Make summer fitness goal to maintain, not gain

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY
Adam Carter, an exercise coordinator at the UAMS Fitness Center in the College of Public Health, is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and also has a bachelor's degree in exercise science.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY Adam Carter, an exercise coordinator at the UAMS Fitness Center in the College of Public Health, is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and also has a bachelor's degree in exercise science.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Exercise adherence can be particularly difficult during the summer with competing schedule demands, kids out of school, vacations. Rather than fight an uphill battle, I think it makes sense to develop a realistic game plan.

This week, I'll present a few tips for creating your customized summer workout as well as an exercise that's fun to do outdoors.

Sticking with your exercise program for the long haul requires dedication, drive and also a realistic view of what's possible. All too often, clients develop an "all or nothing" outlook toward exercise and diet. This is an extremely dangerous approach, simply because the slightest hiccup or setback can result in a catastrophic departure from the entire program.

To develop that realistic outlook that will lead to long-term success, the first step is to be honest with yourself. Do your fitness goals match up with the amount of time and energy required to accomplish them? Will your schedule allow for that level of dedication?

These are critical questions to answer in the beginning stage of program planning.

Summer schedules present obstacles that often require a recalculation of weekly workout goals. Depending on the client, I'll sometimes schedule the summer months for "maintenance," where the goal is to maintain the current fitness level rather than advance. This takes the pressure off and provides a little breathing room.

The hard-core fitness enthusiast will likely disagree with this philosophy, but that's such a small percentage of the population. Most of us need physical and psychological breaks from time to time, and I think sunny summer months are a perfect opportunity for that.

At the same time, why not enjoy the warm weather by adding some outdoor exercise to your routine? You'll look forward to your workouts a little more, which should help you adhere to your program over the long haul.

This week's exercise is a simple hill climb variation that will ensure you get the workout you're looking for while enjoying the outdoor setting. The Backward Hill Climb really challenges the quadriceps in a way that's tough to re-create indoors.

1. Find a small hill with an incline from 10 percent to 20 percent -- steep, but not too steep to jog up.

2. Stand at the bottom of the hill with your back facing it.

3. Quickly and carefully jog backward up the hill, shuffling your feet and keeping your knees bent.

4. After you reach the top, walk back down facing forward.

5. Repeat for 10 climbs with 30 to 45 seconds of rest in between.

Climbing the hill backward will stimulate the quadriceps muscle fibers significantly. Depending on the length of the hill, you should begin to feel the burn in your legs between halfway up and the top.

This exercise can also be useful as a component in an interval-type workout. You could perform a few strength exercises at the bottom of the hill and then toss in a Backward Hill Climb every few minutes.

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

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ActiveStyle on 06/23/2014