The majority of us may only dream about becoming medal winners,
but London 2012's Olympians can teach us a lot about how to successfully
improve our fitness.
Anita Naik looks at the best tips on how to focus on your fitness goals, motivate yourself and roll with the setbacks.
Always aim for the top.
Jessica Ennis, world heptathlon silver medalist in 2011 says that as an athlete you have to foster a winning mentality.
Her silver medal at the World Championship gave her a taste of second place and she didn't like it: 'As an athlete I always want a bit more. It's this that makes me really want to go for the gold.'
Personal Trainer Steven Lewis agrees that you should always aim for the top. 'To strive higher and win, you need to define what success means to you.
'Before you train, ask yourself what you want to get out of each session, perhaps lift more, run further or faster – and then think about your long term goal.
'This will help you to focus on what you're trying to achieve and how you're going to make it happen.'
Diver Tom Daley is only 17, but he's already a double gold medalist from the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
His advice is to find activities you love and keep doing them. He started swimming at the age of three and at school played football and rugby, but he didn't really enjoy them. It was only when he tried out at a diving session that he found his 'niche'.
If you want to get fit but find you're slacking, remind yourself that not everyone is made for the gym.
If a traditional fitness setting or sport isn't your thing, think beyond what you know. Consider trying:
'You get to the situation where you almost don't want to commit fully to training because you won't be able to bear the frustration if you break down again,' said the double gold Olympic winner (at both 800m and 1500m).
She believes that having faith in yourself is key, otherwise no amount of training will help you bounce back.
'The mistake most people make when they get an injury or face a set-back is to try and play or train through it,' says sports therapist Jane Haven.
'With both instances, it's essential to adapt your training and/or take rest accordingly so you can come back stronger and better focused on your goals.'
Zara Phillips, who won a team gold at the 2007 European Eventing Championships, knows a thing or two about nerves.
The award-winning equestrian has talked about her nerves before an event, but argues that the excitement and adrenaline actually help her focus and produce her best performance.
If you suffer from nerves, just remember that pre-game/event jitters are normal.
'The adrenaline rush you feel is not fear, it's part of your body's natural preparation for the competition,' says life coach Amy Duffy.
'You can help reduce performance anxiety by focusing on what you're doing rather than the outcome. Stay in the moment and if you find nerves rattling you, stop and focus on your breathing to pull you back into the present.'
But he says that getting a good amount of rest is vital because the growth hormones released during sleep help your muscle and tissue grow and repair.
He aims for at least eight hours of sleep a night, and ideally ten when he can.
Rest and recovery have a big impact on your fitness gains and sports performance. This means you should concentrate on the following.
Having people around who are doing the same activities can help you keep going.
'Being in a motivated group is important because athletes feed off each other's attributes,' says Andy Turner, European and Commonwealth champion at 110m hurdles.
'Having an approach like this to training will improve your fitness at any level.'
Steven Lewis agrees, 'Friends or fitness buddies who share your objectives can definitely help you both stay on track and push yourself harder,' he says.
Anita Naik looks at the best tips on how to focus on your fitness goals, motivate yourself and roll with the setbacks.
Go for gold
Always aim for the top.
Jessica Ennis, world heptathlon silver medalist in 2011 says that as an athlete you have to foster a winning mentality.
Her silver medal at the World Championship gave her a taste of second place and she didn't like it: 'As an athlete I always want a bit more. It's this that makes me really want to go for the gold.'
Personal Trainer Steven Lewis agrees that you should always aim for the top. 'To strive higher and win, you need to define what success means to you.
'Before you train, ask yourself what you want to get out of each session, perhaps lift more, run further or faster – and then think about your long term goal.
'This will help you to focus on what you're trying to achieve and how you're going to make it happen.'
Find the right sport for you
| Find activities you love and keep doing them. |
Diver Tom Daley is only 17, but he's already a double gold medalist from the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
His advice is to find activities you love and keep doing them. He started swimming at the age of three and at school played football and rugby, but he didn't really enjoy them. It was only when he tried out at a diving session that he found his 'niche'.
If you want to get fit but find you're slacking, remind yourself that not everyone is made for the gym.
If a traditional fitness setting or sport isn't your thing, think beyond what you know. Consider trying:
- martial arts for core conditioning and strength
- Park Run – a not-for-profit organisation that organises free weekly 5km runs around the country for anyone who wants to get fit
- danced-based workout Zumba, is one of the world's fastest growing fitness programmes.
Believe you can come back from setbacks
Dame Kelly Holmes went through a tough time after a series of injuries in 2003, and struggled with depression.'You get to the situation where you almost don't want to commit fully to training because you won't be able to bear the frustration if you break down again,' said the double gold Olympic winner (at both 800m and 1500m).
She believes that having faith in yourself is key, otherwise no amount of training will help you bounce back.
'The mistake most people make when they get an injury or face a set-back is to try and play or train through it,' says sports therapist Jane Haven.
'With both instances, it's essential to adapt your training and/or take rest accordingly so you can come back stronger and better focused on your goals.'
Don't worry about nerves
| Stop and focus on your breathing to pull you back into the present. |
Zara Phillips, who won a team gold at the 2007 European Eventing Championships, knows a thing or two about nerves.
The award-winning equestrian has talked about her nerves before an event, but argues that the excitement and adrenaline actually help her focus and produce her best performance.
If you suffer from nerves, just remember that pre-game/event jitters are normal.
'The adrenaline rush you feel is not fear, it's part of your body's natural preparation for the competition,' says life coach Amy Duffy.
'You can help reduce performance anxiety by focusing on what you're doing rather than the outcome. Stay in the moment and if you find nerves rattling you, stop and focus on your breathing to pull you back into the present.'
Get enough rest
British sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who was a bronze medal winner at the 2009 World Championships in athletics, trains for four hours every day.But he says that getting a good amount of rest is vital because the growth hormones released during sleep help your muscle and tissue grow and repair.
He aims for at least eight hours of sleep a night, and ideally ten when he can.
Rest and recovery have a big impact on your fitness gains and sports performance. This means you should concentrate on the following.
- Cooling down after exercise. Move at a very low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes after a workout to remove lactic acid from your muscles.
- Replace fluids right away because this boosts recovery.
- Give yourself at least one full day off a week from any kind of exercise. This will help you relax both mentally and physically.
Train with like-minded people
| Friends or fitness buddies who share your objectives can definitely help you both stay on track and push yourself harder. |
Having people around who are doing the same activities can help you keep going.
'Being in a motivated group is important because athletes feed off each other's attributes,' says Andy Turner, European and Commonwealth champion at 110m hurdles.
'Having an approach like this to training will improve your fitness at any level.'
Steven Lewis agrees, 'Friends or fitness buddies who share your objectives can definitely help you both stay on track and push yourself harder,' he says.
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