Motivation for the New Year

By Lee A. Mancini, MD, CSCS, CSN

Now that the holidays have come and gone, it is time to get motivated and get in shape for the New Year. What I would like to discuss in this article is why some people stick to their exercise program while others fall by the wayside. Also, I will look at how the government and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) continue to set the bar lower in terms of fitness goals in the hope of coaxing Americans off the couch.

Question #1 How much exercise does one need to get each week?
The government and ACSM recommends getting at least 2.5 hours per week, which comes out to be about 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. However, interestingly enough studies on effective fat loss and weight control have shown that one needs to actually train for five hours a week to maximize the impact of exercise (1). These five hours can be any type of activity; weight training, jogging, swimming, tennis, or even walking. But the ACSM guidelines are too low to affect any true change in our body fat percentage and fat loss goals. One other fact is that surveys on people who are exercisers show that those who train more than four hours per week are happy about their weight; whereas, those who train for less than four hours per week are unhappy with their weight. There is a clear delineation around that four hour mark in terms of satisfaction (2).

Question #2 How many calories to aim to burn each week?
Again, the government and ACSM recommendations have been decreased to a minimum of 1500 calories per week. However, the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks exercise and nutrition programs that are effective for weight control and fat loss, has shown that the people with the highest success rates for maintaining a weight reduction of 30 pounds for longer than five years are those exercisers who burn at least 3000 calories per week (3). Once again surveys looking at an individual’s happiness with his or her weight, show that people burning over 3000 calories are happy with their weight, but those burning less than 2000 calories rated themselves as unhappy with their weight (2).

Question #3 How intense should the exercise be?
Once more the government and ACSM have decreased the exercise intensity to low or moderate intensity – choosing what people are likely to do instead of what is best for them. Research has shown that higher intensity exercise leads to a longer life and less cardiovascular disease (4). It has been shown that people who exercise at higher intensities are leaner, even when they eat more calories or burn fewer calories during exercise (5). Also, surveys have revealed that people doing high intensity exercise are happy with their weight; whereas, people unhappy with their weight do more low intensity exercise (2).

The reason why the government and ACSM keeps lowering the bar is their belief that by decreasing the optimal exercise goals, they will be able to entice a greater number of people to get active. They feel that if we ask inactive people to do a lot of exercise, they will get discouraged and do nothing. However, there is evidence that this is not true. One study on weight loss examined overweight people who were prescribed varying amounts of exercise each week. The groups that were prescribed more exercise DID more exercise; and, subsequently, lost more body fat and had better long-term weight loss (6). This goes along with the idea of goal setting. People should aim high because more challenging goals lead to higher performance. This applies to academics, fitness, and life itself.

Question #4 What do I need to do to stay motivated and get in shape?
We have shown that people should be aiming to burn 3000 calories during five hours of exercise each week. People should be trying to incorporate some higher intensity activity into those five hours. However, beginners should slowly add the higher intensity activity over the span of several months. Remember you are in this for the long haul. Half of all people who start exercise programs quit by six months. That means in July when I check in with all of you, 50% of you will be back on the couch (2). So here are my tips to keep you motivated. These are the habits that have been found to be common among fitness enthusiasts who stick with their programs for longer than six months.

Tip #1 – Keep a journal. I know that I have talked about this before, but it is vital. If you are trying to lose body fat, get stronger, or improve your fitness level, you need to monitor your progress. How else are you going to know if you are getting closer to your goals if you don’t keep track of your efforts. I know that no one would consider keeping a bank account and not writing down their deposits, payments, or checks. If you aren’t writing your workout numbers down, start doing it today.

Tip #2 – Set goals. You should set both short-term and long-term goals. For example, you may have a long-term goal of getting your body fat percentage down from twenty to ten percent in five months. Your short-term goals may be reducing your body fat by two percent each month. Your goals should be challenging but attainable. You should be able to measure objectively your progress towards your goals. This allows you to make corrections in your training or nutrition plans if you get off track.

Tip #3 – Employ program variety. People who are long term exercisers constantly rotate their programs. You can change the exercises you use, the set and rep ranges, the rest time, and a number of other more sophisticated program variables. Most people should change some part of their program every three to six weeks. Changing up programs helps keep people motivated, helps keep the training fun, and prevents boredom.

Tip #4 – Find an exercise partner or group. One new buzz word in the fitness industry is exercise community involvement (ECI). ECI means surrounding yourself with other fitness enthusiasts from the community. People who join a sports league, join a running or swimming club, or sign up to compete in a race or event, are much more likely to keep training in the long term.

Send any questions or ideas for topics of future interest to questions@DoctorOfFitness.com.

Note:  Lee A. Mancini graduated from Harvard as a two-sport athlete with honors in biology. Board certified in sports medicine and family practice, he works at the Family Health Center and UMass Sports Medicine Center in Worcester . He trains select clients as a certified strength and conditioning specialist and sports nutritionist. If you are interested in hiring him to design an individualized program, click here for our paid consultation services.

References

1. Jakicic, J.M. (2003). Exercise in the treatment of obesity. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America 32 (4), pp. 967-980.

2. Berardi, J.M, PhD. (2004). Long Haul Training: An Interview with Gary Homann.

3. Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., McGuire, M.T., Seagle, H.M., & Hill, J.O. (1997). A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, pp. 239-246.

4. Erlichman, J., Kerbey, A.L., & James, W.P.T. (2002). Physical activity and its impact on health outcomes. Paper 1: The impact of physical activity on cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: An historical perspective. Obesity Reviews 3, pp. 257-271.

5. Yoshioka, M., Doucet, E., St-Pierre, S., Almeras, N., Richard, D., & Labrie, A. (2001). Impact of high-intensity exercise on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness. International Journal of Obesity 25, pp. 332-339.

6. Jeffery, R.W., Wing, R.R., Sherwood, N.E., & Tate, D.F. (2003). Physical activity and weight loss: Does prescribing higher physical activity goals improve outcome? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 78 (4), pp. 684-689.