Why Structured Programmes Get You Fitter

Getting fit is not easy, but it’s also not as hard as you may think, especially with a structured programme. You may be very surprised at just what you can achieve and how good you can feel after just a few months with the right plan.

Of course, you will not just need to declare a desire to eat better and get out and about more; that is just the starting point.

We are all familiar with the idea of making New Year’s Resolutions (with a YouGov poll showing half of Britons wanted to improve health and fitness in 2023), but we also know that these don’t tend to last very long. Old habits and lack of motivation don’t just vanish conveniently on January 1st.

This is why a structured programme is so important. The Couch to 5K programme is a good example of this for those who just want to get running, but online personal training packages can go further because they are more comprehensive, deal with different aspects of fitness and are personalised in a way that intensifies the sense of accountability.

Each training programme will need to be personalised based on your needs. However, as the Mayo Clinic has noted, all of them will have certain core principles.

The first of these is strength training, which is not just about giving you bulging biceps, but making joints and bones stronger as well as muscles, so you can carry out tasks more easily.

Secondly, there is aerobic fitness, which means that your body will be more efficient at pumping oxygen around the body. This in turn will enable you to progressively carry out physical tasks more easily and efficiently.

The benefit of such a programme over a simple running plan like Couch to 5K is that it has much broader benefits. For example, by toning up and strengthening joints and muscles, it reduces the chances of you picking up a significant injury like a calf or hamstring strain as you run longer times and distances, something that could derail your fitness plan.

However, there is no greater benefit of a structured, personalised plan than the fact that it produces the greatest results! You can ensure there is no putting things off to tomorrow or consigning tasks to the ‘too hard to do’ box. You have to stick to it, and when you stick to the programme, you get the results you want!