How to Get into Shape: Enjoy Yourself

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Outside Magazine, May 2005

Bodywork: The Play's the Thing
The Rules for Playing Smart
According to performance psychologist Jim Loehr, 62, managing energy—not time, miles, or reps—is the key to optimizing your fitness regimen. It makes sense. Nutrition, fitness, skills, and mental and emotional training are all driven by your energy level; if you have juice to spare, you'll succeed. For Outside, Loehr, whose latest book is The Power of Full Engagement (Free Press), distilled his knowledge into ten easy-to-remember tips.

By Ted Spiker


	Jeremy Bloom (Photograph by Cliff Watts)

1. VIEW PLAY AS ESSENTIAL
In the years before Spanish tennis star Sergei Bruguera won the '93 and '94 French Opens, he occasionally burned out on the game. As a diversion, he started playing soccer with his friends. "The new energy he brought back to tennis made him understand that soccer helped him win," says Loehr.

2. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Tune in to yourself—not ESPN or music—during workouts. "It sounds counterintuitive, but tracking your effort with a heart-rate monitor or clocking your pace is a better way to distract yourself from the pain," says Loehr.

3. ESTABLISH PATTERNS
Whatever you do to stay healthy, make a habit of it, whether it's 20 push-ups before you shower or a Thursday-night basketball game. You'll automatically make exercise a part of your life.

4. FUN DOESN'T MEAN EASY
You play tennis to win, you try to climb steeper hills, and you pick a peak higher than the one you scaled last year. "Playing your hardest leads to the extraordinary," says Loehr.

5. KNOW WHEN TO BACK OFF
The human body has a protective mechanism—exhaustion—that prevents it from finding the energy to go all-out all day, every day. The prescription? Rest and recovery.



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6. KNOW WHAT DRIVES YOU
Figuring out the things that motivate you—competing against the clock, against someone else, with money on the line, or on a team—will determine how long you stick to a sport.

7. REFRESH YOURSELF
Every two hours during your day, take ten minutes for a walk, snack, or stretch. It'll leave you with more reserves of power when you start your workout or hit the playing field.

8. LOG EVERYTHING
Loehr has kept a training journal for ten years. "The more exercise data you jot down," he says, "the more you want to add to it by training more. It's addictive."

9. GRAZE
Small meals eaten throughout the day help you maintain better performance. Eat foods low on the glycemic index, such as whole grains, proteins, and berries; they'll maintain your energy level. Also, drink liquids steadily. Muscle that's 3 percent dehydrated can lose 10 percent of its strength.

10. LEARN FROM THE BAD DAYS
A poor game, a lethargic attitude, or a nagging injury can derail a fitness program. Use these roadblocks to reexamine and reset your goals. "It's not that you enjoy failure, but you will enjoy building a new direction out of it and putting it behind you," Loehr says.

Next Page: When it comes to fitness, the biggest hurdles aren't broken bike chains or trees blocking the trail. They're mental snags that trip up your willpower. Getting more out of your training means focusing on your energy level rather than hours logged or weight lifted. Here's how to stay motivated.

TED SPIKER is a fitness writer and an associate professor of journalism at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

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