End of the Year Fitness

End of Year Fitness

Before the New Years Resolutions!

By: Susan Gazerro

You don’t have to wait until the new year to start on your fitness journey. Every day is a new day, a new beginning. We seem to start the new year with our new fitness goals. Everything from eating healthier, losing 10lbs, ge ing six pack abs, ge ing in be er shape, becoming our best, etc. When those fitness goals are based on long-term ideas of how we want to look rather than short-term goals on how we want to feel, those goals become una ainable, and the next thing you know you feel let down, disappointed, and like a failure. Focus on what you can do as opposed to how you want to look. Don’t think long term. ink about now, today! What are you physically able to do and build on that every day going forward. For example, if you want to start running, do ¼ mile on your first day then add to it everyday until you reach a mile. Build from there and when you focus on what you can do, as you’re doing it, you will see physical changes in your body. Here are some tips to follow and help you stick with your goals.

Try a new workout every month. You don’t want to do the same thing over and over. is not only leads to boredom, it will also lead you to a plateau. Your body will start changing but it will eventually hit a wall. To keep seeing changes you must change what you do. Again, this will also keep you from becoming bored. You must also continue to challenge yourself. Add weights or heavier weights. Add a new cardio regime, etc.

Add Stretching to your routine.

Stretching is one of the best things we can do to help strengthen our muscles, avoid injuries, and even relieve tension (both physically and mentally!), Try taking a yoga class. If yoga is not for you, look up some basic stretches and add them in the morning and/or at night but try to always make them part of your workout. You want your muscles to be warm and flexible. Stretching is also great exercise for the mind.

ink about your form.

If you don’t have the correct form you could cause injury or long term damage. e correct form also helps you maximize a workout by using your energy for the extra push. Knowing exactly how to perfect your form (no ma er

what type of workout it is) is crucial for properly protecting your body, strengthening your muscles, and keeping your body healthy. Ask a trainer if you are not sure how the form should look or today everything can be found on YouTube or on google. If you are taking a class, ask the instructor if you are not sure.

is next tip is one I repeat over and over. Walk whenever you can. Walk instead of drive. Park far away at the market or mall and walk. Walking is a “taken for granted” exercise. We can do more than we think and it’s free! My last article I talked about holiday shopping and ge ing your steps in. If you are at the mall, start on the lower level then take the stairs to the upper level, go to a store there then take the stairs back to the lower level to another store. Do this until your shopping is done. Make several trips to your car to drop the bags o . If you are at the supermarket, push the carriage up each aisle. If you are si ing around at lunch or a er dinner, put your walking shoes on and head out. ere are so many opportunities to walk. Just do it. Remind yourself why you are doing this.

Remind yourself daily that you are doing this not only to look be er but to feel be er, be healthy and live longer. Do not think of working out as a chore. ink how good and accomplished you are going to feel when it’s over. ink about the energy you will have for the day. Take a moment every day to compliment yourself and write down a change you are seeing whether physical or mental.

Here are some extra tips:

Drink more water.

Get seven to nine hours of sleep every night.

Move more. Live less sedentary.

Schedule your workouts on your calendar just as you would a doctor appointment. “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”

“Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle”

“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself”

You have control. Get up and change your life/ lifestyle if you are not happy.

It’s YOUR life no one else’s.