Fitspiration and the workout that'll have you in tears

New Year's full of resolutions. Quit smoking. Be happy. Get fit. Lose weight. So we asked ethical blogger Charlotte for her take on intensive workouts that have bloggers crippled in agony in their quest for the perfect beach body...

When I first heard about the Insanity Workout, I thought it would be like all the other workout DVDs you see lining shop shelves at this time of year. Something that’s a little challenging, but is also easy enough for people to do as their first workout. Because of this it didn’t cross my mind again until I started following a fitness blogger on Twitter. They seemed to have good things to say about Insanity.

I reasoned if a blogger, a fitness one at that, was raving about it, it's worth a look. Before purcashing the workout, I decided to read a few reviews. I found one. I started reading. I stopped reading. I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

For those of you who don’t know, Insanity is a high-intensity workout programme. You order a set of DVDs, and you’re expected to follow a 60 day schedule. Insanity’s designed to see you through 10 weeks. This seemed like a red flag in itself. I started working out regularly in November. One of the first things in my induction pack said that you should rest for 24-48 hours between workouts. This gives your body a chance to recover, which is especially important if you’re new to an exercise routine. Giving yourself enough rest is a sure-fire way to reduce your risk of getting injured.

If you’re doing an intense workout 6 days a week, you’re not giving yourself a good enough chance to recover. From what I’ve read, most of the workouts featured in the Insanity programme are based on pretty standard moves. Ski jumps, squats and high knee runs are things you’d probably do in any aerobics class. The difference here is that you increase your speed at the start of every circuit. This is what makes it difficult.

It’s also the cause of my main issue with Insanity. According to the review I read, the DVDs actually feature people crying in pain. A quick Google search also showed the stories of people who’d had similar experiences. If you feel any pain when exercising, that’s a sign that you need to stop. The company’s website (and apparently the DVD’s coach) state that you should take breaks if you need to.

It seems that a lot of people are ignoring this.

The whole point of exercise is to improve your health. While it’s fine to challenge yourself, there are limits to this. Pushing yourself far beyond these limits isn’t healthy; it’s counter-productive.

I’m not just talking about the physical side, either. So-called ‘fitspiration’ trends can make you feel like you’re not good enough. Like you’re a failure, if you have the nerve to rest your muscles twice in a week. That wanting to eat a biscuit is a sign of weakness. The company that produces the work out pushes the idea that if you haven’t toned every last muscle, then your body’s not acceptable. This sort of attitude is why so many people dread the thought of going to the beach.

If you want to improve your health, then good for you! But the whole key to being healthy is moderation. There’s nothing wrong with eating a few cakes every now and then. But if you want to get fit, you eat your treats in moderation. The same goes for exercising. Working out far beyond your ability isn’t going to help. I made this mistake in my first workout class. I had muscle fatigue for three days!

The best way to get fit is to build yourself up gradually, and to get plenty of rest. It doesn’t involve memes, embarrassment or self-destruction.