Fitness Tips

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Get in the Zone

get in the zone
 

Overthinking is detrimental to your success as an athlete. Instead, you need to learn how to "get in the zone." How do you do that? Preparation, of course!

As a young athlete I used to be nervous wreck on race days. I was so focused on the other racers that I was not even close to being in the present moment. My mind was cluttered with self-deprecating thoughts.

"I do not feel ready for this race" 
"That athlete is fitter/stronger/more prepared than I"
"I should have trained harder."

With the help of my coach, however, I learned how to think less and flow more. My coach broke the season down into two parts; regular season and race season. The regular season was focused on one thing--preparing our bodies and minds to be at peak performance. This meant we ran twice a day and hit the weight room three to four days a week. To sum it up, regular season was all about hard work. 

When it came time for race season, my mindset was completely different. I felt relaxed knowing that I had done everything I could possibly have done to get ready for this moment. Great things happen when people are in the zone, the present moment.

If you have been following my blog/newsletter, you know how strongly I feel about "doing the work". It was only after putting in 5-6 months of hard work that I was able to reach those higher levels of performance and postive, relaxed mindset. It doesn’t matter what you are trying to accomplish in life, when you do the prep work, success will surely follow. 

*image by Unsplash.com

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Get Out of Dietary Debt

fruit
 

“In the United States and most Western countries, diet-related chronic diseases represent the single largest cause of morbidity and mortality." -Origins and Evolutions of the Western Diet 

Do you know why this is happening?  It’s the amount of processed food people are consuming! Let’s be honest, processed food is cheap, quick, and in many cases tastes pretty damn good. Many people reach for processed foods because eating healthy is costly and time consuming. The problem is, these fast, chemical filled, nicely packaged foods are killing us. 

Hmm, what to do? Oh, wait, I know, eat single ingredient foods!  Is eating single ingredient foods easy? Nope!  But neither is weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or low energy.  Think of it this way, eating well is like putting money into your 401K, you are investing in yourself for today and for the future.  

Do This Instead

Make a conscious decision to eat more Real Foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs, chicken, beef, tea, coffee, and most importantly - water. 

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Got a Fitness Question? Ask Erik

ask erik
 

I’m excited to share with you a new feature on my website called ‘Ask Erik’. It’s a chance for my followers to ask me questions about the health and fitness challenges they may be facing. I will then answer these questions on a video posted to my blog and social networks. 

Wondering what to ask? Here is a recent example:

Q. What is your best advice on losing weight? 

A. With all the choices we make every day, it’s no surprise that we often fail to pay attention to every single consequence. If you pay attention and make choices that have positive consequences, you’ll have better success on your weight loss journey. Here are some positive choices you can start making today:

  • Have a positive attitude. 

  • Eat food that fuels your body. 

  • Surround yourself with people who support you.   

Each day brings a new opportunity to start making the right choices. Let me help you shake those unhealthy habits.

Got a question for me? Ask it here. 

*image by Flickr

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We share loads of tips and insights across Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, join us and come and say hello!