RHIANNA Mc KENZIE
We do it every year. The top of every New Year’s resolution list looks virtually the same: lose weight, hit the gym, eat better. Admirable goals to aspire to, yet every year, sometimes as early as March, those goals become harder to materialise.
People get discouraged and tempted by the comfort of old patterns of behaviour and resign themselves to putting their fit body dreams off to next year.
Personal trainer and registered dietician Omari Joseph has been helping clients along their health and fitness journey for eight years.
Joseph said one of the most common challenges his clients face is motivation. “When they feel like they are not getting the results fast enough they become demotivated, but these (doubts) are based on a false reality.”
He said, people often work out with the sole purpose of looking good, which is perfectly normal, but many others get into fitness to have the mental confidence to deal with the stresses of life. These are the people, he said, who stick to their goals the longest.
“A lot of people are watching these (social media) influencers, but they do not live like us. You can’t compare yourselves to them. You’re comparing apples and oranges.”
He said while the social media elite only advertise their results to paint a picture of hard work there is a lot of money being spent behind the scenes to keep up these appearances, including personal chefs, trainers, endorsement deals with weight-loss products, and, in some cases, plastic surgeons.
“The average Joe has work, has kids, pays bills, and sometimes to have that extra time in the day you have to work past mental barriers.”
Joseph said the first thing he will advise someone who is trying to stick to a work-out regime in the new year is to make sure their goals are realistic.
“Set small goals. If your goal is to lose 50 lbs, remember it will be a journey. Take your time and be aware that everybody is different. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else and don’t compare your last result to your current goals.”
He said although a client may not feel like not being any closer to the goal after a few months of trying, he encourages the person to see the small wins within the major goal.
“You need to feel confident. Some people have difficulty just walking up the stairs so when they are able to do that, they feel good. These are the minor victories in the major battle.
“That’s what I focus on. It’s a marathon not a sprint. As tedious as it may sound, consistency is key.”
Joseph said a starter workout should comprise the whole body, including exercises like push ups, sit ups, and squats.
“With all of these, stay within a rep range of 15-20. You may not be able to do the 15 right away but build up until you can do more.”
He said always remember to warm up the body for ten minutes before the workout. Using the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, as an example, he said trying to conquer the entire thing may be too
