Spring Training -- It's Not Just for Athletes Anymore!

Spring training is in full force and that doesn’t just mean for baseball players. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in some elite athlete testing during spring training in St. Petersburg, a few years ago. I love to watch elite athletes prepare for their sport.  It is very inspiring to watch their hard work.  And boy do they work!  They understand in order to be the best they can be during the competitive season they need to prepare.  So I ask...,are you preparing for your "competitive season?"  When is that you ask?  Summer of course!  And despite the weather outside, summer will be here sooner than you realize.  

I have found over the last four years of living in Chicago, that Chicagoans tend to start thinking about their competitive season a little late.  I am sure this has something to do with the weather.  I know it can be hard to stay motivated when it is cold and grey outside.  Let's spin that around and say, I would rather be working hard on my body when it is cold and grey, so that when it is nice and sunny out I am a rockstar ready to show of my hard work!  Now is the time to get your booty in gear and begin setting those summer fitness goals.  

Why 66 is the new 21

Why is now the perfect time?  Well because the truth is it takes longer than 21 days to create a habit.  I know you have always heard, 21 days.  There is relatively new research from the UK Health Behavior Research Center (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0908/09080401) that suggests to create a habit takes more like 66 days.  This makes sense to me.  I have always thought that 21 days seemed like a low number.  The next logical question, what does creating a habit have to do with getting results?  So good of you to ask...

When we create a habit specific to movement we are improving our neuromuscular pathways.  The more we do a certain movement or exercise the more proficient we become at the exercise.  Why?  We are turning on our nerves and they are sending messages to our muscle fibers to contract.  This is truly what training your body is about.  When we strength train we are asking our muscle fibers to contract to lift a certain weight. Sometimes we work with a weight that is challenging week one but gets easier over time.  This is because we are turning on more muscle fibers improving our neuromuscular connection.  This is how you will start to see results.  As much as we would like all this to happen over night, it doesn't.  

Along with creating a more proficient neuromuscular machine (your body) you must overcome the mental battle of exercise.  People tell me I am the weird one because I actually like working out.  Apparently, the majority of the population does not, weird :-)  In fact exercise is often viewed as an unpleasant chore or as a means to an end.  Lets spin that around and view exercise as a necessity (just like food and water).  You will be amazed at the results you will get because it becomes part of your day.  It will become something you start to look forward to because you have stuck with it for more than 66 days making it a habit and now you are a proficient neuromuscular machine that movement doesn't intimidate you.  You are ready to show off the Beach Body you have created!

Just in case you haven't done the math already, 66 days puts you in the middle of May.  Just in time to kick off summer with Memorial Day, which is May 27, 2013. Set your goals and get your Spring Training started today!