Personal fitness lessons from the Olympics

4. Patience and perseverance pay off.
Athletes don't reach the peak of their game overnight. Many spend their lives training for the Olympics.

While it doesn't have to take years to get fit, the pounds don't come off and the six-pack abs don't appear overnight. Experts generally recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week — for slow and steady results.

In fact, it would be a huge mistake to watch the Olympics and then — full of inspiration and motivation — run out and try to compete like the champions. That could hurt, big-time, notes Phong Tran, a personal trainer at The Sports Club/LA in Los Angeles.

Instead, start slowly, even if it's just to walk around the block once or twice. When that feels comfortable, add a couple more blocks and so on. Easing into exercise will help you avoid injuries, keep you from getting overwhelmed and allow you to start actually enjoying the activity. "People feel good and then they start to do more," Tran says.

5. Everyone suffers setbacks.
Even elite athletes lose, get injured and doubt themselves. They're human.

Keep that in mind if you fall off the fitness wagon. It's never too late to get back on, and all exercise adds up.

6. You can do it.
Maybe you'll never see Olympic gold, or even care to, but if there's one thing you can gain from watching the games it's inspiration.

The Olympics are full of stories of people overcoming tremendous odds to get on that world stage. And those stories can be highly motivational, notes Drought. If you're inspired by the achievements of these athletes, he says, just maybe you'll tell yourself, "You know what, I can do this."

Act on the inspiration, says Griscom, and get moving: "Find the athlete inside of you."

Smart Fitness appears every other Tuesday.

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