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!

Make Today the Day

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  I'm sure I am not the first to do so, but let me wish you a very Happy New Year!  This is it!  This is the time that most people decide to make a resolution to become the fitter, healthier, overall better versions of themselves.  While some may say that it could be looked at as a rather arbitrary time to start on your fitness goals, it is pretty obvious why so many people start as of today.  For example, if you had watched any of the New Year's festivities that took place at New York's Time Square you would have easily seen that Planet Fitness makes their brand quite visible.  Also, plenty of gyms offer discounts for signing up for memberships and / or training sessions, making it an easier time to get started on your fitness quest.  It is also during this time that so much advice is given out on how to meet these goals; so here I am doing that as well.  For those of you who read this blog regularly, you know that I like people to make small changes, that can be maintained over the long haul.  Small changes are ones that are most likely to be adopted into regular, healthier habits.  I find people try to the start the New Year with too many goals, too lofty fitness goals, or very likely a combination of the two.  I have no problem with anyone wanting to shoot for the moon, as long as you know and can appreciate that you are however starting at sea level and have some benchmark heights along the way that need to be reached first.  I say this because many people often fail at maintaining their resolutions because they become overwhelmed rather than motivated by them.  And believe it or not, but a good majority of the time this failure starts right out of the gate.  A lot of people have New Year's Day itself off of work and are still wrangling with the idea of returning from the holidays.  This could lead to you already missing your start date of Jan. 1 if you haven't quite started on your goals.  Maybe you have the idea that you will start as of next Monday, the 7th, which is already a week into this New Year.  That is ok, if that is something that you will stick to.  But, I rather you make today the day to start.  Whether you are reading this late on Jan. 1st, Wednesday January 2nd, or whatever day you ultimately find this, stop what you are doing and make this the day you start working towards a fitter new you!

          Again, I understand that starting out the New Year with resolutions is something that so many of us do.  But, think about your own resolutions...are any of them similar to those that you made last year or even other previous years?  Are you making the same resolutions again because you had failed at them and long forgot about them before the winter was through?  Or, are you building on what you had achieved from last year's resolutions?  Although I am asking that as a fairly loaded question, because I believe most people make resolutions and then break them, I am sure that there is some bit of positive that you can build off of from what you wanted to achieve last year.  Maybe you far surpassed your fitness goals from last year and now you have motivation to accomplish even more in 2019.  Or it could be possible that although you didn't fully reach your goals, you were able to recognize where you didn't do so well and more importantly what you need to do in order to do better.  Even if you want to plead the fifth about how you progressed at those resolutions of old, you can still use today as your starting point.  There is a saying in alternative medicine "The Li proceeds the Qi," meaning that the intent of the treatment is just as important as the treatment itself.  This relates to achieving your fitness goals as well, in that you need to have the intention of starting on them before you can accomplish them.  So no matter where you are on the success chart from last year, or where you are starting from here at the beginning of 2019, make today the day you start on your goals, simply by dedicating yourself to achieving them.

          I can bet that many of the people who want to be healthier (those especially who don't read this blog) will fail within the first two weeks because they don't even know how to start.  Like I mentioned before, many people want to start the year off strong but either from being hung over from a New Year's Eve party and/or are still coming off of the holidays, don't act on their fitness goals on Jan. 1st.  Then with the 2nd being in the middle of the week, they put off staring on them until the weekend.  But then the weekend comes along and they're too tired from just having gone back to work for a couple of days.  Before you know it its Monday, and practically already a week into the new year.  For many of those who haven't started on their resolutions to be healthier by now, they are already willing to throw in the towel because of a sense of failure.  But it isn't too late!  You can still start today!

          One of the common things I find with people who do a great job at achieving their goals is that they never become overwhelmed by them.  They never let what should be motivational, become the thing that holds them down.  And I have said before, the easiest way is to reach your goals is to keep them small and achievable.  Make your "Day One" something as simple as putting your goals into words.  For example, you can make your goals public on social media and / or on a post it note on your fridge or calendar.  Or, you can start by doing some simple physical activity like performing just one set of push ups to get a baseline of where you are starting from.  Another great way to get started is by "ending" something else.  For example, you can use today to remove all of the sweets and snacks left over from the holidays.  Usher them out just as we did to 2018.  Starting small can be even as simple as stating to yourself what you want to achieve this year.  Take one of these small steps, or something of the kind to get you going today.  Then use the rest of the year to improve and build upon that first step.

          It doesn't matter today how you feel about your fitness goals from last year.  If you achieved them, fantastic!  Now you know you can accomplish your goals, so build upon them and reach even higher heights!  But even if you didn't, you should try to recognize where your shortcomings were and how you can improve during this calendar year.  You're certainly not expected to reach them today, but even simply being positive about the possibility of reaching your fitness goals is a great starting point towards achieving them.  Start small, but start today in any way possible.  How many clichés have your heard that go something like "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"?  I am here to help you reach your fitness goals, but you need to take that first step on your own volition.  Don't wait for a more opportune time.  Carpe diem!  Making today the day you set out on achieving your fitness goals is the motivating way to reach a fit new you!

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  As we are now a good ways into the holiday season, it becomes obvious that an unfortunate focus (especially for those of us here in the States) tends towards holiday spending instead of reflecting on the true "reason for the season."  But with that deeper subject aside, we all know that this time of year brings a lot of spending.  And having already passed Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it makes me think about what we spend our money on.  I do believe there are times when we buy things simply for the sake of obtaining things; there are times when we purchase things for the wrong reasons.  However, I believe that most of the times when we spend money that it is on things that we truly value.  This is why we call it investing.  Furthermore, when we are investing our money wisely, we usually have the goal of gaining some sort of return on it.  So as you continue your holiday spending, I think you should consider investing a little bit of your budget on yourself and your health.  Treating yourself to something that will help you achieve your fitness goals shouldn't be looked at as a selfish act, rather it should be looked at as an investment in your health.

          On "Day Three" of their book, The Love Dare, authors Stephen and Alex Kendrick express the value which we place on things that we spend our money on.  They say, "Whatever you put your time, energy, and money into will become important to you.  It's hard to care for something you are not investing in."  While they referring to what could help you restore a relationship, I believe this also pertains to your health.  I would like to restate their sentiment in regards to your vitality...It is hard to not care for something that you are investing in.  Although I am usually against the idea of feeling like you need to spend money in order to achieve health (because that isn't 100% true), I am in favor of you taking whatever steps are necessary to get you on the path to a healthier, fitter new you.  And a good part of that is placing value on your own health and even more so developing value for being healthy.  So, just as the Kendricks suggest with restoring a relationship, investing some money into your own health can have long term dividends.

          The key to making any investment pay off is to invest wisely.  Rather than just "throwing your money at something" and hoping that you will get a return, it is better to do a bit of research into what will lead to the best value.  It is unfortunate that sometimes we learn the hard way that sometimes finding the best deal isn't the greatest in the long run, but that you often "get what you pay for."  This is why when people buy the "latest and greatest" piece of cardio equipment from a television infomercial I usually roll my eyes.  Those are the types of investments that usually over the long term become glorified clothes hangers.  But even if that purchase allows you to start towards your fitness goals, then you can consider it a worthy investment.  I just believe that a better investment would be in a gym membership and/or sessions with a qualified personal trainer and/or nutritionist.  These types of purchases can help you with both your short and long term fitness goals.

          If you spend some money on fresh fitness apparel, a new piece of exercise equipment for home, or best yet, a gym membership and/or sessions with a personal trainer and/or nutritionist you are very likely to want to get something out of it.  There is a high likelihood that you will want to see a return on your investment, so there is a great chance you will actually use these things.  The best part of this is that the investment is not actually on the items, but in your own health and fitness.  Because you are looking for value on what you have spent your money on, you will in turn develop a value for these things that will help you reach your fitness goals.  Although you don't necessarily need to spend a significant amount of money to get in shape, putting money into these things allows you to want to get something out of your expenditures and therefore will have you act on it.  Putting your money where your mouth is by investing in your own health is a valuable way to achieve a fit new you!
         

Two Steps Forward

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  As we come out of our "turkey coma" here in the States, and most likely regret the amount of pie and desserts we consumed on Thanksgiving, there can be a tendency to become discouraged about reaching your fitness goals due to a sense of failure from consuming too many calories.  Many people in the Northern hemisphere should appreciate that the "holiday season", where many tend to over indulge as part of many feasts and celebrations, occurs during our winter when we can hide the extra calories under many layers of clothes....those of you in the Southern hemisphere probably stress about the extra holiday calories a bit more being that it is your summer.  But in either case, I hope that all of you do enjoy the holidays and do so with an abundance of joy rather than with stress and / or regret.  I want you to understand that it is "o.k." to celebrate, and that all of the hard work you put in all year hasn't gone to waste.  In fact, if there is any point in the year where you have "fallen off" of your fitness goals, or have a "cheat day" here and there know that you can overcome it and you should not let it derail you from ultimately reaching your fitness goals...that is as along as you realize it is only a minor set back and get back to it.  This is because as long as you continue to progress, any way you look at it, two steps forward and one step back is still movement in the right direction!

          This time of year can be particularly harrowing for those who are trying to improve their body composition when they are faced with many potential, nutritional road blocks that come from holiday parties and gatherings.  In situations that are supposed to be celebrated with joy there can be a tendency to have stress and regrets.  Unfortunately, many people disregard what they need to do in order to achieve their fitness goals early on in the holiday season, essentially giving up for at least a month or two until the holidays are over.  They rather take a hiatus from doing what they need to reach their goals so that they can enjoy the holidays relatively guilt free.  After taking a step back, by consuming too many calories early into the holiday season, many people will throw in the towel.  To avoid this failure, understand that the step back can be countered by two steps forward.  Even though you might thoroughly enjoy yourself at a party during the weekend, you have plenty of days left in the week to get the momentum going back in the direction of your goals.  Waiting until the New Year could be your start, but it will be much easier to reach your goals if for every "step back" you take you counter it with steps in the right direction by still continuing as soon as you can with your workouts.

          The holidays are only a small portion of the year, and set backs can occur at anytime.  Injuries for example, are a common step back that people often go through.  While an injury could be particularly devastating to a professional and / or competitive athlete, how they recover (pun intended) from the injury is usually a true testament to their mettle.  While injuries do keep you from performing as well as you may want, they often provide the rest and recovery that allows for increased performance following the injury.  Suffering an injury is certainly a step back, but the time spent resting and / or rehabbing allows your muscles to repair and strengthen.  There is a great potential to perform better following the injury, even at times as a result of it!

          Do not let a short-term set back keep your from achieving your long-term goals.  Trust me when I tell you that the emotional toll is far worse than the physical toll when facing a bump in the road to your goals from things like overindulging during the holidays, or when faced with an injury.  The guilt and disappointment you may feel is far worse than the actual physical detriment your body has to contend with.  As long as you keep the perspective that the step you take back can be overcome by the same hard work you have put in all year, you will be heading in the right direction sooner than your realize.  Even a rather negative event, such as an injury, can allow for positive growth in that you have the opportunity to recover to an even healthier state than you were before.  And joyous occasions should be celebrated rather than met with stress and guilt.  Just realize that although speed bumps are things that we encounter to slow us down, they are only a small part of the road that we quickly put into our rear views.  Continuing to move towards our goals after a small set back is the progressive way to reach a fit new you!

         

Be Grateful - revisited for Thanksgiving

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to inspire you to keep up with your fitness goals with a reminder...to be grateful for what you have.  While I can tell you many things that one should be grateful for, which often get overlooked or taken for granted, in my little space here, I will remind you to be grateful for your health.  If you are doing something today to point your diet and/or exercise routine towards healthy goals, even if its simply thinking about those goals, than you are in a place that you should be grateful for.  In life, it is often said that "everything is relative."  And, that saying can pertain to so many things.  If you are ever discouraged about anything, you can usually find a silver lining if you look hard enough, or some reason to be grateful.  The same is true for your health.  Although you have a fitness goal that you haven't reached yet, maybe it is a body weight you want to be at, a dress size you want to fit in, or an amount of weight you want to make your new personal best, you have to still be grateful for the health that you have today.  This is because you never know when your health may take a turn for the worse.  I have seen many people and clients who had only started to live a more healthy lifestyle after a health scare.  Lets avoid the tragedy needed to sometimes learn a lesson.  Lets be grateful for the health we have today!

     Jason is someone who comes into the gym on a regular basis...these days.  He is in his sixties now, and after he suffered a heart attack when he was 45 years old.  Before the heart attack he didn't exercise regularly, and just as bad, he smoked cigarettes and drank hard liquor regularly.  It wasn't until this life threatening event that he decided he needed to make some major changes in his lifestyle.  Immediately after leaving the hospital, and being thankful to be alive, he gave up tobacco products, cut down his alcohol consumption, and started exercising everyday.  He knew he was lucky to be alive, and grateful for that second chance at maintaining his health.

has been on an exercise routine for the last twenty years.  Unfortunately, he wasn't very active prior to that, and even more unfortunate than that was that he only started taking care of his health
     JT is a client of mine who had a similar lesson of taking his health for granted.  JT is in his seventies, and is pretty active for his age, regularly playing golf and tennis in the warmer months, and hitting the gym in the colder months.  JT was always very active and a self proclaimed "jock" from a very early age.  Its this continued active lifestyle that many people need to follow.  But JT had a freak accident where one of his retinas partially tore.  Unlike Jason, JT's mishap was completely unavoidable.  But, along the same lines, it wasn't until his vision was severely diminished that he fully appreciated how healthy he was before this accident...even if he had the regular aches and pains of someone his age, or any weekend warrior for that matter.  And as his vision improved, his spirits picked up more and more because he was able to play tennis again, where immediately after the injury he was told there was a chance he never would.

     As I said earlier, don't wait for a tragedy to happen for you to appreciate the level of health you have today.  Yes, we are all striving to achieve a better state of health; and yes, we all have fitness goals that we want to achieve.  That's fantastic, and I am sure a good part of that is what got you to your current state of health that you are in now.  And even though you can and should work towards your goals, and an even healthier state of living, its important to acknowledge and appreciate that health you have today.  And when you do, this value of your own health should fuel you to keep moving towards your health goals.  Its a positive cycle.

     We are often to busy, too concerned with what we haven't achieved, what we still need to do, and the flaws that make us all human.  But we all have some level of health that shouldn't be taken for granted.  We all should be very grateful for the level of health we currently have.  As we age, we all now that its harder and harder to stay healthy.  So by being grateful of the health you have today, no matter how much further you want to take it, let that value of your health motivate you to do everything you can to stay that healthy and more importantly reach your health and fitness goals.  Reflecting on the goodness of your current state of health is an introspective way to reach a fit new you!