Getting FITTE with Tim Church

Tim Church has over 20 years of experience in the fitness and health industry. Besides traveling the world to educate other personal trainers, he also actively coaches a variety of clientele (e.g., from locals like you and me to celebs who make Charleston one of their routine destinations). 

Tim has offered to help me add a little variety to the information I "dish" out to you. His ingredient of choice is physical activity. The recipe for the day is called FITTE. Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type, Enjoyment. 

Tim's best advice is to make the "F" and the "E" the foundation of your routine. If you enjoy the exercise, the frequency is more likely to be established. Everything else falls into place (between the F and the E). Tim talks my language. "It's like a good chili," he says. "Once you get the base, each cook can add their own spice and variety." This is what makes it feel personalized. 

On enjoyment: Start with what you're good at first. Go to the low hanging fruit. Start with your strengths. For some, power is key. For others, slow and steady might be the ticket.
Also, start with people you enjoy. This is tried and true advice. When someone is waiting on you, you're more apt to show up. 

On frequency: Tim's rule is to start with more than 50% of the days of the week. This means 4 days. If this number of days bogs you down, don't sweat (hehe). Short durations are okay (as little as 15 minutes per day can make a difference). Heck, once you talk yourself into 15 minutes, 30 minutes blows by. One key to frequency is having a 10 minute back up routine on hand for the days that just seem to absolutely turn upside down. This is just like having that back up Larabar or almonds in your bag in case you get stuck and need that nutrition. 

Even if you're a seasoned athlete and are making it to the gym, there are those days when you're fatigued or bored and need this advice. Enjoyment and frequency. Start there. Keep it simple and go. 

Tim is locally based so give him a call if you need a jump start. You can find him at www.mostfitlife.com. 

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