You're doing it wrong!

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I want to specifically help those out there who are hitting the gym but not seeing the results that they are trying to achieve.  There are many people who overcome the obstacles of finding the time and energy of getting to the gym, or even using home equipment or being active in some other way, but still do not reach their fitness goals.  And I am not trying to sound harsh when I say this, but, one of the  primary reasons that there are people and situations like this is simply because they are doing it wrong.  Although it isn't "rocket science", exercise and training is a science.  Personal trainers, athletic trainers, strength coaches and all the like need at minimum to pass some certification course, and most of the good ones will have studied exercise as part of an undergraduate, graduate or even post graduate curriculum.  Trainers are paid to help people attain their fitness goals not only because of their motivational techniques, but because simply put...they know what they are doing.  Most people will go to a mechanic when they have a problem with their car...they seek out professional help.  There are plenty of other examples like this and it is encouraged to do the same with your health and fitness.  But, there are some general rules to follow that can help most everyone.  So read some of the common problems of people I see that are doing it wrong at the gym.

          You don't see change - As I started this post, one of the number one ways you can tell that you are doing it wrong at the gym is if you are putting in the effort, but not seeing the body changes you are striving for.  Whether you are not seeing the body change you are looking for and/or you aren't seeing any gains in strength, chances are you are not following a proper exercise prescription.  Again, with exercise being a science, there are proven exercise prescriptions that will help you get to your goals.  You shouldn't go to the gym to just move weight and/or spend countless minutes on a cardio machine.  Doing it the correct way means following the proper exercise prescription suited to your individual goals.

         You aren't sweating - If you are at the gym and you are not sweating at some point, chances are you aren't working out at a high enough intensity level.  While I do know that there are people who need to be working out an extremely high intensity level in order to start sweating, and you may be one of them, if you are also someone who is not hitting their goals, there is a good possibility that you are not training intensely enough.  I often say that it is called "working" out for a reason...you need to be putting in the effort to get something out of it.  If you are not challenged enough, your body will not change.

         You can talk while training - If you can have a conversation while you are actually performing a movement, then you are definitely not training hard enough to see a body change.  If you can carry out a full conversation with the person on the cardio machine next to you, you are doing it wrong.  If you can talk to your trainer throughout the weight training set, both of you are doing it wrong.  There is even a partially subjective assessment used by trainers called the Talk Test to determine exercise intensity level.  If you are able to have a conversation with the trainer while working, you are doing it wrong.

         You are in pain while exercising - This one might not apply to everyone, but it is certainly one that everyone should avoid.  The saying "No pain, no gain" should not be taken literally.  Figuratively, it refers to training the correct way, by training at an appropriately high intensity level...see the first three above.  But if you are in actual pain while training, and/or you are making an injured part of your body feel worse than when you walked into the gym, you are doing it wrong.  with many of my clients there is an ailment at some point that I need to consider.  With my clients I always tell them that there are thousands of potential exercises that can be performed, and if one is causing them pain, we stop it, and choose another one that does not illicit pain.

         You are not using the correct muscles - Another common problem that I see many inexperienced exercisers have is that they do not use the muscles that they are trying to target.  This happens typically for one of two reasons.  One reason is that people will use momentum to move weight instead of engaging the muscles required for the movement.  This is troublesome for many reasons including the fact that using momentum over muscle activation can lead to injury very easily.  Another reason is that by just moving weight and not actually focusing on the muscle contracting and relaxing during the movement, you are wasting your time and energy.

          If you are finding the time and energy to get to the gym you deserve to make it count.  If you are one of the people who are performing the exercises but not getting the results, you most likely need to make some changes to your routine.  Did you fit into any of the categories I mentioned above?  If so, it isn't too late.  You can still make the changes and you certainly deserve to.  Seeking professional advice, just as you would if you had a car problem, is recommended.  Making the most of your time in your physical activities is the proper way to reach a fit new you!

Healthy begets Healthy

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to point out a bit of common sense that should motivate you to start and/or remain living a healthy lifestyle.  Sometimes common sense isn't so common, but I am pretty sure that we all know that doing things that are considered to be healthy for us are, well, good for us.  And while this is pretty much common knowledge, people in general have a knack for coming up with incredible (and many not so credible) excuses of why they aren't living a healthy lifestyle.  But, if you are a reader of this blog, you know I try to motivate you as often as I can to start reaching a fitter new you.  Furthermore, I often point out that getting started is sometimes the hardest hurdle to overcome.  So today I want to give you a simple tip to either get you started, or to keep up with the work that you are already doing.  And the tip I offer you today is a simple one; in order to be healthy, all you need to do is be healthy!

Maybe you read that last sentence with an eye roll, however it really is true.  Simple and common sense, but I feel it still needs to be pointed out.  This idea came to mind the other day when I got to work and I noticed a coworker who is "carrying a few extra pounds" on a set of crutches and had his ankle in a brace.  Being the compassionate coworker I am, I asked him what had happened and he said that he didn't do anything remarkable, in fact just the opposite; he had hurt it while walking down a step in his home.  No big deal.  But then coincidentally, another coworker that week, who is also not in the best shape was complaining about how much his knee was hurting.  He had explained that he was going back and forth to the doctor to figure out what was going on with it, but he knew it was bothersome for a significant amount of time.  In this second case it wasn't such an acute injury that could have happened to anyone, but the optic of these two did make me think...maybe there was a connection about both of their injuries to their current level of fitness.  Although it wasn't a 100% direct cause of either, you could bet that carrying around the extra weight without a doubt contributed to it.  Their unhealthy weight led to their unhealthy ailments.

A more concrete illustration with this is how arthritis is felt and managed.  Anyone who suffers from some form of arthritis will tell you that it is at its worst after remaining in a non-moving position for an extended amount of time.  Whether it is struggling to get out of bed in the morning after laying down for several hours, or when someone has to exert a good amount of effort after sitting in a car for an extended amount of time, it is after the inactivity that causes the most pain.  Conversely, it is with movement that the pain is alleviated!

So the moral of the story is get active and be active to remain active!  It is easiest to maintain a high level of health if you are simply trying to remain in a high level of health.  Many gym goers will tell you that its hardest to get to the gym following a layoff for whatever reason.  But once going is the routine, going becomes routine.  You also have to think about how remaining active creates this easier scenario.  Maintaining a healthy amount of physical activity and healthy diet will directly cause you to be at a healthy weight for you.  In the very least, not carrying around extra fat will decrease the stress on your joints and dramatically decrease the chance of suffering from the conditions that my coworkers are enduring.  A healthy diet will also cause you to have more energy and not feel sluggish, which in turn again will make it easier to maintain that healthy lifestyle.

In sounds like common sense, but if you want to be healthy, you have to live healthy.  Getting that ball rolling is key to keeping it going.  Most of us want to reach a healthier state of living, and we can all get to that next level.  It isn't as easy as just wanting it, you also have to act on it.  But the good news is that once you start being healthy, your health will dramatically improve, and it will be that much easier to keep at it.  Being healthy is the fresh way to start and maintain a fit new you!

Start Strong, Finish Strong

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I want to help you get your workout started, because starting out is usually the hardest thing to do.  For the majority of people, Monday is the start of the work week, with Saturday and Sunday being the weekend, and is usually when we say our training schedules start.  Although we should be active every single day, its Monday when we try to get ourselves going.  Even from the religious perspective, God rested on the 7th day, which we observe on Sunday.  Unlike Him, I'm usually too busy on Sundays to rest, catching up with all that needs to be done around the house, so even I start my training week on a Monday.  But even though this is the day that most people plan on starting their routines, its often one of the hardest to get to the gym.  There are plenty of posters and memes, that emphasize how much we all sarcastically love Monday mornings when we have to get "back to the grind."  So after struggling in the morning, and then getting through the day, getting the extra energy to be physically active is often tough to do.  A way to help your overcome the doldrum of a Monday is to plan on doing something you really want to do.  Being excited about what you plan on doing is the greatest way to ensure you actually do it!

A former employer of mine often used the phrase "You want to finish how you want to start."  What he meant by this was that even if you started off the year on the wrong foot, as long as you finished strong, you would start the next year strong.  And I agree with this for a number reasons.  For one, its how we finish that is the most important.  If you are weak or out of shape now, you want to get to the point, finish, where you are stronger and in better health.  It is said it is never to late to start, but with our health, being active usually is end goal orientated.  We start exercise routines to get into shape.  So finishing strong is important.  But without being contradictory, it is just as important to start strong, because you need to start to get you going. 

One way to start strong when you otherwise would be dragging is to do something you really enjoy.  I often joke that Mondays in most gyms are "International Chest Day" because so many people are hitting the bench press.  Why?  Because so many people prefer to do chest and biceps exercises because not only are they less demanding than leg exercises, but they also hit the areas of our bodies that are often most noticeable.  While I used to use that moniker for Mondays at the gym as a bit of a diss, I could also recognize that the gym was often most crowded at that time.  There are a few reasons for that, but I would argue one is that there are more people there because they are there to do the exercises that they most enjoy.  If you are having a hard time getting started with your weekly routing, choose exercises that you most enjoy.  Picking things that you enjoy doing will ensure that you actually do them.

On the other hand, another way to start strong is to get the parts of your routine that you most dread out of the way.  Hitting the dreaded "leg day" on a Monday might not sound like the most enticing way to start your week, but if you get it done and out of the way, it will make getting to the gym later in the week easier to do.  Furthermore, hitting your legs on a Monday is also preferable because, as I already mentioned, Monday is International Chest Day anyway, so the squat racks should be free.  Sometimes it is easiest to finish strong by getting what you desire least out of the way first.

No matter which mindset works for you, doing what you find easiest first, or doing what you dread the most first, starting the week of strong is extremely important.  While putting in the time at the gym is all about the ultimate payoff, we only get there once the ball gets rolling.  Its simple physics to understand that the ball wont get rolling until we push it, but once it gets going it will be much easier to keep it going.  So no matter what day your training routine starts, think about which tact you will take to get you going.  Whether you do what you enjoy the most, or what you find the hardest to do, just starting strong is what will let you finish strong.  Starting strong is a motivational way to finish at a fit new you!

Two Out of Three

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to give you a few tips that will help to encourage you to reach your fitness goals.  It is one of my core beliefs that even if you have the strongest intentions, and the best written plan to get to where you are going, it will be easily compromised if the plans are too unrealistic to be maintained.  Fad diets only work for so long for this reason; they will help you cut calories initially, but they are too demanding to be maintained over the long haul, and not the way to achieve a healthy lifestyle.  And if you look at your starting point, or simply the place you are now, you want to get somewhere further down the path and you are looking for an edge. So that tells me that what you are currently doing isn’t quite getting you there.  I find that discouragement is often what keeps us from staying on the arduous trail to our fitness goals.  Often the discouragement comes from not meeting your own expectations…for example, people get discouraged when they aren’t getting to the gym as much as they would like, or even miss just one day.  The key to reaching your goals is to not focus on what you haven’t been able to do, but to zero on your successes.  Instead of being discouraged by what you haven’t been able to do, be encouraged by what you have done and can still do.

One of the harsh realities with obtaining fitness goals is that they can only be accomplished with hard work that needs to be done day in and day out.  This is why maintaining your health needs to become a lifestyle and not just something you do for a few weeks of the year.  Fitness achievement only comes after keeping up with a routine, and can only be maintained by sustaining what you have been doing already and most times having to do even more going forward.  We know it isn’t easy, but we also know the results are well worth it.  We can all dream about where we want to be, but we have to constantly work to get there.  The trick is to stay positive and encouraged along that demanding path.

As I started to say in the introduction, one way to stay encouraged along your fitness quest is to commend yourself for your successes and focus on your achievements rather than knocking yourself for succumbing to bumps along the way.  I always go back to the analogy of the dentist.  Every dentist tells you to floss every single day and some say to do it every time you brush your teeth.  While I am sure there are some people out there who actually keep up with that, I am just as sure that they are in the minority of the population.  This is similar to a trainer telling you to get to the gym every single day and to make every single meal clean and healthy.  Again, I am sure there are some people out there who actually keep up with that, I am just as sure that they are in the minority of the population.  What I want you to keep in mind is that just as you wouldn’t stop brushing your teeth because you are not flossing as much as recommended, you shouldn’t stop trying to reach your fitness goals because you can’t get to the gym and/or aren’t eating as healthy as you should.  Anything you do positive for your health is just that…a positive!

A simple way to both get started and keep you going by focusing on your positive steps is to make a list of three daily goals that you want to keep.  Instead of having a long list of everything you should and could be doing better, focus on just a few.  For example, you might have drink more water, be active during a work break, and get to the gym.  It could be any three things that you know would make you healthier.  Having them laid out will help you focus on them.  Then, be happy that you have done any or all of them.  There is a song that goes “Two out of three aint bad” and it applies here as well.  In baseball if someone even goes one for three all of the time they would have a Hall of Fame career.  Yes, you should want to and try to meet all of your goals.  However, if you have done any of them, you have acted with your health in mind.  And let what you have done encourage you to be healthy.

There are enough haters out there to sling stones and try and knock you down.  No one needs any more discouragement, and it certainly shouldn’t be self-imposed.  So don’t get yourself down when you are trying to lift yourself up.  Look at all of the positive things you have done to improve your current level of health and be proud of that.  Let that pride in what you have accomplished be the fuel to encourage you to do even more.  Improving your health one small step at a time, and being happy about it, is the positive way of reaching a fit new you!

Law of Diminishing Returns

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to help you push through the point in your fitness quest where you feel that you have “hit the wall.”  No matter what point we are at on our fitness journey, beginners and veterans alike will eventually get to a place where they feel like they have hit their limit.  But what you need to realize is that although you may have come up against a wall, that wall isn’t attached to a ceiling that you cannot over come, rather it is simply the face of the cliff that leads to higher ground.  It can be even more discouraging when hitting that wall comes after a lot of hard work.  There is a Law of Diminishing Returns, which basically states that you eventually get smaller and smaller returns for your continued efforts.  However, in physics, there is also the Law of Conservation of Energy, which says energy cannot be destroyed.  So this is one of those times where you need to remember that you do get out what you put in…and the harder it is to get past that wall, the greater the view will be at the top.

D.J. is a soccer player that I have trained throughout his high school career.  He was a smaller than the average player his age, but that just meant he had to work harder to achieve his goals of making the team.  And when he decided to go to a prestigious private school with very competitive team, he had to work harder than ever to make that team.  As hard as he had to work to make the freshmen team, he had to work even harder to make the Jr. Varsity team.  The same was true for him when he tried out for the varsity team, he knew going in he would have to train even harder than ever.  But, when he made the team, it was his greatest triumph!

No matter what your fitness goals are, you will eventually come up against that proverbial wall; the point where you feel you have reached your limit.  However, the body doesn’t work like that, the body is designed to adapt and evolve to challenge.  As long as you keep putting in the effort, you will eventually reach a higher ground.  A great visual of this is the winners’ podiums at the Olympics.  Notice how the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners are staged on podiums of differing heights with the best being on the tallest podium.  The best effort is the one that has attained the highest ground.  So when it comes to your own training be encouraged, not discouraged, that you have to work harder to see additional results after hitting your plateau. 

The Law of Diminishing Returns can be a bit discouraging if you think that you will get less reward for more effort.  This simply isn’t true though.  The extra effort that you put it will take you to the next level with greater reward.  When it comes to fitness you get out what you put in.  Those higher walls lead to greater heights as is the case with the winner’s podium.

Whatever point you are at along your fitness journey know that you will encounter walls that will have to be overcome.  The further along you get, the harder they may seem to overcome.  But remember that as you move upward, the results attained will be higher and higher.  And if you are only just starting out, be encouraged that those first few walls are the easiest to overcome.  You will reach new heights with your health and state of fitness if you continue to increase your efforts.  Continuing to push for higher ground is the winners’ way to achieve a fit new you!

What You Know

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to slightly change directions from what I have suggested over the last few previous posts.  Where the last few posts I have suggested tapping into the mind-body connection to motivate you to keep at your fitness goals, in this post I am going to suggest doing the opposite.  Well, not exactly.  In the previous posts I had suggested how to use your feelings to motivate you so I am not saying ignore what I said.  What I am suggesting you do here is to take your emotions out of it completely.  Sometimes when it comes to keeping on the fitness track, whether hitting the gym or watching what you eat, you just don't "feel it."  We all have these days from time to time.  There are times when what we actually do is not what we know we should be doing.  Those moments where you say to yourself "I know I should be going to the gym, but..." and you wind up doing something else.  Or in a similar situation where you see something decadent on a plate that doesn't fit in your nutrition plan and as you reach for it you say to yourself "Well I know I shouldn't, but..."  This idea of how we do things we know we shouldn't be seems like a no-brainer.  And it is just that...it is us acting without truly considering what is best for us.  Our actions in these situations are usually driven by our emotions or how we are "feeling" at that time.  So take the emotion out of it...just do what you know you should!

          There have probably been times in your life where you needed to make an important decision, an in order to take your emotions out of the decision you used the phrase "Let me sleep on this."  In order to be more confident in your decision you gave yourself some more time to think about it.  Similar to this notion that our emotions can affect our thought process in a negative way is when we use the cliche "let cooler heads prevail."  In both situations the idea is to take your emotion out of it, and let your rational thought help make a better decision.  This is the main idea of what I am suggesting to you...to take how you are feeling out of the equation and do what you know is the right decision.  I am not saying if you are debating going to the gym or need help with making a healthy food choice that you should wait until the next day to come up with a choice.  I am saying that rather acting on your feelings, do what you know is the right thing.

        Some of the "feelings" that keep us from making healthy choices include: "I am not feeling it today," "I don't feel like going," and "I feel tired."  And people will also make unhealthy food choices as a reaction to how they are feeling; think "comfort food."  In these situations, there is usually some internal debate about what they should do before they take action.  However, sound reasoning doesn't win out and people make a poor choice.  There is usually a very quick response after the choice has already been made that they shouldn't have made that move.  The follow up saying of "hindsight is 20/20" applies here.  Although making the choice of whether or not you should hit the gym isn't going to be a completely life changing event that needs days of consideration, it is a decision that is in fact important as it obviously affects your health.  The decision might not be a single big one that dramatically affects your life, but it is an everyday one that cumulatively will definitely affect your life. 

          You don't need a Master's degree in an exercise science field and / or nutrition to have the knowledge of what you should do to be healthy.  Concepts that keep us fit and healthy are usually common knowledge and universally known.  And since we know what it is good for us, we need to act on that information.  It is perfectly acceptable to let your feelings motivate you, but if they are going to hold you back it is best to revert to what you know is good for you.  Acting on what you know is good for you is the smart way to achieve a fit new you!

Something New

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  I apologize for not getting a new post out sooner, but I have been busy getting ready for the start of another new school year.  And as I was preparing for the year, I found inspiration for this post.  As I welcomed many new students to the start of the academic year, I thought about all of the new things they will learn.  This in turn made me think about all of the different and new things that occur in the fitness industry on a regular basis.  There always seems to be a "hot" new style of class, an innovative piece of training equipment, or something else that is fresh and new.  Incorporating these fresh additions are a great way for both beginner and veteran fitness buffs to invigorate their training routines.  While I do stress the importance of keeping a regular routine to achieve your fitness goals, that routine doesn't have to be stale.  So with this month bringing a back-to-school to school mentality for many of us, I suggest that everyone learn something original and add it to your normal routine.  Doing so will not only allow your muscles to develop past where their memory is currently at, but it will also add fresh perspective to your routine.

          The IDEA Health and Fitness Association is in my opinion one of the leading advancers of fitness in the industry.  Not only do they put on some of the biggest fitness conventions every year, but they also publish a monthly fitness journal.  And every month their journal is jam packed with new trends and sources of information for the exercise and nutrition minded.  One of my favorite sections of the journal is a paragraph called "What people are talking about"  This short little section provides leads to the most innovative and original ideas, practices and philosophies.  It provides a great jumping point for those looking for something new.  The information is great for novices and experts in the field.  What is important to note is that there is this constant influx of new material...this is because the addition of new education isn't just important, it is essential.

         One of the reasons many people fall off of the path towards achieving their fitness goals is because they become bored with the routine.  As the program starts to get stale, it becomes easier to make up excuses of why you cant adhere to the rigors of trying to reach your goal.  It is much harder to get excited about something that just isn't exciting anymore.  Think about something fun...a vacation, a thrill ride, or anything of the kind.  Quite often the longer you stay on it, the less enjoyable it becomes.  There is usually that "sweet spot" of enjoying something for a certain about time before it starts to become less enjoyable.  And this is true from a physiological stand point as well.

         When learning any new physical activity/ movement it takes a certain amount of time and repetitiveness for your brain and body to become accustomed to it.  Trying a physical activity one time might be fun, but it has to be repeated in order for the body to be able to adapt to it.  Your brain and body needs to "learn" the movement.  Typically, as we repeat a movement, our brain grows in response to it, and the movement becomes easier and easier as the brain makes adaptations to perform it more efficiently.  Then, as the movement becomes mentally more efficient, our muscles will change as a response to it as well.  In a classroom, this is similar to a teacher giving multiple examples of new material, and often homework, before a student is tested on the material...there needs to be sometime for the learning process to take place.  However, once our bodies have adapted, you need to change the movement in some way for continued development.  One of the easiest ways of adding change is simply by incorporating something new.

        In order to for your body to change and develop, you need to do something different and new from what you are currently doing.  Change begets change.  Just as students are required to learn new subject matter each year to further their education, the body needs to try new things to overcome muscle memory and have something to adapt to.  And equally as important, doing something new keeps the routine from becoming stale and boring.  Both the body and mind need to try fresh things in order to continually develop and progress.  So learn something new!  Try a different class or pick up a new-to-you piece of equipment next time you go to the gym.  Learning something new is a progressive way to reach a fit new you!

Flatter Yourself

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to give you a similar motivational tip as I did last week, but this time I want the focus to be on you.  If you read last week's post (and if you didn't you should now) you know that I suggested that by helping and doing things for others, that you would feel better about yourself emotionally, and that would caused you to feel better physically.  Feeling better in both of these ways allows you to become more motivated to continue feeling good, and it allows for a positive cycle to take place.  And as I said last week, it is best to think about helping others first...however, this week, I want you to do something for yourself.  When you do something for yourself, you increase your sense of self-worth.  Furthermore, you can make yourself feel better and happy, and that allows for that same increase in physical feeling...another positive cycle.  One goal that most of us who are exercising regularly, making healthy food choices, or at least trying one of those two have is to feel better with how we view ourselves when looking in the mirror.  Although we all might not quite be where we want to eventually get, we can all agree that wearing one particular piece of clothing or another is more or less flattering. We probably all have a shirt, pair of pants, dress, etc. that we know flaunts our "good" parts.  And you know that when you wear that piece, your confidence goes up a little, because you do feel good about yourself.  So this week, instead of going out and doing something for someone else, (or you still can but now in addition) I want you to go out and purchase a new piece of clothing that flatters you.  It is back to school season, and there a lots of stores having sales, so it shouldn't be an expensive endeavor.  Whatever you do spend, the worth will be in your increase in self-worth when you feel yourself looking better than ever.

         I am someone who is not "cheap" but is frugal and needs to watch how I spend my money.  I have my indulgences and it doesn't take much arm twisting by my kids to get them something off of the list while at a store.  However, one thing that I carefully budget for is clothing.  If I have any fashion sense, it could possibly be considered utilitarian.  Most of the clothes I purchase are based on necessity and requirements of my job's dress codes.  I am not one of the people who have a pair of shoes for every single different occasion.  In fact, the way I work my sneakers is I have a "good" pair of sneakers that I wear to school (on Phys. Ed. days) and the gym.  Overtime, as these shoes become more and more worn, they become my "work" sneakers, which are the ones that become the pair that I can wear to my construction-type summer job.  Usually, I can get the one pair of sneakers to last the entire school year, and then they become the work sneakers, and by the end of the summer, I can purchase a new pair for the new school year.  The same is true for my gym shirts.  I will by a handful of new shirts to wear for personal training, and as they become worn, they become my workout shirts.  Eventually they wear out their use and they become either the new workout shirt, or meant for the trash.  But even for me, someone who is not all concerned with how I look from a fashion sense, when I put those new sneakers or shirts on, I do feel good about the way I look.  I am often replacing stains, and holes...some quite unflattering aspects.  And starting with new, nicely fitting clothes, I feel both better about myself from an increase in self-worth, but also because the clothes are often more flattering.

          Times were tough for my family when I was growing up, and I often had clothes ought at flea markets or attained through hand-me downs.  Now I am not talking about being vain in any sense, but I do remember feeling a good sense of pride when I was able to purchase clothing that was new and sized for me.  Not only did they make me look good, but they made me feel good.  I also don't want you to get too wrapped up in the sense that you have to go out and spend money in order to look good (think again about my frugality) because that can lead to an unhealthy mindset.  What I am simply suggesting is that if you get yourself a new shirt, sneakers, outfit or whatever for the gym, you will be inspired.  You wouldn't buy and wear something that you don't think you yourself look good in, therefore when you wear what you purchase you are already starting with a positive attitude.  But what is more important is the motivation that will come from that increase in self-worth.

          People who suffer from depression often have a poor self-image and vice verse.  A negative cycle can be created that is hard to break; someone doesn't like the way they look, they become embarrassed about how they think they appear, they rather people not see them, so they don't go to the gym, and then by not working out, they feel even worse about how they look.  Do you see how that can become a negative cycle?  The opposite of this is the positive cycle; someone likes the way they look, they are confident in how they appear, they want others to see them, they get to the gym, and they train hard.  See how that can be beneficial?  Now the real results of following a regular exercise routing and maintaining a healthy diet are earned over time.  What I am suggesting today is that if you wear something that you think you look good in, you will feel good about yourself, and you will jump start that positive cycle.  Leading a healthy lifestyle is something that has to be maintained regularly.  I am just giving you a way to get you there on the fast track.

          As noble as it is to be concerned with and want to help others, you have to remember that you too have needs, are very special and should have a tremendous amount of self-worth.  So it is more than acceptable to splurge on yourself from time to time.  Getting yourself something nice to wear is an expense that will pay dividends if you think you look good in it.  The better you think you look, the better you will feel about yourself.  The increase in confidence will cause you to be more motivated to do what you need to do in order to stay there and/or get tot he next level.  So splurge on yourself and find something flattering.  The positive cycle that results from this will be well worth the financial cost.  Looking good, to feel good, to look good is a positive way to reach a fit new you!

Do good feel good

         Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to approach your health and fitness from a slightly different perspective.  In an earlier post, I had explained the mind body connection through how we answer the question "How do you feel?"  With that, I suggested that the way we "feel" can apply to either our physical or mental/emotional well being.  So today, I am suggesting that a great way to feel better physically, is to feel better emotionally/mentally.  Anyone who has thought about, and.or studied the mind body connection understands how connected our physical and mental states are; simply put, the better we feel, the better we feel.  And you can interpret that with either of those "feels" meaning physical or emotional.  For example, as you recover from an injury, and start to see physical progression again, you feel better emotionally.  A reverse example would be the better you feel emotionally, the more vigorous you will feel.  Usually in my posts I am explaining ways to become healthier and fitter from a physical stand point, so to continue with that quest and to combine this mind body notion, I need you to feel better mentally/emotionally first. One of the greatest ways that you can instantly feel better about yourself is by doing something for others.

          The school motto where I work is "Above All Charity."  We are constantly working to instill in our students that doing the "right" thing is the right thing to do.  There are many different reasons why you should do the right thing, but I am pretty sure no matter your personal beliefs, that we all agree that we actually feel good when we do good.  I believe we actually physically feel good as we do something good for others.  Therefore, the more we do for others, the better we ourselves feel mentally/emotionally, and then the better we feel physically as well.  In short, helping those around us makes us physically feel better. What a great way to feel physically healthy! 

          Helping others is noble, should be commended, and is probably for most people something that doesn't happen as often as we would like.  It is very similar with getting to the gym and eating healthier; we all know it is the right thing to do, but we just don't do it as often as we would like.  We also know that the more we actually do it, the better off we will be.  What keeps us from acting on our best intentions?  Just like with training, I think a very common short fall is the result of adequate planning and preparation.  Think about it, it is a lot easier to make healthy food choices, if the groceries in your house that you previously went shopping for is what is available to you.  Keeping the analogy between helping people and working on fitness suggests that the more you plan to help people, the more likely you will.  And again, the more you help others, the better you will feel.

          My suggestion to you today is to make a "charity calendar" for yourself.  What I mean by that is that you can either use an actual calendar or simply make a list, and plan to do at least one act of charity every month.  Im not saying that you have to make a monetary donation every month to a charity, I am suggesting to help others in any way you can...often giving someone your time is the greatest gift of all.  By using a calendar, you can plan ahead for the ways that you will help others.  Just like with training, the more you are able to look ahead to what you want to do, the more likely you will actually do it.  Here are some suggestions on how you can help others and use a calendar to plan ahead for it:

• January - Donate one of your used coats.  Many local organizations collect coats for the needy as the weather gets colder.
• February - If you live in a colder climate shovel your neighbor's walkway when it snows.  You even get the added benefit of burning calories as your helping someone else.
• March - Discover a charity.  If you ever used a search engine to find a non-profit, and/or a not-for-profit, you will see just how many needs are out there.  Find one, and make a donation.
• April - "April showers bring May Flowers."  Change "April" with your name and change "May" with someone else.  Surprising anyone, even a stranger with flowers is sure to create a smile.
• May - Participate in an benefit walk/run.  There are so many benefit runs throughout the year, but May is a great month to join in before the weather gets too warm or too cold.
• June - One of the busiest months for weddings.  That means your local place of worship is busy committing to people getting married.  Call the administrative office and ask if there is any way you can volunteer to help while others are attending to the increase in weddings.
• July - Volunteer and/or help with a local veteran's group.  Here in the States as we celebrate Independence Day our veteran's are much more visible...dont forget about them.  Find any way you can to show appreciation for their service.
• August - In the "dog days of summer" go and help dogs...literally.  Local animal shelters accept used towels, lines and even newspapers to act as bedding.  If you're able to, adopting, fostering or rescuing a dog in need is a great way to get a new running/walking partner.
• September - School supplies are both on sale and needed by many.  Some stores that sell school supplies often even give you the ability in the store to help those in need of educational supplies.
• October - When you think of all the ghoulish ghosts and vampires around Halloween, think about your local blood bank.  Giving blood is so important, and just like with ringing doorbells on the 31st, you are usually rewarded with a small sweet treat.
• November - Food pantries are constantly in need of sundries, but you see the need much more around the holidays.  Just like with school supplies in Sept. there are many stores that allow you to make food donations as easy as Pumpkin pie this time of year.
• December - Give a gift.  Whether you are donating a toy to a drive, or surprising someone unexpected like with the April flowers suggestion, when you are thinking about your gift lists this month, add one more on for someone in need.

        

I am telling you with one hundred percent certainty that if you do good for others, you will get a good feeling inside.  Your body will react physically and/or mentally/emotionally to a good deed you have done, it will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.  The good deed will therefore not only benefit the recipient, but you, yourself as well.  The side effect of feeling good yourself does not take away from your altruistic act.  The good deed done from your heart, the figurative one symbolized for love, will directly affect the literal four chambered one in your chest.  Everyone wins!  Helping others is a selfless way to achieve a fit new you!

You Have to See It

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I want to help you reach your fitness goals by emphasizing the importance of fully envisioning your end results.  Everyone who starts out with the aim of improving on their health by increasing their level of fitness starts out with some ultimate goal in mind; people often want to "lose weight", "get stronger" or improve some other level of their health.  However, if the end results are not concretely seen, they are often not reached.  The importance of starting with, and maintaining a clear vision of your goals cannot be overstated.  While the phrase "keep your eye on the prize" is a great cliche for what will help you maintain your efforts, it is also imperative that you start out with a clear picture of where you want to be from the very start.  Having a true picture of your finished product is essential to forming obtainable goals.

          While studying Chinese medicine and acupuncture, I was taught that the intention of the treatment was as important, if not more important, than the actual treatment.  We would use the phrase "the Li proceeds the Qi" to signify the importance of having the idea what you want to do before actually doing it.  And this is true with fitness goals, or anything that you want to eventually reach.  For example, before you decide on the roads to take, or the flights to book, you have to know where you are going to first.  It is very pragmatic to have the end goal in mind first.  One of the first search criteria you need to put into any travel website is your destination.  From there you would make adjustments and changes according to details.  Well this is exactly what happens with designing an exercise or nutrition routine.  After you clearly identify where you are looking to take your health and fitness, a personal trainer and/or nutritionist would tell you what you needed to do to get there.

          Having that vision of your end goal is also important along the journey itself.  This is because often enough, there are things that pop up and distract us from where we are going.  They range in form from legitimate injuries, to guilt laden laziness.  Using the travel analogy works here too.  You maybe traveling along the highway and then all of a sudden you encounter a bunch of traffic which will slow you down from reaching your goal.  Or, maybe you simply take the wrong direction and get of course a bit.  Heck, you might even be at the airport and storm cancels all flights for the day.  You may have been in one or more of these situations, so I ask you, did you simply give up on getting to where you were going?  Probably not!  If you stayed on the same route begrudgingly through the traffic, you got to where you were going...just later than you expected.  With training, sometimes it can be just a frustrating as sitting in traffic for you to get to the results you want.  If you went off course, you may have pulled over and asked for directions.  Again, maybe if you are not getting to where you want to be fitness-wise, it is time to ask for some help from a trainer.  And if a beyond your control storm shuts down the entire Eastern seaboard you were forced to wait for new flights...similar to the recovery time mandated following an injury.  But the key is you got to where you were going, by knowing where you were going?

          It is important for many reasons to have a clear picture of what you are trying to achieve if you really want to get there.  But all of them point you in direction that you want to go.  If a client came to me and said they weren't sure of what they wanted to get out of going to the gym, I would be just as lost at helping them get to that place as gas station attendant would be trying to give directions to someone who had no idea where they wanted to go.  Again, think about someone asking you the question" Hi, I need help.  Can you tell me how to get there?"  What would your answer be?  You would ask, "Well, where are you trying to go?"  The clearer your vision is, the easier it is to get there.  Think about what kind of directions your GPS would give you if you only put in the number of the house/building address you were trying to find.

         Finally, it is important to keep and eye on your goals because it allows your mind to consider the goals realistic, and therefore attainable.  If you keep picturing yourself as that final product, you will be more encouraged to get there.  The weeks leading up to a vacation are often filled with giddy anticipation because you know you will soon be there.  And it might even help you stay in check too; just before a vacation you might watch what you eat and spend a little more closely leading up to your departure date.  But the main way it helps is to allow you to remain focused on your goals.  If you can see them, you know how to get there, and you know you can get there.

        Everyone who is trying to live a healthier life is trying to live better than they currently are.  They want to be healthier than they are now...it is a goal further down the road.  But knowing where that road ends will help you know how to get there, and stay the course...even if there are some road blocks along the way.  Keeping your eye on the prize, your prize, your fitness goals, a healthier you is a well traveled way to a fit new you!

Be Better

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I want to help you establish a healthy lifestyle by setting realistic and attainable goals.  Setting a goal is paramount to achieving any sort of task.  And setting the right type of goal is often just as important as the end result.  Look at it like this, if you set a goal that easily attained, you most likely will not benefit much from it and/or develop a true sense of satisfaction.  Similarly, setting a goal that is way too ambitious is nothing more than the perfect way to set yourself up for a very discouraging failure.  We all have a goal that centers around us reaching a healthier state and/or level of fitness; maybe you are trying to improve your body composition, reach a new personal best in the weight room, or improve your cardio endurance.  And these goals are fantastic...if they are focused on your own self improvement.  The key here is the term improvement, it doesn't mean becoming the best.  If you want to reach your optimal state of health, you need to start by simply becoming better.

          Motivational speaker Les Brown has a saying "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars."  While this is truly motivational and optimistic, the problem I have with it is that it already acknowledges the chance of failure.  Motivated optimism is great, after all I am here trying to motivate you, but you also have to be realistic.  Trying to be the best at anything is certainly a noble aspiration.  I agree that you will never go past second place without striving to be number one.  But when it comes to your own level of health and fitness, often the best goal is simply to be better...not the best. 

          One big stumbling block I find people face when striving to reach their fitness goals is discouragement.  And this discouragement is often self-imposed.  One form that it takes is discouragement from not bring the best.  People often never start a routine or stop a routine because they aren't one of the fittest people in the gym.  It is a fact that we all have to get used to at some point in our lives...there is always going to be someone faster, taller, richer, stronger, whatever.  We are all made unique and all have our own strengths and weaknesses.  But just because we have a weakness or struggle in one area doesn't mean that we cannot improve on it.  So what if you will not be the strongest person in the gym? You can still be stronger than you are now?  Who cares if you aren't the leanest person there either?  You can improve on your own body composition.  Yes, you can strive to become the strongest and/or leanest person there, but just don't let that discourage you from becoming the better version of yourself.

         Another common cause for the discouragement that often leads to failing to reach fitness goals is when the goals set are too lofty and hard to attain.  Setting yourself up for defeat is self-sabotage.  Again, goals set can be centered around an outside target or even a former level that you yourself had at one point.  But, the goals still need to be realistic.  You can strive to perform the same way you did when you were ten or twenty years younger, and you can compete with those who are ten or twenty years younger than you...it can be a healthy for of motivation.  It is when it becomes discouraging to the point that you give up due to failure that it is a problem.  There are many people that I train who have started exercising later in life and are now at the fittest shape they have ever been.  But conventional wisdom will tell you that the body does break down over time and you will, as they say, "start to lose a step."  I am not saying this to discourage you from the start, I am saying this so you know it is OK to have goals that revolve around you and your current lifestyle.  And I am certainly not saying that no matter where you are that you cannot improve...just the opposite, anyone and everyone can become better!

          Think about all that you would need to do to become the fittest person in the gym...the diet to follow, the number of days and hours you would need to put into the gym, the genetics that you may not have, etc.  I'm not saying it is impossible, but it is not as possible as simply reaching a better level of fitness.  Just think how even one small daily change can affect your current level of fitness...how would going for a walk after each meal change your current level of health?  How would adding one day of exercise per week than you are already doing (even if your number right now is zero) improve your health?  Now also think how much better you would feel both physically and mentally/emotionally with that small change?  Reaching the pinnacle is a feat that not everyone can do for one reason or another.  But being better is something that we can all do right this very second.  And when you reach the next better version of yourself, you will be motivated, not discouraged by not being the best, to be better and better and better.  Aim to be the best, but setting goals for each of the steps along the way is the better way to reach a fit new you!

Be BOLD!

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I going to slightly contradict what I say most often.  Usually I spend time professing my preference for making small, step by step changes to your health.  I still truly believe that small systematic changes are the ones that will lead to a healthy style of life that can be adhered to most easily.  But sometimes in life we need to make a more dramatic change in our lives.  Although a larger change is usually harder to maintain, its benefit is usually more palpable from the start.  A large change like this is not for everyone, but it is recommended is particular situations.  Usually, the time for a big change is when your health is being severely compromised.  For the more strong willed, a dramatic change can work and be maintained just as well.  So today I am telling you to make BOLD change in your health!

        A perfect example of where I would recommend this is with someone who uses tobacco products.  We are in the day and age where the information and evidence available to everyone that using tobacco products is horribly unhealthy.   I teach my Health Ed. students that it boggles my mind why anyone still chooses to use them with right on the package, in black and white, there is one of many dramatic warnings of a serious side effect.  Ignorance can no longer be the excuse.  And, we also know that as soon as a user stops using these products that their healthy immediately starts to improve.  So this is an example when I learn that someone uses tobacco products that I tell them to stop immediately...I tell them to be bold and quit "cold turkey."  If someone can handle stopping that way, they will reap a healthier lifestyle right away.  But that is often very difficult to do because of the addictive nature of the nicotine.  Like my other exercise recommendations, weening off of the nicotine is usually more manageable and can be successfully accomplished by more people.  As I started this post, I am only being slightly contradictory, I do think it is easier to stop using tobacco products through a step down process, however the more dramatic and often necessary case is to be bold and just stop right there and then.

          Another example of this is seen when people have to make dramatic changes to their diets.  Sometimes, people do it in order to meet a lofty goal in a short timeline, such as when is trying to fit into a dress.  This also happens when people suffer from a significant disease or bad prognosis at the doctor's office.  Similarly to what I say with an exercise routine, I often say that it is great to want to change everything you do and eat to be as healthy as you can be.  The problem with that is it is often too short lived, and dropped eventually.  And even worse, the positive change is usually overcome to a state even worse than when started because of binging on what was removed.  But just like with quitting smoking, sometimes you just have to be bold and make a dramatic change.  A compromise that I feel works great, one that allows you to make a bold change with dramatic results and is also a small step that will last, is to change one big thing, remove one of the most unhealthy pieces of your diet.  For example, lets say you drink alcohol on a regular basis, responsibly, and not from addiction (although that would be an urgent need to stop just as with tobacco use).  You just like to have a glass of wine with dinner, a drink before bed to help you sleep, or even some beers while watching the game.  In these examples, when done responsibly, there is nothing morally or legally wrong with doing so.  And, you most likely enjoy it.  However that is where the bold change comes in; when you ask yourself whether or not that drink is really necessary?  The answer is it isn't.  Alcohol, even in small quantities is very damaging to maintain a healthy body composition.  The enjoyment of it is deceivingly much less than the positive health benefits gained by avoiding it all together.  Anyone who has a drink on occasion will agree that it would be a bold move to just give it up.  But trust me, it will be worth it.

        One other way I can suggest to make a bold move to being healthier is to try something new.  For example, trying a new cardio class at the gym.  Most people I know gravitate to one type of class or another, e.g. there are the people who only take spin classes, only take yoga classes, only take Zumba classes.  And it always isn't just a preference that keeps people in their one and only class type.  A lot of the time it is like a child not wanting to try a new type of food...they don't want to try it because they're either afraid or think it looks to unappealing.  Now think of yourself as a child, your children, or just that concept of not wanting to try a new food but then trying it and liking or even loving it!  Be bold and try a drastically different type of class...get off the bike and try a dance class, get up from the mat and try a cycling class.  Not only will you find and activity that you enjoy that you didn't think you would, but you will be challenging your body in a new way which is great for both your muscles and general fitness,

          Being bold takes a lot of courage and gumption.  When making a change that can be considered bold to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle it can often be very challenging.  But that daunting change usually gets dramatic results...sometimes ones that are even extremely necessary.  As I always say slow and steady typically wins the race.  However, there are times where you need to make a more dramatic change.  And if you are the type of person that enjoys a hard challenge, make a bold change and you will see that the results mirror the significance of the change.  Be bold and make a big change today because its the most dramatic way to reach a fit new you!