Lack of motivation is a key reason that a lot of people don't exercise. I had the opportunity to interview Harley Pasternak, who is a renowned fitness and nutrition expert, and an acclaimed celebrity trainer. He shared with me some tips to get out of this rut with ways to motivate and make things more interesting. I plan to follow these tips to help get myself into the best shape I can.
Read Interview below for information you can use too:
Q: First off, who are some of the celebrities you’ve worked with?
Harley: Over the last twenty years, I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of really interesting clients ranging from Halle Barry, Megan Fox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Kate Beckinsale to Mila Jovovich and John Mayer to Rob Patinson, Ashley Greene, Natalie Portman, Jane Fonda and everyone in between.
Q: We all see the celebrity bodies. Do celebs work out differently than you and me?
Harley: Celebrities don’t work out differently than you and I. The one thing they do have is maybe a little extra motivation because they know that if they’re in great shape, the whole world will know and conversely, if they’re not, the whole world will know. So, they tend to be more diligent with their workouts, consistent with their diets, and that extra motivation definitely pays off.
Q: So what are some of the reasons we DON’T go to the gym?
Harley: vitaminwater just did a really interesting story that found that 50% of people are bored with their workouts and that is turning them off to continue working out. And of those people, most got bored at the 30 minute mark of their workouts. And most of THOSE people found that the treadmill was the most boring part of their exercise program. So what do ya do? How do we make exercise more interesting? Maybe get in a workout partner. Change the person you’re working out with. Go to a different place to workout. If you’ve been working out in the basement, maybe go outside to workout. Maybe go to a gym to workout. The music you listen to. Studies show that music can not only make you feel different, but physically perform different when you are exercising. We found that people are getting bored with plain water when they exercise.
And studies show that if you drink a flavored beverage, you’ll tend to drink more fluids and stay more hydrated during your workouts. Don’t be scared to change up the implements you’re using, if you’re used to using a barbell, maybe grab dumbbells or a kettlebell or a medicine ball. Or do exercises with only your own body weight. And even the number of times you do an exercise, the number of sets, the number of repetitions, the amount of resistance you use, you gotta keep changing it up. To keep your body changing, your program has to keep changing.
Q: We’ve heard that working out helps you feel sexier and lowers stress. Is that true?
Harley: Does working out help you feel sexier and less stressed? That’s a good question. I think the answer inevitably is “yes.” Anytime we do something that makes us feel better about the way that we look, I think that changes the way how we feel. The endorphins and the chemicals in our brain that we release from exercise definitely are stress releasing happy hormones. So exercise does have a positive impact on our outlook, our attitude and on our mental state.
Q: Finally, what are some of your best tips to get the body we want?
Harley: The best tips I can give you to get the body you want are three-fold. Number one, you gotta eat properly. Eat five times a day. Three meals and two snacks. Every time you eat, there should be a lean protein and a fibrous carbohydrate. Also, a healthy fat like olive oil or a has avocado and a calorie-free beverage, something that will make you feel good about drinking.
Second thing is move all day. Grab a pedometer or fitbit, put it in your pocket and try to take at least 10,000 steps a day, don’t stop moving from the moment you wake up till the moment you go to bed. And the third thing is, you need resistance training. Some strength training to tone, sculpt and tighten your body. Raise your resting metabolism. As little as five minutes a day for your beginners and as you become more advanced you can work your way up to 25 minutes a day, still well below the 30-minute boredom threshold that the study found.