My buddy John Baccobo sent me this. I think there are some great take-aways for everybody regardless of your fitness goals. Happy New Year everyone.
You are ready to get healthy for the new year, you join the gym that offers you a great deal, you are pumped and ready to go! Your first few workouts will probably leave you a little sore as your body adapts to the new workouts. Your taste-buds start changing from sugary, processed foods to healthier alternatives that support your health. But what happens after 2 weeks? You generally don't see the results you want, you get bored with the same routine and little by little the momentum you had at the beginning of the year fizzles out faster than a can a soda left in the fridge. Why does this happen? And trust me, it happens each and every year...
3 ways to make your New Years Resolutions work for you
Start with a realistic goal:
Most people that want to either lose weight, get stronger, leaner...whatever it may be, starts with setting a realistic goal. Whether it is to lose 20lbs, lower your blood pressure, run a mile or do 20 pushups, the most effective method to attain a goal is to first identify what you want. Once you have a goal in mind and you are ready to go, be prepared to set out a realistic time frame to achieve your goals. For example: If your goal is to lose 20lbs and keep it off, you have to allow enough time for your body to adapt to the stimulus (workouts, meal plans, etc.).
If you don't see a 20lbs weight loss in the first week or two, don't give up! --If you were driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and planned to make it in 3 hours, but after 3 hours you still have an hour to go, would you just stop and turn around? No! You would keep going to reach your destination. Working out is very similar, if you don't see the results right away don't be discouraged and quit. Take a closer look at what you are currently doing and see what needs to be done to improve your situation.
Get evaluated:
Getting a proper evaluation from a fitness/health professional will help to eliminate the guesswork out of your training program. Don't think that following a workout program written in a magazine is going to get YOU there. Those workout programs, while most are very good and add some variety to your workouts, are written for the general population and not SPECIFICALLY for you. You need to see what is going to work for you and what isn't. One way to accomplish that is through a personal health/fitness evaluation that identifies your workout history, current or past injuries, postural alignment, etc. For example: if your job requires you to sit for more than 3-4 hours a day, then using exercise machines that have you sit down, would NOT be recommended. Each person has unique and specific needs and limitations that must be addressed before just jumping into your workout. Without the personal health/fitness evaluation, there is high probability you could be doing something without proper form, technique and frequency that could put you on the injured list.
Be accountable:
I'm not going to beat around the bush. If you want to improve your health and fitness this year, it requires work and commitment. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Professional athletes, corporate executives, coaches all have one thing in common. They have someone that holds them accountable for what they set out to do. It is human nature to be comfortable. However, your comfort zone is part of the reason why your health and fitness level need to be improved. Working out with a partner, friend, co-worker, personal trainer or group and setting time in your schedule to consistently repeat this action will help keep you accountable for the goals that you have set. Expanding your comfort zone with the help of others that can guide you through the pitfalls that come along the journey to a healthier and leaner you, will help insure you get what you set out to accomplish.
Friends of Ballona Wetlands!
2011 has been an amazing year. As we start to wrap it up, we at SCOA are reflective. The adventures, photos and videos posted on SCOA have been some of the best EVER. It is time to acknowledge some of the awesomeness.
