Fitness Camp Ireland

How great would it be if changing old habits didn’t have to be a struggle, if living a healthier lifestyle was almost effortless and did not have to be such a mission? Well there is an alternative option to the tiresome battle we all traditionally set ourselves up for at this time of year.

Psychology featured throughout the four years of my Sport Science degree. Studying the mind has always intrigued me, but I remember there being one particular health psychology module in fourth year that really grabbed my attention. Again while completing my MSc, a module on Mental Health and Exercise really fascinated me, and it ended up being the focus of my thesis. In more recent years I started to casually research the work of leading authors in the self-help movement, and it has really served to further my understanding of our motivations and behaviours. At long last – I’ve found answers!!

Self-Help Guru’s…

Throughout the last century self-help authors such as Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Dr Wayne Dyer, Michael Gerber and Anthony Robbins have all advocated the same principle, but they each tailor it to meet the needs of different audiences. Their revelations are not new, philosophers and so many religious figures including the Dalai Lama, have been telling us the same things all along. One of the core principles that transcends the messages brought to us through religion, the self-help movement, philosophy and psychology is this: your thoughts determine who you become.  

Beliefs & Behaviour…

I listened to a fascinating piece the other day about how our thoughts/beliefs precede all action/behaviour. It went on to explain that it is an innate human compulsion to act consistently in accordance with our beliefs, and that the beliefs with the greatest influence over our behaviour are those that we have about ourselves. If we have a belief about ourselves, conscious or sub-conscious, we will always look to reaffirm it through our actions and behaviours. In essence, how you see yourself, your identity, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. So how does this impact making resolutions and long term change?

Changing how you see yourself…

The piece concluded that the secret to enduring behaviour change is simply this – change your identity, how you view yourself, and behaviours will intrinsically follow suit. It doesn’t mean that it will be effortless, action still needs to be taken – but the likelihood of success is extremely high if belief and behaviours are synchronised.

Contrary to this, if you keep a negative belief about yourself but try to change the behaviour it will always be a struggle, as you’re actions are inconsistent with the belief and this goes against our innate drive. It makes long-term change much more difficult to attain. It’s not that it is impossible to do the reverse (change identity through repeated behaviour), but it is far more difficult – it’s the same as swimming against the tide. The moment the new identity is formed the behaviour will be almost automatic.

Here are some simple examples of negative beliefs that I regularly hear;

“I hate exercise, I’m just not a natural exerciser…”

“I just look at food and I gain weight…”

“I can never stick to anything for more than a couple of weeks, I just don’t have the willpower…”

If you are constantly telling yourself negative things about your health/nutrition/exercise identity, it makes keeping new resolutions much harder. So what is the trick to mastering your identity relating to health, nutrition & exercise for the better?

Four Easy Steps

Step 1 – write down how you currently see yourself regarding the aspect of behaviour you want to change ( you can explore all aspects of identity, your skills, your character, your roles, your hobbies if you want to make bigger changes all round)

Step 2 – review the list and now write down how you would like to be, write out the list of the new you relating to the area you want to change (view anything you no longer want to be from the previous list as simply ‘the way you used to be’)

Step 3 – now just step into the shoes of the person you want to be, think about how they would act, and what they would do, where they would go, how they would feel in certain situations etc.. use your imagination, model yourself on someone. This is the process of creating a new belief.

Step 4 – Whenever you catch yourself saying the old negative things about yourself stop, and reaffirm the new you (use positive self-talk, affirmations, tell a family member about the new you – careful not to tell someone who’ll make a joke of it though!)

In my opinion…

Well, I think this is a fresh approach, a new way of thinking and certainly worth a try. When I look back on any major lifestyle changes I’ve made in the past, they were all pretty instantaneous – I don’t remember a transition period. That’s not to say change came easy, I only know too well the work it takes to make improvements in your life, but this approach seems to offer a way of making the usual process a lot easier.

Avoid the Mistake Everyone Makes
It is six years since I first began working in women’s fitness and in that time I have seen many training mistakes. These include everything from poor technique and snapping joints, to overworking or not working hard enough. All of these errors are underpinned by one mistake. It is this one mistake that hinders achieving results at the rate they should be achieved and significantly slows progression. So take heed of the following advice to avoid making the same mistake yourself.

Think about what you are doing..
It is so simple, and yet it is essential in achieving fast results, just think about what you are doing. When the brain is tuned into the body and exercises are performed consciously, the benefits are manifold. Since starting the fitness camps, I noticed that different training personalities began to emerge amongst participants. Two in particular I see more often than not and they serve to highlight the point.
These are the ‘All or Nothing’ trainer and the ‘Daydreamer’. They are polar opposites in their approach to training, although both make the one mistake… neither listen to their body.

All or Nothing
The ‘All or nothing’ approach sends arms flying, legs swinging, feet pumping – high intensity, high impact, everything is momentum. A clear distinction needs to be made between pushing boundaries intelligently and working far beyond capabilities without adequate preparation. The repercussions for this ‘All or Nothing’ training may involve days of muscle soreness with high risks of strain/injury, fatigue and ultimately deflated motivation. High impact work is NOT necessary to achieve results when exercises/moves are executed consciously.

Day Dreamers
On the flipside there is the ‘Day dreamer’, who just floats through the session – thinking of everything else other than the exercise/movement at hand. Their brain is engaged in every idle thought imaginable instead of the immediate task. This lack of focus, and effort, results in a considerably slowed training effect and limited progress.

How to Train Consciously
Although these are two extreme examples, most exercisers are guilty of losing focus during a training session. The key lies in being able to identify when your attention slips and to refocus. The best way to do just that and to train ‘consciously’ is to apply the following checklist (this gets more abstract towards the end).
• Check posture
• Focus on breathing pattern
• Synchronise breathing with movement
• Think about the body part that is working and focus on the muscles being used
• ‘Perform’ the movement, control it
• Try to feel the energy and forces at play

The Benefits of Training Consciously
And here is the incentive for putting in that extra effort…
• Re-shape your body faster – especially flatten tummy
• Greatly improve posture
• Decrease likelihood of injury
• Faster improvements in co-ordination, strength & flexibility
• Your body will start to respond faster to the demands you place on

When you THINK about what you are doing even very low impact aerobics can be highly effective at yielding results. With this increase in focus you will find you become far more physically in-tune. You will start to feel the need to move in certain ways, you will feel the need to stretch and reach and move, as opposed to coercing yourself into it.
So give it a shot and see the rapid transformation that comes with a little extra conscious effort. It will amaze you, I promise! 

Hi everyone,

This is the first entry in what will be the new Fitness Camp Ireland blog and monthly newsletter.

I’m really looking forward to sharing the knowledge I have accumulated over the last few years, and keeping you up to date with all the latest findings in nutrition and exercise.

It is very important to me that the information I share is not only from the perspective of a fitness trainer and sports scientist – but also from my personal experiences. I feel that the last few years taught me equally, if not more, than all my years of studying. I want you to know that I have gone through a lot of what many women commonly experience.

All my work experience and qualifications are detailed on the website, so setting them aside for the moment, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself .

 I am a mother. I have a little two year old daughter, Ellie.  I don’t think anything can parallel the education I’ve gained through her, on every level imaginable. I was forced to put all the theory on nutrition & exercise for pregnancy into action. I know the slog to regain post-pregnancy figure and re-strengthen pelvic floor – so I have gained some valuable insights on these technical aspects. Possibly the most valuable lesson I’ve learned since becoming a mother is understanding the gap between knowing all the facts for achieving a healthier lifestyle, and having the time, and motivation, to put it into action. It is especially difficult to look after yourself as much as everyone else – I will be sharing my tips and experiences.

My Dad was diagnosed with cancer last year, and the learning curve we have been on since then has been mind-blowing. I have lots of nutrition tips to share based on our experiences, these have been proven powerful in promoting recovery and reducing risk.

I am a recovering extremist!  It is only in recent years that I’m learning how to calm down and balance more. When I used to exercise – I trained hard, when I ate healthily – it was extremely healthy.  It doesn’t sound bad, but consistency as my down point. Unfortunately, I was a typical example of “when she was good, she was very very good.. but when she was bad…”  well, you know the rest. I take solace in the fact I’m not alone on this one though!

Also, like so many Irish who enjoy a good night out, I loved to party – especially in my early twenties. It has been such a journey to learn how to control things more, and to balance getting the results while still having fun.  I have a lot to share from this perspective.    

I love exercise. I have loved it my whole life – but I made more than my share of mistakes over the years. I was queen of the ‘running-rut’, neglecting all other components of fitness. I have over-trained many times and injured myself. It took a while, but now I am confident in my knowledge of  what works for me and the women I train, and I hope my passion will be infectious enough to inspire you too.

So drawing on a combination of my professional and personal experiences I hope to write frequently to help you improve your health & fitness.  Sign-up to my newsletter if you would like my latest posts emailed to you monthly.

I really value feedback, so please feel free to comment on any article that provokes your opinion.

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Kindest regards,

Sarah Keane