Get Fit

Sculpt your best body ever!

byEstelle Low January 2017

SCULPT YOUR BEST BODY EVER!

PICTURE-PERFECT For even more mental push, concentrating on exactly what your goal is – better form, a quicker pace – can help make it happen.

Mind over muscle

Just telling yourself that you’re capable of aceing a challenge can help you nail it, according to a new study in Frontiers in Psychology. When people were asked by researchers to use a little positive self-talk during a competitive task – a brain game against an opponent – they tended to do better. “Emotions inﬂuence performance by giving us energy, which helps in everything from running a race to a job interview,” says the study’s lead author, Andrew Lane. A simple “I can do it” is all it takes to ﬁnd your edge, he says.

“I know workout 10 variety is good, but how much do I need?”

When you’re trying to jump-start a workout routine, choose a couple of go-to workouts for cardio and strength, and then mix up the variables, says Graham Smith, the training manager for David Barton Gym Boston. For six weeks, play with upping the ante on things like the amount of weight you’re lifting or the number of sets or reps you’re doing, or decrease the rest time between each exercise or interval. That helps you create a benchmark by which you can judge your progress, and it also allows you to master skills. Then pick a goal – lose weight, get stronger, build up your endurance – and spend six weeks gearing your workouts to that. For the next phase, throw your body a curveball by taking two weeks or so off from your regular routine and doing just pilates and yoga to work smaller muscles and different types of movement patterns, Graham says.

10 The number of weekly kilometresyou need to log to reap the maximumcardiovascular benefits of running (namely, lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heartdisease). Plus, statistics show you’ ll weighless than people who don’t run at all.

SOURCE MAYO CLINIC PROCEEDINGS