Working as a fitness professional for over four decades, one of the things that I have learned is if you want to reach a goal you must develop a plan and track your progress.
Every January the popular New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get in shape flood our social media feeds. Every “Fit Fluencer” promotes their products and programs with promises to get followers quick results and ultimately happiness. Money is spent on products, pills and plastic surgery believing if we achieve this “perfect physique” our “perfect life” will soon follow.Although goals of health and happiness are good, deep down, we all know that this approach is not realistic or healthy. By January’s end, 80% of people have lost momentum or forgotten their resolutions altogether.
We live in a time of information overload, fitness included. The paradox of choice can be overwhelming, even paralyzing, and the opposite of what we want – forward movement. We have many options available to us via a variety of boutique specialties and gyms, streaming fitness classes with the world’s best instructors at our fingertips and free training and education via YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. In addition, there are endless apps to keep track of your steps, workouts and nutrition.
Access to tools and information is great, but unfortunately it will not help you reach your goals unless you’re properly nourishing your body, doing the workouts, and tracking your progress. To learn and not to do is not to learn at all. So, it is time to get going and keep track!
In an age of instant gratification, we have become accustomed to meeting our needs with same day food and goods deliveries, and instant information access. This has drastically changed our expectations. Regarding our physical well-being (mobility, flexibility, strength, endurance, cardiovascular health, balance, and a healthy body composition), cut your body a break. Changing behaviors and beginning healthy habits takes time and Behavior Modification strategies can make all the difference between failure and success.
Start by setting small, simple goals to help you build momentum. For example, track your daily steps and aim for increasing them to 10,000 a day. Add a simple 5-minute flexibility routine to complete before bed to aid in better sleep (description/photos below). Re-write your goals first thing each morning in your journal or app of choice and every evening review progress.
If you’re having a hard time keeping your commitment to yourself don’t beat yourself up or give up. Self-sabotage is not the escape route. Contemplate what went wrong, find coping strategies around obstacles, and begin again. Remind yourself why you chose your goal in the first place. Every day is an opportunity to put wellness at the top of your to do list, exactly where it belongs.
Real time, consistency, patience, as well as an emotional connection to our intentions is the way to move forward. “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” -Ancient Greek Physician Herophilus
Evening Stretches:
Knees to Chest – Pull knees to chest one at a time holding shins. Hold 1 minute.
Legs to Ceiling – Extend heels toward the ceiling keeping the ankles flexed to straighten the legs as much as comfortable possible. Hold 1 minute.
Spinal Twist – Knees bent, keeping feet and knees together, drop both knees to the right side, keeping shoulders neutral. Hold 1 minute. Repeat on left side.
Modified Bridge – Knees bent, feet about hip distance apart aligning toes, knees and feet. Arms straight with hands at your sides. Raise hips up toward to ceiling pressing down into shoulders, hands, and feet. Hold 1 minute.
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