Spring has Sprung

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today is the first day of spring and it is a day of importance for a good number of reasons.  As it is one of the two equinoxes we have 12 hours of sunlight with the sun being directly overhead at the equator.  However the day has some other meanings that are more important for those of you who are reading this.  First, it is a great day to assess how you are doing on the resolutions you made for New Year's.  We are just over two and a half months into the new year, and I wonder how many of us have kept up with those goals we set a relatively short time ago.  In my experience, many people have falling off of their fitness goals by now.  But, there is still plenty of time to get back on track.  The start of Spring is also an uplifting time for many, with the increase in the amount of daylight, the warming temperatures, and the budding flowers all contribute to people feeling more positive and getting more active outdoors.  Spring reminds us that summer is just around the corner and we need to get back to working hard on our fitness goals.  So let's use today to assess where we are and what we need to do to achieve the body, health and strength we are striving for!

          Most gyms do the most of their marketing around the start of the New Year.  It is easy to understand why they time their specials and incentives to join their gym when people are motivated to start the new calendar year off on the right foot.  The number of new gym membership subscriptions are highest during that time.  And when people sign up, they do so with the intention of continuing all year and working harder than they ever had.  However, by this time of year, the start of spring, most of those people have fallen off of their fitness quest, and are no longer getting to the gym as often as they were at the start of the year.  Maybe you fall into that category as well.  Believe me, I know its hard to stay motivated.  But the New Year didn't start all that long ago...less than three months!  So whatever it was you were motivated to do that you made a resolution for is still more than obtainable this year.  Your goals may not have changed, but if you look back on them, you probably can see changes that you need to make in order to achieve them.  Use today as the day that you look back and check on your progress.  Have you been making progress?  If so, is it possible to ramp it up?  If you haven't been, what can you do to get back on track?  In most areas of life, Plan "A" doesn't work; you often need a Plan "B."  Let the start of Spring help remind you that you had goals for the year a couple of months ago, and that you still have plenty of the year left to still reach them.  Reassess your initial plan of attack and make the changes necessary to achieve them.

          For most people, the resolutions at the start of the year include improving upon their health and fitness in some form or fashion.  This is because the majority of us know that being healthy and fit is a good thing.  Even though we know this, it still becomes a challenge to so many to actually work on their goals.  Most people need some sort of extra push to keep them on track with attaining the level of fitness that they are striving for.  Finding motivation is easier with significant events such as the New Year, or an upcoming wedding or school reunion.  It is definitely harder during the more mundane times of the year.  Without the carrot of an upcoming an event dangling in front of you, it is easy to become lazy.  So welcome spring and today's equinox as a motivational day.  Spring means that summer is only a few months away.  And if your goal includes looking good in your beachwear then you need to put the gym time in now!  We know that body change doesn't happen over night.  You need to work hard now during the spring in order to achieve the body you desire in time for the summer.  Just as the budding flowers and plants will look better after a couple of weeks when they have been able grow, you will look better too in a few months...if you put the work in!

          Spring has sprung!  The winter is over!  Its time to shed those heavier clothes that hid our imperfections so well.  The summer and even lighter clothes are a just a few months away.  Are you ready for the spring?  Will you be ready for the summer?  If you have been keeping up with your fitness resolutions set just a couple of months back you should be.  If you're not ready, what can you do now to get there?  It is not too late; it is never to late to start working on your fitness goals.  Let the warmth and signs of new life reinvigorate you to attain the health, strength and body that you desire!  Spring is a reminder that like a bulb planted in the ground that turns into a beautiful flower, that it is the time of year to find a fit new you!