all of our clients. I started wearing the pedometer so I could test it out for the Challenge. Now I’m totally addicted. I’ve been wearing one ever since. I wear it everywhere and I’m constantly checking it to make sure I’m on track with my daily goal 10,000 steps (approximately 5 miles). I love the constant feedback and it gives me a daily goal which is alot easier for me to wrap my head around instead of doing 60 minutes of cardio all at once.
You don’t have to do 30-60 continous, boring minutes of cardio to get awesome health and fitness benefits. You can get awesome body changing results by just parking further away, taking the stairs, taking a short 15 minute walk after lunch/dinner, and marching in place watching commercials. Your daily activity level is what matters the most when it comes to losing weight and staying healthy. Bill Smith our 2008 Step Off Challenge Winner lost over 14 lbs in just 30 days, he hated cardio but the Step Off Challenge really fired up his competitive juices and made him a cardio madman. He maintained his cardio fever even after the Challenge ended.
Well guess what. The Step Off Challenge is back on, it starts Monday, August 10 and ends Sunday, Sept 6. We’ve got some really awesome weekly and Grand Prizes to giveaway. It’s totally FREE and everyone is welcome to join. All you need is a pedometer (if you already have one you’re all set, you can easily pick one up at Target/Walmart, and if you’d like I could set you up with one too). Check out all the details at www.cherryhillstepchallenge.com
Committed to your success, Kevin Hensel
Cherry Hill Personal Trainer, 856-751-0033
