Daily Goal

     Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I want to help you feel a little less overwhelmed with all that you want to accomplish.  As great as it may seem to want to make lots of changes in your life all at once, it is also very common for vast amounts of changes to lead to greater amounts of failure.  There a number of reasons for this.  So, a better approach to achieving all that you want to accomplish, is to actually start in small increments that will have a cumulative effect.  My recommendation is to put all of your available energy and focus into achieving one daily goal.

     Multitaskers are notorious for thinking that they can accomplish more than they actually can.  Now while they may be able to get a lot done, they may not be doing as good a job at any one task if they were only focusing on just that one thing.  This is where the saying "don't spread yourself too thin" is often used.  You may think you can take on a lot, but it the end, you would have been better off with just focusing on one task at a time.  Even within a single moment it is important to put your attention to what matters most.  This is why you aren't allowed to text and drive...sure you might be able to do it, but you aren't able to do either one as well than when you are doing just the one; you need to focus solely on the driving because that is the most important task at that time.  Making changes in your daily routine to help you achieve your fitness goals might not be the immediate life and death venture that texting and driving is, but it requires just as much focus and attention because it centers around doing something that you normally wouldn't do.

     There is also a psychological component in play here as well.  Our bodies have a physiological response to reward.  And when we accomplish something that we set out to do, it "feels good" not just mental / emotionally, but physically as well due to the chemical response that our brain's trigger when we achieve something.  Although it may seem that there is a higher potential for success if we set up 10 goals to accomplish within a day, the opposite is often the case because we may be trying to achieve too all at once.  Instead, if we set up one goal, that we can put all of our effort and attention towards, it will be easier to achieve, allowing us to get that pleasurable sense from reward.  Furthermore, there tends to be a greater sense of accomplishment going "one-for-one" over missing "nine out-of-ten" even though either way,  you still "made one."  People are funny; most will center their thoughts on what they had missed rather than what they had achieved.  But when we feel accomplished, we are then geared up even more the next day to tackle something new.

     Were you ever in a work situation, where you were asked specifically to do something?  And after that initial task, more and more kept getting added to the list?  Think about how that made you feel.  Think about how each item that got added to the list made you feel not just mental / emotionally, but physically as well.  Very quickly it can become overwhelming.  So don't ask so much of yourself all at once either.  Give yourself a simple goal, a daily one, that is achievable.  One that makes you say "I got this!"  When you are able to focus on that one goal, you are setting yourself up to achieve it.  And that will make it easier to achieve the next one, and everyone one after that if you follow that same plan.

     There are seven days in a week; 365 days in a year.  You can accomplish all of your goals if you make a plan of attack for each one.  Use all of the days in the week, or month, or even year to get you to where you want to go.  Keep in mind that doing them all at once could be overwhelming and result in failure.  Instead, give your undivided attention to one goal today.  You will literally feel much better about yourself and your fitness goals when you accomplish even just that one goal.  Ride that sense of success day-by-day to achieve a fit new you!

Change Harbors Hope

     Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I want to give you a fresh perspective and hope when it comes to facing your fitness goals.  If you have a fitness goal, something you want to change in regards to your health, that means that you understand that there is some aspect of your current state of health that can be improved upon.  Maybe your goal is to lose body fat, or gain muscle strength; these goals are possible because they are aspects of your health that can in fact change.  In other words, what you are seeking to change is inherently changeable.  That means that the baseline that you are at today, doesn't have to be your end result...you are not stuck there!  Inherently, the process of change itself harbors hope!  

     You only have a goal to change because there is the real potential to do so...it is a real possibility!  So don't let yourself become discouraged or overwhelmed with where you are at now.  Have hope!  You have the potential to change!  A change results in something new, something different.  The simple fact that something is changeable implies that things can be different.  And different could be a better state of health and fitness.  The mere potential for change should allow you to understand that your fitness goals are possible, and therefore you can be hopeful that they can be achieved as they are certainly not impossible.

     Take heart knowing that what you seek to improve upon in your current state of fitness is in fact changeable.  Change creates something new!  Have hope in this potential for the change can be a fit new you!

Be Well

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  I know many people have been struggling with the anxiety caused by the current Coronavirus pandemic.  There are so many aspects of it that have affected our daily lives that have caused elevated stress levels to most everyone.  One aspect in particular, is the inability to be as physically active as we once were.  With gyms and even parks shutting down, it has been harder to get regular workouts in, especially at the intensity levels that we were training prior to the pandemic.  This decreased physical activity greatly affects out mental and emotional health.  For one, the lack of physical activity cuts down on the positive physiological response that exercise produces.  Also, many people are now lacking the social interaction they had by going out to the gym and / or park, and / or training with others.  And, there are many people who start to feel bad about the way they look, i.e. body builders feeling they are getting smaller from muscle atrophy, or others feeling that they are gaining fat from not moving as much.  So what I would like to suggest today, to help everyone who is dealing with the anxiety of this situation, is to try and not worry about your physical health as much, but rather, work on your mental health.  The mind-body connection is understood these days, but it is often still underestimated.  But I promise you, one of the best ways, especially right now, to take care of your physical health is by caring for your mental health.

          The first thing that I would like to make you aware of, is that the physical changes that your body has gone through by any recent decrease in physical activity is much less dramatic than you believe.  Missing a few weeks at the gym does not result in a complete body transformation, just like going to the gym for a few weeks doesn't make you a completely new person.  A decrease in muscle mass / strength or an increase in body fat doesn't happen that quickly.  Yes, you want to be as physically active as you can right now, but doing push-ups instead of doing heavy sets of bench press will carry you through during this tumultuous time.  Similarly, as long as you remain as active as you can, you are not going gain a significant amount of body fat by missing out on your regular group fitness classes.  Let me also give you two pieces of hope if a change in appearance is your main stressor.  First, our bodies have muscle memory.  Just because you aren't training as hard as you once were, when everyone is able to resume, you will get back to where you were much faster than it took to get there in the first place.  Second, we are all in this together.  The gyms and parks are closed for most everyone.  So the same way that you can't hit the weights, I can't hit them the same either.  We will get through it!

          The second thing that I want to do today is to give you a tip on how you can stress less.  I know it is easier said than done to tell someone to not worry about something.  And, the point of my blog is to keep you motivated and offer advice.  Therefore I want to give you some of the best advice I have ever received in terms of reducing anxiety.  The biggest stress reducer I have ever encountered is the ability to be grateful.  Gratitude is stress' s kryptonite.  Rather than dwelling on what isn't going well right now, focus on what is.  Here is a tip, complete the phrase "At least..."  I have never been a fan of the saying "It could always be worse."  Because many times, like now with the Coronavirus, we may find out a short time later that it does in fact get worse.  And, if you are in a pretty bad spot, thinking about something negative, like the "worse," doesn't make you feel any better.  On the other hand, I think anyone, even those in dire situations, can find at least one "at least."  For example, "I might not be able to get to the gym, but at least I can still go for a jog around the block."  What I have found personally is that as you find one "at least" it becomes pretty easy to find some more.  And this works here too.  "I might not be able to tear it up in the gym right now, but at least I am not one of the one's suffering with the virus affecting so many."

          Staying motivated to reach your fitness goals was a mental challenge in the pre-Coronavirus world.  Reaching them now, with all of the new roadblocks is even more exacting.  But you can do it, and you will.  We will.  All of us.  Just as it was with any other stumbling block that might have come up in your path, this too can be overcome.  The key is to stay mentally healthy.  Don't let yourself be shook from your goals.  You can still get there, just the path isn't as straight as you once thought.  Stay positive, and you will reach your goals.  Being optimistic, even in these dire times, will keep you strong!  Taking care of your mental health is the sanguine way to reach a fit new you!

The 100 Workout

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  It has been one full week since the New York State government has shut down all gyms to curb the spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as the Coronavirus.  Health-minded people have been trying to get creative with how they can remain active and fit.  And with more and more people being asked to "stay at home" as part of the quarantine process, many have looked for ways in which they can be physically active at home.  So today, I would like to offer one of my gym "tricks" as a workout that you can do at home.  It is a basic workout that I have done many times in the gym before, but it is simple enough to do it at home as well.  All you need to do is pick one exercise that you are able to do, and then do it for 100 repetitions.  

          This workout is efficient if you can pick a movement that is challenging enough that it has to be completed in more than one set, but can also be accomplished in one "mini-workout."  For example, if you choose to do push-ups as your exercise, it isn't necessary to do all 100 reps in just one set, you can break them up into multiple sets, but you should get to the 100 within one dedicated time.  In other words, it isn't as effective to do reps and sets in the morning, and then again in the afternoon, and then finished in the evening.  I find it ideal to start each subsequent set within a 60 second "rest."  The rest period can be increased or decreased depending on your ability, but it should stay consistent from rep numbers 1 through 100.
          One of the great things about this workout is that it is b

are-bones enough that you can do it at home with very limited equipment.  Push-ups, as in the example above, is a great choice for this workout because they require no equipment but can also be modified to increase or decrease their intensity.  For example, for those people who find a "true" push-up too hard, they can be made easier by doing them from your knees.  On the other hand, you can increase the difficulty by narrowing the distance between your hands, or by adding some weight to your back...my son, Maxwell sits on my back while I do these at home.  Like push-ups, squats work especially well, and again, you can modify it from doing a simple body-weight squat, to adding weight through outside resistance such as holding a gallon of water (about 8 pounds) or having your child climb on your back like Max does with me.  Exercise choices are plentiful as long as you have the equipment or can be creative; however, the simpler the movement, the better the choice.  

          The 100 Workout shouldn't just be used at home.  I was originally introduced to it by my good friend, John Buatsi who is an AMAZING personal trainer.  He has referred me to the workout on more than a few occasions over the 20 plus years that I have known him when I was either feeling like I hit a rut in my training and / or just wasn't "feeling it" at the gym.  Choosing the right resistance (and again, body weight can be perfectly suitable) is key to making this simple work out a real muscle burner at just the right time.  But even while stuck at home, it can get the job done!

          Being quarantined at home doesn't mean your fitness goals disappear, and it certainly doesn't excuse you from being physically active.  Don't let trying to find and / or come up with a routine to do at home overwhelm you.  There is enough to worry about these days.  Try this 100 Workout and see how you feel.  If it is too easy, you can creatively come up with a way to add some resistance and / or shorten the rest time between sets.  If it is too hard, you might need a small modification that you can email me for a suggestion.  You don't have to do too much, just get to the 100 reps!  One-by-one the 100 Workout will get you to a fit new you!

Health Triage

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  How crazy is the world that we live in today?  The Coronavirus is at pandemic proportions that rivals plots of a science fiction story.  Here in the United States, the virus has led to increasing closures of schools and businesses.  Just yesterday, the governor of New York ordered all gyms and fitness facilities to be closed.  I happened to be at the gym earlier in the day, training a couple of clients when the news was released.  Many people's reactions were of both surprise and sadness.  Shortly after the news came out, I saw many people trying to make arrangements to how they would continue their regular workouts.  Some were going to meet at public places for outdoor classes.  The gym was going to even offer "curbside" facility access, bringing some equipment out into the parking lot for people to use in this very strange time.  Although I am very impressed with everyone's motivation to stay physically active, and using the thought that continuing to follow a healthy lifestyle will keep everyone healthy, I also am a bit concerned that people are going about things in slightly the wrong way.  One shouldn't put themselves in harm's way to meet their fitness goals.  Sometimes, its better to be prudent, and take a step back and reassess the situation  I do believe your overall health is made better by making daily decisions that include eating well and being physically active.  But there are some things like viruses, that not even the strongest can avoid.

          Please keep in mind that I am by no means saying that people should not remain physically active during this pandemic.  What I am saying is that everyone should assess their own health, and then make a thoughtful decision on how they can maintain their overall health with consideration to the information that has been presented by health agencies.  For example, recent recommendations have centered around social distancing where it has been recommended to keep several feet of personal space between individuals, and not to have gatherings of 10 or more people.  With that in mind, it is probably safer and smarter to go for a walk/jog/ run with one friend (with some space between you) rather than participating in a group class.  Another piece of information is that the virus is spread from hand to mouth and it has been advised to not touch your face.  Heeding this, while the gym was still open, my clients and I were wearing vinyl gloves during the workout.  It was certainly strange, but these are strange times.

          I personally would like to see everyone be as fit as possible.  However in my opinion, fitness comes after you have good general health.  Yes, again, I do believe being fit keeps you healthy, but you need to have a certain level of wellness first.  Think about a professional athlete who suffers an injury...they need to be medically cleared from the injury before they can start a rehab assignment.  That rehab assignment precedes competitive activities.  Or, someone who suffers a major health set-back such as a heart attack needs to undergo significant treatment before continuing with normal day-to-day physical activity.  It is in this way that I think we need to be vigilant with our overall health.   

 
        The Coronavirus is a global health crisis.  Everyone needs to treat it as such so that is stops its spread and those who are affected with it are kept to a minimum.  Please assess your own state of health, and think about the suggestions of health institutions before you embark on physical activity.  If you are able to remain physically active, I suggest you do it with as few people as possible, and would further recommend trying to be physically active at home.  Any one workout is not worth being infected with this virus.  Please be smart and safe.  Being physically active after fully assessing the situation is the prudent way to achieve a fit new you.

Compete Against Yourself

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  No one ever said creating a body change would be easy.  It takes, effort, commitment, dedication, energy and the like.  It also doesn't happen overnight; it takes time to see real change.  With all that is required, your fitness journey is the last place you need outside discouragement.  It is hard enough to stay committed to your goals without the "haters" or anyone for that matter, "throwing shade" your way.  Ironically, the ones who are our biggest critics are usually the ones who are also the most jealous.  But what is even more surprising is that most often our biggest critics are ourselves!  I know for me personally, I can be pretty harsh on myself.  I find it really sad when we knock ourselves as we work on bettering ourselves.  However, I think part of our self-critique comes from being honest with ourselves.  We can be brutally honest because no one knows us better.  No one knows exactly how much energy we have put in except for ourselves.  Because we know both the good and the bad...both the effort that we have given, and where we have had short-comings, we make an ideal competitor for ourselves.  No one is more evenly matched!  So instead of worrying about what anyone else is doing and / or thinks, focus on yourself and push yourself by competing against yourself!

          I've never been a big fan of Crossfit training.  However, I give kudos to any exercise program that motivates people to exercise fanatically.  And I guess something can be said for how fanatical "Crossfitters" become.  I think one of the reasons that people become so zealous about exercise while they do a Crossfit program is because of how achieving your own "personal best" is stressed.  Even though a participant might be part of a group class, the goal is always to work towards hitting a new individual achievement.  The goal is simply to beat what you have done before, not what someone else is doing.  You are competing against yourself, not someone stronger, fitter, younger, or any combination of those.  And that is magnificent because all that really matters is you!  You are your own biggest influence on your health.

          There is a fine line separating seeing what someone else is doing and viewing it as motivational, or discouraging as you compare it to what you have done.  For example, in the gym, it is easy to see someone else lifting heavier weights and formulating an opinion about it.  You can say to yourself "Wow!, I hope I can lift that heavy one day."  Or, you can feel "Wow.  I'm not nearly as strong as that person and never will be, so maybe I should just walk away from these dumbbells."  It happens in the lunch room too.  You can see a co-worker having the most nutritious meal, homemade with all-natural ingredients, and then look down and see your relatively unhealthy meal.  Do you say to yourself "Hmm, their healthy meal looks delicious, I think I would like to try that?" Or, do you wonder why you even tried in the first place?  In either situation, you have to remind yourself that you shouldn't be competing with anyone other than yourself!  Maybe you aren't lifting as heavy as someone else in the gym, but you could certainly be getting stronger than you were.  Maybe you don't have the same time to prep all of your meals, but you can definitely be making healthier nutrition choices each and every day.  Again, the goal is not to be concerned with what other people are or are not doing; the goal is to do better than YOU did yesterday.

          When you had the idea of getting healthier, you thought about what you wanted to look like and / or feel some time down the road.  The thought may have been motivated by what someone else was doing, eating, was wearing or whatever.  But, your thought then turned appropriately to YOU!  Your goals are yours.  Close your eyes, and block everyone else out.  Instead, focus on you, and envision the fitter new you that you are striving to be.  Gyms have mirrors, not windows, because they are meant you to see yourself, not someone else.  To reach your goals, it starts with just doing a healthier thing than you did before.  Help yourself by challenging yourself!  Become your own best competitor.  That doesn't mean bashing yourself if and when you have a set-back.  Just the opposite, it calls your to remind yourself that you are your own best help on your fitness journey.  Challenging yourself is a competitive way to achieve a fit new you!

"Seeing" is Believing

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  As a very spiritual person, I know how important it is for one to believe without seeing first; it is a sign of true faith.  However, when it comes to your health and fitness, envisioning yourself reaching your goals is a great way to both start and help you along your journey.  "Seeing" yourself achieve a goal using a visualization technique will help you believe you can actually get there.  In Chinese medicine there is a similar thought that the Li precedes the Qi, which conceptually means having the notion begets the motion.  By visualizing yourself achieving your goal today, your are much more likely to achieve it in due time!

          Visualization is not a new concept; it is one that has been scientifically proven to improve performance.  It essentially works by calling up a mental image of what you are looking to do, so that you can concentrate on achieving it.  Having the image allows you to "keep your eye on the prize" so to speak.  One visualization technique called mental rehearsal has the person actually "perform" the activity or scene in their head to better prepare for the future.  It is often used by athletes who are rehabilitating and are limited in their physical activities.  With this in mind, pun intended, someone can use visualization to better achieve short-term goals as well as long-term ones.  I often use this in my own workouts with great success when I visualize myself performing a lift before I actually do the set.

          Picturing yourself reaching your goals is a great way to help you attain them.  The more realistic you make that vision, the more likely it is to come true.  Envision what you will look like wearing that dress you are trying to fit into.  Think about the compliments that will be given to you.  See yourself as that leaner, stronger individual and how you will see yourself in the mirror.  A good friend of mine even did this with an actual picture when he taped a photo of a Porsche on the dashboard of his beater car...it reminded him of his goal to own a nicer car every single time he got in his car.

          One can argue that needing to see to believe shows a lack of faith.  Although I can agree in part, I would counter that envisioning something in the future is a show of trust in the process.  Trust is a very large component of faith, and in order to reach your fitness goals the hard work falls solely on you.  So trusting the process and believing you can get there is having faith in yourself.  Think about your goals.  Focus on them.  So much so that you can actually picture yourself getting there.  See yourself as a fit new you!

Tomorrow is a NEW day!

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  No matter what your fitness goals are, the path that leads you there is not always smooth and there are usually bumps along the way.  Achieving them takes work and effort.  The journey is not an easy one for anyone.  However, the key to reaching your goals is to stay the course despite any road blocks that you might encounter along the way.  I know many of you will respond with the thought "Easier said than done!" and I would agree with you.  But the eventual reward is worth the time and energy...and its the reason we have these fitness goals in the first place.

          Regardless of having well-intended goals, ones that result in a better / healthier version of yourself, we often lose sight of our goals if we falter along the way.  Too often a small hiccup, like a missed day at the gym or an overindulgence of a favorite dessert, can completely derail you from achieving your goals.  However, as Winston Churchill once said, "Perfection is the enemy of progress."  In regards to your fitness goals, don't harp on the set backs, but instead, focus on your positive steps and achievements.  Furthermore, don't let one small blow knock you off of your fitness journey.  Keep in mind, that one small bump in the road does not mean the journey is lost.

          No matter what body change you seek...to lose body fat, to gain lean muscle mass, to increase your endurance, to lower your cholesterol...the change does NOT happen overnight, or from any one single session at the gym or meal in front of you.  And just the same, there is no one slip up that brings you all the way back to square one.  So with that in mind, recharge yourself with encouragement knowing that even without being perfect, you can still very well be making progress!

           Here is the best news yet, tomorrow is a new day!  It is your next opportunity to start fresh.  Tomorrow gives you the ability to put your mistakes behind you and start making healthier choices.  Rather than dwelling on a shortcoming, you can take a deep breath, dust yourself off, and start new!  Beating yourself up about a failure doesn't lead to progress.  However, failures can actually be good things if they are something that you learn from.  The day you have a set back, reflect on what went wrong, and then move forward from it the next day.  Put the past behind you and move towards your healthier future!  Regardless of what you have been through today, tomorrow is your next best day to reach a fit new you!

The 10 Commandments

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  As we strive to reach our fitness goals there are some basic things that we know we should be doing, and things that we shouldn't be doing in order to achieve them.  For example, we know that we should be exercising, and not sitting on the couch binge watching the latest episodes of our favorite series.  And we know that we should be making healthy food choices instead of overindulging on some decadent dessert.  In other words, we know that there are "right" things to do, and "wrong" things to do that will affect our level of health and fitness.  In most cases, these things are pretty fundamental and not overly complicated; they are elementary rules that will lead us in the right direction.  These simple rules to follow are like those outlined in the Ten Commandments, which provide the basic moral compass for Christians and Jews to follow.  No matter what religion you follow, you probably are aware of these as they provide the basic foundation for being "good"; things like "thou shall not kill" and "thou shall not steal."  The Ten Commandments are rudimentary and not some overly complicated section of a by-law that has some loophole that needs expert interpretation.  They are rather simplistic but utterly essential.  They are rules that simply must be followed day-in and day-out.  Sure there are many other lessons, guiding principles, and local and federal laws that need to be followed, but if one follows those 10 basic rules, they are probably going to do well in life.  In a similar way, you should have a set of basic guidelines, commandments if you will, that you follow to help you reach your fitness goals.  These rules need to be just as basic, but with the same absolutely have-to follow them importance.  So as you strive to reach a fitter new you, set up a list of a few to several all-important guidelines that you should not waver from.

          Without getting into a full theological lesson and for those who are unfamiliar with the Ten Commandments, the story basically goes that God himself gave Moses a list of 10 tenets, inscribed in stone, that He wanted His people to follow in order to live a worthy life.  Of course, other rules to follow come later, and also get more and more complicated.  But this short list, set in stone, provides the foundation.  They are uncomplicated, and the symbolism of them being set it stone suggests that the are resolute; and through following them, one would be considered spiritually "good."  Without interfering with anyone's spiritual and / or moral character I suggest that you make a similar set of Commandments, essential rules to follow, that will help you lead a fitter and healthier lifestyle.  Your Fitness Commandments can include things like "Thou shall stretch every morning,"  "Thou shall include a serving of vegetables with every meal," and "Thou shall exercise at least X number of times a week."  Make them simplistic enough that you can follow them.  Also, make them salient enough that you need to follow them.  And just as the religious Ten Commandments are believed to be inscribed in stone, put your Fitness Commandments down somewhere tangible to signify their importance.

          Although I suggest that you set up your Fitness Commandments so that you believe them to be absolutes, please do not become so fanatical about them that you feel the need to punish yourself if you break one.  Without imposing on your actual religious beliefs again, let me remind you that we are all human, and from time to time "sin."  I admittedly have used God's name in vain while driving in New York traffic.  The point is to use them as the foundation for what you do and don't do to reach your fitness goals.  These should be the basic, underlying principles to the decisions that you make throughout the day that affect your health and fitness.  For example, one of my personal Fitness Commandments is "Thou shall not use a fast food drive through."  I try my hardest not to frequent them, but occasionally, like while on vacation with my family, there is little other option.  

          Establishing a set of Fitness Commandments causes you to lay the framework for making healthy decisions.  It provides a basic structure to judge your choices against.  In a sense, it gives you a moral footing to base the decisions that affect your health against.  It puts a little more emphasis on why something like exercising regularly is "good" for us.  You don't need to be an extremist...just on the right track.  Setting up a set of Fitness Commandments is a fundamental way to reach a fit new you!

Flip the script

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  It has been a long time since I have made a new post and I apologize for that.  My excuse is that it has been a particularly busy time of year for me being a teacher, and with both of my kids starting new schools.  Even though it is a valid excuse, it is still an excuse.  At the gym, I hear people make excuses plenty of times about why they have fallen off of achieving their fitness goals.  And like my excuse for not posting new material, some are more valid than others.  However, a particular excuse that bothers me more than others is the one that centers around a perceived disability; the key word there being perceived.  It is too often that I find people holding themselves back from reaching a better state of health because of some self-limiting factor.  Sometimes these self-imposed factors are physical, and other times they are mental/emotional.  In either situation, its the person themselves that keeps them from reaching their goal.  There is something there that they feel which holds them back.  It often leads to a downward spiral.  But truth be told, they can probably do much more than they think.  While I can appreciate them finding it difficult to do "much more" when they are already in a negative space, they should realize that simply doing something small will lead to improved health.  The slightest improvement would still be a step in the right direction.  Doing something healthy in the unhealthy is a way that they can flip the script.

          Physical injuries that are relatively benign can often become debilitating if the person suffering from them perceives them to be much more limiting than they actually are.  I have witnessed this in two different scenarios.  The first involves elite athletes who experience pain or something uncomfortable while going through movement.  They become so afraid that they either are already injured, will become injured or make an injury worse that they completely shut down and stop moving all together.  Of course if there is a significant injury, they should seek the proper medical attention including assessment, treatment and rehabilitative measures which often does include rest.  But what I am talking about here is when an athlete becomes "gun shy" to movement because of the mere thought that they will make themselves worse and/or re-injure themselves.  This can manifest as a player who never returns to form even after being cleared from the injury by medical staff.  

          The second physical injury scenario I see is much more prevalent; this is the case of the every-day person who suffers from an injury and then severely limits their physical activity to avoid it happening again.  When you're not a professional athlete, an injury can be costly in both the expense of the treatment and time lost through missing work.  The recovery process can be a true burden.  It is therefore understandable why someone would want to avoid going through it again at all costs, even if their avoidance is excessive.  But the tragedy of this situation is when the injury keeps the person from ever moving again for fear that they will have to go through the same thing all over again.  The person would rather not move at all.

          With both of these scenarios, whether you are the elite athlete or the weekend warrior, the person has to realize that as long as they received adequate medical care, and were cleared for physical activity, that they can be physically active again.  The body does heal.  Often times, because of the care received and the new awareness of the body, the person who suffered the injury is actually healthier than they were before the injury.  Many times they can actually be stronger!  What I would recommend to these people, even while injured is to do something, anything physical that doesn't hurt.  For example, someone who has an upper body injury can go to the gym and do cardio.  Or, even with a muscular injury, there is always some other muscle that can be trained to improve the area that was impacted...after all, physical therapy uses movement and exercise to rehabilitate and injury.  More importantly, after the treatment has been received, and the person is cleared to resume regular activity, that person should remain active.

          The third scenario that I see this take place, and is often the hardest to overcome, is when someone has a mental/emotional hang-up.  The person is relatively physically healthy, but they allow some preconceived, self-deprecating notion to get them from striving to become healthier.  They know exercise is good for them, but they have some thought about themselves that still holds them back.  It is in my opinion one of the worst disabilities because of how it creates a very vicious negative spiral.  The example I have witnessed more than one time is the person who is overweight, and is reluctant to start going to the gym because of their negative self-image.  This person realizes that they need to have a healthy body change, but they are unwilling to do what they need to do to create that change, like getting to the gym.  They say that they will not start going to the gym until they "lose some weight first."  Usually they say the plan is to watch what they are eating, and then eventually starting a training routine.  But that unfortunately doesn't always pan out that way.  Again, what would be a better solution is to start doing some physical activity.  If getting to the gym is simply too overwhelming emotionally, then they should start by going for a regular bike ride, or taking a walk after meals.  The change only comes from change itself.  New movement has to start, and be the start of the change.

          Whether someone suffers from a physical injury or has an emotional issue keeping them from reaching their fitness goals in the grand scheme of things, it needs to be looked at simply as a set-back or a temporary road block that can be overcome.  The situation that you are in is all really just a matter of perspective.  There is that cliche, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right" that attests to this.  Ive never really been a great fan of that saying, but I get its point about having a positive attitude about your current situation.  However, what I feel to be a bit more factual is that whether you think you are injured, or limited from reaching your fitness goals in some way, you are probably in a place where you can be healthier.  A small, simple change that improves your health and puts you on the right track to reaching your fitness goals is all you need to get you going.  Reducing your activity, not moving at all, or waiting to become active is most likely the last thing you could do to be healthier.  You don't have to over do it, but just do it as they say.  Moving is good!  Moving is medicine for the body and soul.  Sitting idle literally gets you nowhere...especially in regards to your fitness goals.  So do what you can, no matter how insignificant it may seem.  Because doing what you can is the movement you need today to help you reach a fit new you!

Choose Your Own Adventure

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  The other day I was having a conversation with one of my clients about setting and reaching fitness goals.  We noted how whether or not we actually meet them comes down to the choices that we ultimately make.  I explained to her what I tell my Jr. High Health Ed. class students, that all of the decisions that we come to, and the choices that we make have some consequence; and some are better or worse than others.  While that might be pretty easy to grasp in itself, what might be a little deeper is that the current state we are in, whatever the predicament and scenario, is a result of all of the choices that we have made in our lives up through to this point.  Yes, some choices have a greater impact than others, but they all contribute to being who and where we are today.  I can also appreciate that sometimes, for some people, the quality and / or quantity of options that are available are more or less numerous than for others.  But, as I said, ultimately we have to make our own choices and these directly affect us.  It reminds me of the Charles R. Swindoll quote "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."  While that can be a bit heavy to absorb, I mention it here because it does apply to you achieving your fitness goals.  Whether you are someone with a "fast metabolism" or someone who has a condition that can make it hard to maintain a healthy body fat percentage, how you handle your own health, such as the food choices that you make, is in your own hands.  Maybe you are some who has a physical disability that may make it harder to be physically active, or are a world class athlete who has suffered and injury and you think your path to your fitness goals is road blocked.  I'm here to tell you that you can still turn it around no matter where you find yourself.  It is up to you to make the choices that will put you on the path to reaching your fitness goals.  Take a look at where you are, think about where you want to go, and make the choices that will help you get there.  It might not happen overnight, but where you are today didn't either, it took all of the choices you've already made to bring you here.

          When I was a kid, one of my favorite types of books to read were the Choose Your Own Adventure fiction books where instead of reading the book from cover to cover as you would with a traditional book, you were allowed to make choices as to how the story played out.  After reading a few pages to get a bit of the story it would give you an option, such as something like "turn to page 87 to get away from the wolves by jumping in the river, or turn to page 91 to climb a tree."  Then, depending on the choice you made the story would continue, such as you chose to jump in the river and now you are heading for a waterfall, turn to page 108 to swim towards shore, or turn to page 111 to ride the rapids to the falls.  The books tried to create a "real" experience for the reader by allowing you to make choices that ultimately dictated where you wound up.  And sometimes those choices had more dire consequences than others.   Again, you can see how this would pertain to all areas of our lives, but keeping your fitness goals in mind, the choices that you make do impact where you eventually wind up just as the stories in these books unfold as you make choice after choice.

 Our lives are obviously more complex than what may occur in a fictitious children's story based on fantasy and ruled by only a couple of choices at a time, but let me give you some examples of how I could see this playing out if your fitness goals were re-imagined as a Choose Your Own Adventure title.  Here are some decisions that I can see you encountering as potential starting plots and follow-up jumping points..  You go to make breakfast and you realize that you are all out of what you were looking forward to eat...do you skip breakfast for the day or do you stop somewhere on your way to work...you decide to stop at a deli on your way in and you are at the counter and have to decide...do you go with the egg whites and turkey on a wholewheat wrap, or do you get a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll.  Here is another, you are exhausted after a rough day at work and you are heading out for the day...do you choose to skip the gym and go straight home, or do you stay true to your fitness goals and get to the gym...you decide to go to the gym but when you get there someone is on your favorite machine...do you decide to goon a different machine until that person gets off, or do you say its not in the cards for me today and turn around and head home.  I am sure you can think of plenty more that may have happened to you even today.

Here is something else to consider, the pages in those books have already been written so the options are finite.  While reading one, your story is dictated by your choices but only to a certain degree.  You can't choose an option that isn't already within the book.  Because of that, you can learn which decisions you should and shouldn't make based on what outcome you are looking for.  If you make a choice to go to one page and you don't like the outcome, you can try the other option.  Read the same book enough and you will know what outcomes are the result of what choices.  And that is basically true with life as well.  How many times have you heard someone with a digestive sensitivity say "I am going to pay for this later" right before they indulge in a food choice they know isn't good for them?  Or think about how you feel waking up when you know you needed to get a good night's sleep but decided to watch just a few more episodes of the show you are binge watching.  I know I am pretty bummed with myself when I make the choice to skip the gym on a day I had the opportunity to get there.  It isn't something new; it is something that we should have learned through previous choices while in the same scenario.  So think about where you are now, and how you got there.  Then think about what choices you can make going forward to get you to the outcome you were hoping for....with those outcomes being achieving your fitness goals.

Some say life is an adventure.  You are tasked with dealing with what comes at you as it does.  However, you can steer your course towards your goals through the choices that you make.  It doesn't have to be overwhelming, just take it one decision at a time.  Think about where you are trying to get to, and what choice would best get you there, or at least in that direction.  Base your decision not only on what you are looking to achieve, but on from what you have learned from previous experiences.  Each decision and choice you make is an opportunity to bring your further along your quest to achieving your fitness goals.  What choice can you make right now that would further get you to your goals?  Start with just that one and see where the journey leads.  Make your subsequent choices with the end prize in mind.  Making healthy choices based on the consequences that they bring is a novel way to reach a fit new you!

Fitness > Fashion

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  I had recently ran into a former training client of mine while leaving the gym the other day.  It was someone that I had not seen in several years and we spent some quick time reminiscing.  After that brief encounter, I continued on my own to think about what the gym was like when that client used to be a member at that facility.  It had me thinking about the exercise and nutrition trends that had come and gone over that time.  Back then, Curves was the popular fitness facility, and nowadays its CrossFit.  And, the nutritional thing-to-do was the Atkins' Diet whereas now people are all about one version or another of the Keto Diet.  I started to think about how frequently new fitness trends come and go.  That in turn got me thinking that this could be a cause of why so many people cannot "stay the course" to reaching their fitness goals.  I find that many people start the endeavor and then fall off at some point.  Maybe it isn't because people are becoming bored with what needs to be done...the routine of it all, but maybe its because there can be a bit of confusion as one trend ends and another one starts.  Could it be that just as someone gets accustomed to the routine that it changes again and then they are left in an odd place?  New trends are good in that they can provide a fresh way of approaching fitness, something new and exciting.  But, when the trend is more of a fad than a lifestyle change, it will no longer be viable as it fizzles out.  Think of it like fashion.  Every season there is a new hip and trendy fashion that all of the magazines are raving about.  It gives designers and consumers new colors and styles to seek out.  However, after a season or two, the "look" becomes dated.  Its even more evident over longer periods of time.  If you were attending a decade-themed party, you would know what was popular during the time period...think about how differently you would dress for a 60's, 70's or 80's themed party.  The fashion doesn't translate from one decade to the next...for the most part at least.  However, there are some articles that have persisted for many years and became staples such as flip flops, little black dresses, blue jeans and a good 'ol, basic pair of Chuck Taylor's.  If you want your health to be timeless, and your fitness journey to not just be a fad, you have to base your routines around staples and go-to's that aren't just fashionable.  Styles may change dramatically, but what the body requires to be healthy does not!

          Fashion is definitely not my specialty.  My own fashion has been described as utilitarian at best.  However, I can certainly appreciate it from afar, and understand its importance.  It certainly has an appeal and creates an attractiveness.  Fitness can have similar beneficial, fresh components as well.  When something new in the fitness industry comes out, it provides an opportunity to draw new people in, and reinvigorates those already in the field.  Although I am not a fan of CrossFit for a number of reasons, I do commend them for their appeal and that it appears that they have helped many people become incredibly motivated to reach new goals and improve their personal bests.  In a different but similar way, Curves provided many who were new-to-exercise at the time an opportunity to get started in a comfortable environment.  And I myself have never been more re-exhilarated to help my clients than after attending my first IDEA fitness convention and learning tons of new things.  So there is certainly something to be said for bringing in fresh new concepts into your fitness quest.  But, without the standards, the fresh concepts can become more fad-like.

          Another reason people would seek out a fresh change to their fitness routines is that they have experienced some change within themselves.  The number one change that we all encounter at some point is aging.  How many times have you had the thought that you cannot still do what you used to do 10, 20 or however many years ago?  Yes, it is inevitable, that we all age and our bodies do break down over time.  Depending on what stage of life you are at, there will be things you wish you can still do that you were able to do while younger.  So you may be or SHOULD be looking for something new to do.  But let me be clear here that there are two sides to this.  First, is yes we do need something fresh as we enter new stages of our lives.  But this is because the fitness goals that we have at different stages require different plans to achieve them.  It is likely that your fitness goals will be different in your 70's as they were while in your 20's.  However, what has not changed and still remains, like those Chuck Taylor sneakers, as the standard is what you would still need to do in order to achieve those goals at that particular age.  What I mean by that is the same things that someone who has one set of goals needs to do at a particular age now, has not changed all that much from what someone of that same age needed to do 10 or 20 years ago.  The same regular exercises and healthy eating would still apply.

          It would be naive to think that fitness doesn't change some amount over time due to a number of organic factors.  Change isn't necessarily a bad thing.  As a Health Ed. teacher, I can tell you that we are very fortunate that we have advances in medicine on a regular basis.  And in terms of the fitness industry we need these advancements as well.  Typically they occur through the implementation of new research and more commonly through the advancements in training equipment.  But just because a new piece of equipment comes out, doesn't necessarily mean that it is needed or even of value.  Sometimes new equipment comes out just as a fad.  The Thigh Master comes to mind here.  There is constantly new things being brought to the fitness market with the hopes that it will catch on and be the next new thing, or even new version of what is already out thee.  Fitness equipment vendors now have multiple pages of offerings for the variety of foam rollers.  While new equipment can be beneficial, you need to ask yourself is it needed or is it excess?  Another great question to ask would be is will this be clutter or convenient.  A smartphone for example is in my opinion a great tool and a necessary innovation.  A smartphone reduces the amount of clutter, in that it eliminates the need for a laptop, camera, CD's, and standalone G.P.S. in your car.  But often times we are marketed things that just create clutter...specialized kitchen tools and appliances are common culprits here, and can be left without.  You can think about gym equipment in the same way.  Yes, some new equipment is great, useful and at the very least allows you to want to try something new at the gym...and there is no better fitness motivator than actually wanting to be active.  But all gyms from decade to decade carry tons of those blue-jean like standards of dumbbells and barbells.  So don't neglect those while you are at the gym!

          Please don't dismiss what I am saying about needing your fitness routines to be less trendy and based more on standards since I am the type of person who is most comfortable in a pair of Levi jeans and t-shirt.  As I have pointed out, a fresh approach to fitness does have its importance.  I just want you to remember that reaching fitness goals is most times easily achieved by simply keeping the standards in mind as with regular exercise and making healthy food choices.  There isn't anything novel about that.  The Law of Thermodynamics representing the balance of calories in and calories out (within reason) is just that, a scientific law because it does not change.  And if you look at current nutritional trends, like the Paleo diet, they are based on what people were eating thousands of years ago...talk about something standing the test of time!  I think of someone on one of these diets is akin  to someone shopping in a vintage store.  Although I always profess that it makes no difference to me what gets you moving, i.e. something new, old, fresh or whatever, as long as it gets you moving, I still routinely defer back to starting simple and sticking with what is tried and true.  You don't have to reinvent the fitness wheel.  You don't have to be doing the latest and greatest fitness trends because the basics do work!  When you feel good, you look good.  And when you look good, you feel good!  That goes for not matter what your fashion sense is.  Heck, dare I say, most of us who are into fitness want to look our best while wearing nothing anyway!  Keeping your fitness routines fresh and hip is certainly fun.  But keeping your routines centered around the standards will never go out of style.  A consistent routine that stands the test of time is the transcendent way to reach a fit new you!

          

How's the Weather?

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  One thing that so many of us do to start our day, and or week, is to watch the weather forecast to see what the weather is "going to do."  We check it not just because we are curious, but because the weather often factors into our plans and we need to know so we can adapt to it.  It could be something simple like wanting to know what the weather is doing so you know if you should carry an umbrella or which coat to wear.  Or, if you are like me who has a job whose work for the day depends on the weather, the weather will dictate what you are able to accomplish for the day.  Believe it or not, but this adaptation to the weather is a skill that we must learn.  If you ever check in an elementary school classroom, you will see that learning about the weather and how to appropriately dress for it is taught because of its simple but profound importance.  Like the "A, B, C's" we all eventually develop this skill of adapting our behavior, whether in choosing the appropriate layers or figuring out what work can be done for that day, to external circumstances.  And this lesson could and should be applied to other areas of our lives...for example with your fitness!  In order to reach the level of fitness that you are striving for, you need a plan.  The plan you develop is going to be set up around many factors, such as your current state of fitness, the amount of time you have, etc.  But it also needs to factor in variables that are beyond your control, like injuries, or things that just happen to "pop up" and steal away your time.  These factors are like the weather; they are things we need to adapt to because they are beyond our control.  Having the ability to adapt to changes, just as you do to the weather, that confront your fitness goals, will give you a disposition as sunny as a warm summer day and allow you to ultimately achieve them!

          Most weather forecasts don't just tell you about the weather for that particular day, they often go into an extended forecast, predicting the weather for at least the full week.  Although the forecast is only a prediction and the meteorologist may be wrong, there is usually enough information there to help you plan for the week.  The forecast isn't a guarantee, but it helps you plan ahead.  For example, people who have plans to travel usually look to and often rely on these extended forecasts for reliable information.  If they see something that might hinder their plans, like and upcoming storm, they might make an adaptation like rescheduling a flight.  This same technique could be used to help you achieve your fitness goals.  Your fitness goals are usually set around some time in the future, not today, just like the extended forecast deals with the end of the week, not today.  And like that forecast, you are not guaranteed the results.  But by looking at what the future may hold, you can plan ahead, and make any necessary changes.  For example, when it comes to eating healthy, it is best to plan your meals for the week ahead of time.  You need to plan for the upcoming days when you go to the market to buy the groceries you will need.  If you don't plan ahead, you can get caught standing in the rain without an umbrella figuratively if you are then limited to a spur of the moment food choice that is less healthy.  Furthermore, if you know in advance that there will be a roadblock in the future, you can adapt for it ahead of time.  Take for example that there are time when I know at the end of the week I will need to be at work for an extended amount of time.  On those days I will pack two meals instead of just the one.  Just like watching the extended weather forecast, knowing what lies in front of you will help you in your planning.

          Extended forecasts are helpful, but they aren't 100% accurate due to deficiencies in technology and just the true nature of weather.  However, daily forecasts are extremely accurate, and the less time into the future you look, the greater the accuracy they have.  Most phone weather apps, will even give you a forecast minute by minute with great certainty.  This is why many people will plan their day around the forecast in the morning.  Almost as essential as having their cup of coffee, is watching the weather report before they leave the house.  If there is a chance of rain, you will make sure to bring an umbrella.  If its going to be a little cool, you might carry an extra layer.  This concept of making an adjustment to your day is so simple it is done almost subconsciously.  But like the elementary school students learning about how to dress for the weather appropriately, it had to be learned at some point.  Starting your day with a plan and the ability to make adjustments to meet your goals the same way that you plan for and adjust to the weather, will have you making great strides towards reaching your goals.  An example, would be due to knowing that you have a meeting late in the day, you bring your gym bag with you so you can go straight to the gym instead of needing to go back home first after work.  The key is to start your day mindful of your goals and what the day might potentially bring.  If there is some knowledge that something might get the way of you achieving them, make the small adjustment necessary to keep you on track just as you would if there was a weather pattern you had to adjust to.

          It is often joked that the beauty of being a television meteorologist, is they have a job that their accuracy doesn't seem to factor into their job security.  It is ironic though in that so many people rely on the weather forecasts in order to function in some form or manner.  But while the forecasts may be lacking, it is our ability to adapt to the weather that saves everyone.  We learn from an early age how to adapt to something out of our control.  And as we mature, we learn to even plan ahead for it.  The same concepts should be applied to achieving your fitness goals.  In the same way that you would use a weather forecast to help you choose particular behaviors, you can plan ahead for the day or week by making the changes that would help keep you moving along.  Weather forecasts, are not perfect, but the better we are at planning for what the weather will be, and more importantly how to adjust to the weather, the more functional we are.  How many people keep an umbrella in their car just in case it rains?  In the same way, if you are trying to reach your fitness goals, you should keep a box of protein bars in your car...just in case you are forced to skip a meal.  With a good amount of certainty we can forecast what we will face in our lives.  But our ability to adapt to what lies ahead is really our strength.  Adapting to what the day brings you will help you reach a fit new you!