Creaturesof habit
Outside the Fitness First gym at London Bridge is a banner that says: "Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going." There are similar Soviet-like slogans dotted around inside - "Energy: the more you give the more you get back", for instance, and "Endurance wasn't built in a day" - but it's the motivation one that gets to the crux of the problem most people have with exercise. How do you keep it up when the initial buzz has worn off?
For some, exercise is a natural high and they can stop reading now. For the rest of us, even though we might enjoy ourselves once we're at the step class, swimming pool or football pitch, the idea of going gets less and less appealing the longer we do it. It's the old learning-curve problem. Initial enthusiasm is reinforced by rapid results: we feel fitter, it's exciting and we get a buzz from our new activity. But eventually everyone hits a plateau. The weight doesn't fall off as fast. That new semi-flexibility we found by starting yoga is still just semi-flexibility. We don't seem to be able to break through to the next level of weights in the gym. Sooner or later we give up.
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"Ironically, managing that plateau is exactly the time you should be focusing on results even though they seem to be disappointing," says Kevin Yates, Fitness First's national health and fitness manager. "But the key is to set yourself some small goals and reward yourself when you reach them."
Because of the huge improvement people often experience when they start exercising - swimmers can go from one length to 20 in a matter of weeks - it can be dispiriting to see your progress slow. But in fact "working the plateau" is the foundation for all the success that comes later. Both your brain and your muscles are getting used to the exercise, which means that eventually it will be second nature to them both.
In the meantime, there are plenty of tips for keeping yourself motivated. First up is to choose the right activity. It's no use persevering with an exercise that you hate. Not everyone likes lifting weights or doing group aerobics. Would an outdoor run be better than 20 minutes on the treadmill? Is there a kick-boxing class in your area? And even if you are enjoying what you are doing right now, trying something different may give you an extra boost.
"I think it's best to do three completely different exercises each week as you're getting good all-round benefits," says Julie Anderson, who says she "aims" to go to the gym three times a week. "Change as soon as an exercise becomes boring. You are not at school any more. You can be your own boss."
Alexander Cross agrees. Lean, fit and proud of his resting heartbeat ("in the low 40s") he is the kind of gym-goer the rest of us assume must live in the place. But, in fact, he often has difficulties persuading himself to go.
"The boredom seems to be related to the permanent feeling of mild agony you get when you begin working on fitness. But varying exercise patterns and trying new things always help. And patience: I've noticed this a lot in my attempts to learn to do the crawl properly. I am about as good at swimming as most people are at flapping their arms in order to fly. But it slowly seems to be getting somewhere and each time you realise you are doing a particular thing better, faster or easier than before, you feel jubilant. If you can focus on short-term goals - such as a certain number of hours clocked each week - or long-term objectives - a race, a competition, losing weight, lowering your average heartbeat in X months - you can fill the mental vacuum by visualising your objective."
Cross is one of those people who thrives doing individual exercise ("I don't really like competitive team sports") but he has recently found some unexpected benefits in working as part of a group while training for a triathlon.
"I found it a superb, confidence-builder for several reasons. By training with others you realise you have strengths as well as weaknesses. You attempt things you never thought you could do. And you surprise yourself - like getting up at 6.50 for three mornings on the trot and running 7.5km without ending up in an A&E ward."
Indeed, for some exercising as part of a group is the only thing they will consider.
"As an exercise junkie I have never found it boring," says Neil Buckley, a London-based lawyer, "and I have done circuits now for nearly 20 years. I guess the main reason is that I choose to do something communal, which has both camaraderie and competition. Over time you get to know the people with whom you exercise, chat to them and have the fun of silly stuff like trying to beat them when you run. I think if you find something you enjoy doing it's not boring and you want to do it more, not less."
What's more, exercise "buddies" can quickly become friends outside the gym. Catherine Duggleby is part of a group of friends, most of whom met when they did the same aerobics class at their local gym in Manchester, and she can't imagine doing exercise any other way.
"Exercising on your own is incredibly boring," she says. "Unless you are genetically very lucky you are not going to see fast results and it's dull. For most of us exercise is about keeping fit, cheerful and positive and for me the way to do that is in classes."
Duggleby and her friends regularly do spinning, "body pump" - lifting small weights to music - circuit training and "cardiofunk".
"Being told what to do is the key," she says. "The music keeps you going, the instructor keeps you going, you have your friends there and you don't want to let them down."
She also agrees emphatically with the Fitness First slogan.
"Habit is not glamorous but habit is the key. Make it part of your routine and work it into your life. Once you are there, you are there."
看人家如何锻炼？
在
英国伦敦桥附近的菲力斯第一健身俱乐部(Fitness First)外，挂着这样一条横幅：“在动机中开始，在习惯中坚持。”在健身馆内，到处都是类似的苏维埃式标语――例如“能量：你消耗得越多，得到的也就越多”、“耐力培养非一日之功”――但对多数人而言，他们在锻炼中遇到的核心问题正是动机。如果最初的热情慢慢消退，你又如何能够坚持呢？
如何度过锻炼平台期？
如果是天生喜欢锻炼的人，可以不必读下去了。对于其他人来说，尽管做健身操、游泳或者踢足球的时候会很愉快，但持续的时间越久，坚持下去的念头就越弱。这是一个古老的学习曲线问题。迅速出现的成果增强了最初的热情：我们感觉自己更健康，感觉很激动，而且新的活动让我们感到兴奋。但最终，每个人都进入了平台期。体重下降速度不像开始那么快。我们依然停留在开始练习瑜伽后形成的半柔韧状态。我们似乎无法在体育馆中突破到下一个级别。我们早晚会放弃。
“讽刺的是，平台期的时候，正是你应当关注成果的时候，尽管这些成果看上去令人失望，”菲力斯第一健身俱乐部全国健康及健身经理凯文?耶茨(Kevin Yates)表示，“但关键点在于，要为自己建立一些容易达到的目标，而且在达到目标之后奖励自己。”
因为，人们通常能在开始锻炼时体验到巨大进步（游泳的距离会在几星期内增长到原来的20倍），但如果你看到自己的进步变慢，就会感到沮丧。但是，平台期的努力是未来所有成功的基础。你的大脑和肌肉都在适应目前的训练，这意味着训练最终将成为它们的第二天性。
同时进行不同的锻炼项目
同时，有许多窍门可以使你保持在激发状态。首先，你要选择适合你的运动。坚持进行一项你痛恨的运动是毫无益处的。并非所有人都喜欢举重，或进行集体有氧运动。户外跑步会不会比骑20分钟脚踏车更好一些？你所在的地区有没有跆拳道课程？即使你喜欢你目前从事的运动，尝试一些不同的东西，或许会使你获得额外的动力。
“我认为最好能每周进行三种完全不同的运动，因为你将获得多方面的好处，”朱莉?安德森(Julie Anderson)表示，“一种运动一旦开始变得无聊，就马上换另一种。你并非在学校里，你可以自己做主。”安德森表示，她打算每周去健身馆三次。
亚历山大?克罗斯(Alexander Cross)也同意这种观点。他看起来清瘦又健康，并且为自己缓慢的心跳自豪不已（心率只有40多下）。他就是我们认为必定以健身馆为家的那类人。但事实上，在说服自己去健身馆的时候，他经常存在困难。
“这种厌倦似乎与持久的轻度痛苦感有关，而这种感觉从你开始健身之后就出现了。但是，改变训练模式和尝试新事物通常会有所帮助。而且要耐心：我发现，在我设法学习正确的自由泳姿势时，耐心非常重要。我原先根本不会游泳，在水里瞎扑腾，就像大多数人为了飞翔而拍打双臂那样。但似乎慢慢有了一些进步，而且每次你意识到自己正在把一件特别的事情做得更好、更快，而且做起来比以往更容易的时候，你会觉得很鼓舞。如果你可以将注意力集中于短期目标（例如每周几小时的计时锻炼），或长期目标（例如一次比赛、竞争、减肥，或在几个月内降低自己平均心跳次数），你可以通过实现自己的目标，来填补你在精神方面的空白。”
克罗斯便是那些通过个人训练（“我并不很喜欢竞赛性的团体运动”）越来越强壮的人之一，但他最近在为参加三项全能比赛而进行训练的时候，发现参与集体运动有意想不到的好处。
“因为种种原因，我发现这是个很好的建立自信的方式。通过和别人一起训练，你意识到自己在拥有优势的同时，也存在劣势。你尝试那些你从未想过自己能做的事。而且，你会对自己惊讶不已――比如，每周3次早晨6点50分起床跑上7.5公里，而且不会受伤入院急诊。”
加入锻炼团体
事实上，对有些人而言，他们唯一考虑的事情，就是作为一个团队进行某种训练。
“作为训练迷，我从未觉得训练无聊，”伦敦律师尼尔?巴克利(Neil Buckley)表示，“我参加团体训练有将近20年了。我猜，主要原因是我选择的是群体性的训练，既增进友谊，又存在竞争。随着时间的推移，你和一同训练的人逐渐熟稔，与他们聊天，并与他们开一些有趣的玩笑，比如设法在跑步前打他们一下。我想，如果你发现自己喜欢做某件事，你对这件事就不会感到无聊，而且你会不断地去做。”
此外，一同训练的伙伴在健身馆外也可以迅速成为朋友。凯瑟琳?达格尔比(Catherine Duggleby)有一群朋友，他们大多数都是在曼彻斯特当地的健身馆参加同一个有氧训练课程时认识的，而她根本不去想象其它锻炼方式。
“自己进行训练实在是很无聊，”她表示，“除非你天生就非常幸运，否则你不会很快看到成果，而且这种方式没什么乐趣。对我们大多数人而言，锻练是为了保持健康、愉快、乐观向上，对我来说，训练的方式就是参加相关课程。”
达格尔比和她的朋友们定期去做单车健身(spinning)、身体充电操（body pump，在音乐中举起小重量物体）、循环训练(circuit training)以及心血管有氧健身操(cardiofunk)。
“关键在于有人引导，”她表示，“音乐让你继续，教练让你继续，你的朋友在那儿，你不想让他们失望。”
她也非常同意菲力斯第一健身俱乐部的标语。
“习惯并不神秘，但却是关键。让它作为你日常工作的一部分，并让它融入你的生活。习惯一旦养成，你便拥有了它。”
坚持锻练的窍门
1、设定小的、可达到的目标。
2、你可以进行的训练有很多，选择适合你的项目。
3、让锻炼变得有趣，改变锻练的类型和强度。
4、坚持记录。知道你的起点和终点。
5、开始的时候，就要想到最终要达到的目标是什么。
6、两人一起锻练往往会更好一些。找一个朋友、一个私人教练或者同事。
7、偶尔做点别的趣事。抽空去做个头发、修个指甲、做个按摩……
8、采取行动。相信自己，起床时告诉自己：“我要完成某件事。”
9、带个小玩意儿，比如iPod或者心律测量仪。
10、缩短锻炼时间，加大锻炼强度。
以上是凯文?耶茨选择的窍门
