So here we are, nearing six weeks into the New Year. How
are those fitness resolutions going? Diets? Are we still sticking to our
promises, or have we fallen prey to the normal, the routine, and the ordinary?
If you’ve stood true against your New Year resolution, hey! Great job! If you
haven’t, well now, don’t think all is lost and you have to wait for the
calendar to roll over once again.
Many people have this misconstrued idea that beginning a
health program means waiting until Monday, finishing off all of the bad food in
the house- you know, just so it’s all out of the pantry and doesn’t go to
waste- or in quarterly increments. As a personal trainer, I believe I have
heard them all. Oh my.
The problem is this: Day One doesn’t have to be a Monday.
Or January 1st. Or three months before bikini season. Day One can be
a Wednesday at 1 pm. Or a Saturday night at 9!
And we certainly don’t need to ingest five thousand
calories of Hershey’s chocolate just to get it out of the house! Truly, that is
a severe case of “cutting off your nose to spite your face!” Just. Stop.
Seriously. Now.
All it takes to begin anew is to look in the mirror and
say “today I will be better than I was yesterday.”
That’s it.
Well, okay, that’s not it. That’s mostly it.
Many of my clients would come to me and say how hard it
was to start exercising AND dieting at the same time. It’s too much. And I
agree with them. The word “diet” conjures all sorts of negative images in our
minds, and it may be the one word that sabotages itself. I prefer “healthier
eating” instead.
Start off by making small choices: Italian dressing over
French, eggs for breakfast instead of cereal, water instead of soda, or black
coffee instead of adding creamer. Then gradually replace other items in your
life, like parking further away from your building at work and walking farther,
or penciling in twenty minutes to use the treadmill at the gym. Those little
changes add up, and then you may see yourself hungering for bigger changes. Besides,
no one ever woke up after the Super Bowl, said “I’m climbing Everest at noon,”
and did so successfully. Ever. Baby steps.
Incorporate the Myer Fitness Center (or McNair Fitness
Center, your call) into your activity plans! After all, that’s why we’re here.
Like to dance? Try Zumba on most days of the week (times vary, call
703.696.7868 for times). Is biking more your speed? Monday’s and Wednesdays at
1700 you can mount up for Spin! (again, call and confirm dates and times!) We
have Yoga and senior classes available too!
If classes aren’t your dream come true, why not lock in
time with one of our personal trainers to get your workout on the right path?
Seriously, when I started out I hired a trainer because I (and I quote) “just
want to be a robot, you tell me what to do.” Not knowing my way around the gym
was a little intimidating, plus I didn’t know how to make my body look like
what I wanted. For me? Hiring a trainer was so very worth it, and taught me how
to help other people later on.
Oh yeah, and summer is approaching. Don’t fear swimsuit
season, embrace it. Add swimming laps to your summer routine and you’ll see
even more positive changes. I guarantee it. Plus, the kids love the pool anyway,
and treading water while playing with kids burns more calories than you’d
expect. Multitasking at its finest!
If we treated every day like “Day One,” filled with the
enthusiasm and confidence we throw ourselves into at the beginning of any new
project or idea, just imagine the success rates that would occur. It would be
monumental.
But let’s face it: we’re not all going to look like
Julian Michaels or Bob Harper. And moms, let’s all accept we probably won’t fit
back into our pre-pregnancy high school jeans. But let’s also not be so hard on
ourselves and declare the battle of the bulge lost. It’s not lost. It just
takes a few baby steps into commitment to your future self to begin those small
changes now.
So now what? you may be asking. Just to send you in the
right direction, we’re giving you the link to the hottest fitness apps of 2015.
We could all use a little help along our path to a healthier lifestyle, so feel
free to peruse these and see if any tickle your fancy. With all of the
technology available today, we are lucky to have assistance right at our
fingertips!
YouTube of Zumba: https://www.youtube.com/user/lovezumba
YouTube of Spin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hl1WAGKjMc
And P.S. If you happen to feel yourself begin to slide
off the track once again, just look in the mirror, regroup, and tell yourself
tomorrow is a new day! Another “Day One!” The finisher of every 26.1 mile
marathon started with a single step. And a few days of only running one mile. And
probably more than one set-back, start over, or slip-up in the diet.
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