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The Keys to Long-Term Fitness Performance

 

How do you stay consistent with your fitness routine and make progress at the same time?  

By doing what’s right for your body, mind, AND soul! 

In this article, we will explore how to perform your best. This is not about following the program of an elite athlete, but discovering what works for you today, right now and levelling up from there. 

 

The approach: Make it easier to perform, by truly supporting your entire self.

 

1. Accept where you are today.

A lot of us want to be better than where we are today. But knowing exactly where we are today will help us know what to do, to help us reach our goals in the future. If we over-train, or push too much, we can injure our bodies and have a big setback. However, if we stay in touch with our body and mind, and truly nurture it, it will be easier to reach our goals and to stay consistent working at them. 

 So, do a pulse check. 

  • Where are you today? 
  • What is your current performance like? 
  • Do you measure time, length, distance, power, strength, height, or speed? 
  • What is your current mindset like? 
  • Are you happy with your performance? 
  • Where do you want to improve? 
  • What can you tweak to best support your performance? 

 

Tip: Keep track of your progress with a journal or chart. 

This is especially important when you feel like nothing is changing. It is nice to see what has changed since the beginning of your journey. 

 

 

2. Support your physical body.

 

Nutrition 

We are what we eat and, when we challenge our body with strong movements, we need to provide our body with the building blocks it needs to stay strong and work as it should. This means getting enough macro-nutrition: protein, carbohydrates, and fats as well as the micro-nutrition, including vitamins and minerals.  

This is not the time to diet, but the time to focus on eating whole, plant-based foods and finding balance with other foods so you don’t feel deprived. If you’re not sure if you’re getting all that you need, it could also be great to supplement your diet. Food supplements help you to consistently add in concentrated plant-based nutrition to your diet – every day. 

 

Tip: Use food supplements to support your diet with concentrated plant-based nutrition.

For example, supplement your fitness routine with a Juice Plus+ Perform Shake.  

Juice Plus+ Perform is a fruit-fusion flavour shake that gives you protein to build your muscles, mental focus to support your workout, and energy to help you stay consistent with your fitness programme. Enjoy as part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. 

 

  

Rest and recovery 

Almost more important than anything else, is to allow your body adequate time to rest and recover. This is something to explore and “play” with and can change over time, so keep track.  

  • How long between workouts or trainings do you have a break? 
  • How long do you need to sleep and rest in the evenings to feel your best the next day?  
  • When do you feel rested and refreshed and what allows you to feel that way? 
  • How many days can you work out during the week? Maybe you need 1 rest day. Maybe you need 2-3 rest days to get the best out of your performance. 

 

Tip: The trick here is to not get down on yourself if you are tired.

The trick is to notice when you are tired and find the best way to refresh and reset.  Focus on the positive self-talk and it will bring you forward.  

 

 

3. Support your mental and emotional body.

Staying consistent is important when you want to make progress. This is not just a physical practice, but 99% of it is mental and emotional. It is your mind that helps you to show up day in and day out, especially when the conditions are not favourable, like when it’s very cold outside or raining in buckets. 

Keeping yourself physically well, helps you to maintain mental focus and helps emotions to stay in check. 

  • Be well rested. Get your 8 hours of sleep, or more, if needed. Take breaks. 
  • Balance your meals throughout the day. Fuel your body appropriately for your activity and be sure to not skip meals to keep your blood sugar levels in check. 
  • Stay hydrated. Moving more means your body needs more water. 
  • Move and stretch your body. Before and after working out make sure to stretch your arms, legs, neck, and spine. 

 

Mental and emotional hygiene practices to bring your further. 

  • Friendship and community – being connected. 
  • Let go of the thoughts that don’t serve you by journaling, talking and practicing meditation. 
  • Pay attention to your self-talk. Notice when you are beating yourself up. 
  • Visualise your success. Practice in your mind. Practice in your body. 

 

Tip: Working out is only one small piece of staying consistent. Mental readiness plays a huge role.

Along with scheduling your workouts, schedule in time to add in one of the practices above to keep your head in the game. 

  

4. Make it fun.

We sometimes feel that working-out or doing sports has to be difficult, hard work and challenging. We forget that it can be fun, exciting, and liberating. We also forget that we don’t have to do it alone. 

 

  • Schedule a workout with a friend or someone who is at your gym.  
  • If no one is around, consider hiring a private lesson with a trainer to help motivation and learn something new. 
  • Join a group… e.g. a running group to practice and share in the experience. 
  • Get active with your kids! Play hide and seek or catch. Go for a long bike ride. Teach them to jog for short distances. Even give yoga a try with the kids! It is a chance for everyone to learn how to regulate our breath and how we can all stay connected to our own body. So valuable for growing bodies. 

Tip: When it is fun and people are with you, there’s a better chance you will get your training in. And that means success!

 

 

 

5. See how the professionals do it!  

Sometimes we need an example of how somebody else is doing it to get us going. It is good to see how an established athlete would structure their day, how they add more training time to their schedule, how they nourish themselves and how they allow their body to recover. 

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Irma Testa

Italian Boxer and Bronze Medal Winner in the 2020 Summer Olympics 

“Getting back on the ring or to the gym after a holiday period is always the hardest part. But as soon as I start preparing my bag with all my clothes and accessories, I immediately feel like I am back to my world, the one I am committed to and have put all my effort into.” 

 

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Francisco Taboada

Paralympic athlete and a father of three. 

 

 “Everything is important if you need to recover your energy properly once or twice a day. Diet is key because, when you finish your workout, you have a 30-minute metabolic window during which it is essential to eat the right nutrients to help your body rebuild muscles and energy. Massage, hydration and of course rest are vital too.” 

 

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 Julie Debever 

French Professional Footballer, FC Fleury 

 

“All these parameters (nutrition, sleep, hydration, exercise…) are part of what we call “the invisible preparation.” 

 

 

Whatever you choose, get started and be curious! Don’t give up when it doesn’t work, just try something else. There is more than one way to get your activity on! 

I am rooting for you!