How are those goals coming along? Are you feeling frustrated that you might not be progressing as quickly as you would like, only to be frustrated when warm weather rolls around? It’s easy to stop trying and go back to old routines, but when the mercury starts climbing, and those goals you set for yourself in January seem not so long ago we begin to ask ourselves, “If only I had started sooner!”
The best way to protect yourself from a regret-filled spring is to set a deadline and start now. Yep, right now. Deadlines are powerful motivators. Without a deadline, you really have no set-point toward which to work. You have nothing to pushing you and we need to be pushed. Deadlines create a sense of urgency. They help you position yourself to succeed, because that final date is always staring back at you. It forces you to prioritize and strategize. Otherwise, you will let things slide, you will keep putting off the workout or healthy food choices, and insisting that tomorrow you will start eating better. Without a deadline, tomorrow never comes. If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get the results you have always gotten. It’s time to do something different. Ask yourself this question: If I keep doing what I am doing right now, will I achieve what I want to achieve? If you answered no, then it’s time for a change. Go get your calendar out and decide when you want to see your first wave of results. Be realistic and make sure you give yourself time to really dig in and see changes happen. But challenge yourself, too — make it a little tough so you can take full advantage of the power of urgency. If you have tried that before, then a deadline may not be enough. Why? Because you may be tempted to move it. Deadlines are not supposed to be moving targets. The best way to prevent deadline-creep is to get competitive. Entering into a competition or contest is a sure way to give you the edge you need to keep yourself on track and finish strong. There is something very motivating about competing with others. Just knowing that your effort and results are going to be measured alongside others really will give you an extra boost in motivation. This is a time when a little peer pressure can be helpful. And you will find that those with whom you are in competition will also be your biggest cheerleaders. They know exactly what you are going through and will be there to encourage you to keep moving. Deadlines and contests form the perfect combination to assist with your health success so put them to work for you. Spring is close enough to give you a push, but still far enough away to ensure that you have enough time to get some serious work done. Plan now to greet spring and warmer weather with no regrets. Want to do this? Join my February Healthy Living Challenge. You do not have to be a training client to join in. Everyone is welcome!
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Happy 2016. The first week of the new year is a time for resetting your mind and body. You have a clean slate to work with. Don’t worry about the past, focus on the now and future.
Last week, I discussed resolutions and refocusing on a smaller more attainable goal that will ebb and flow with your life. Let’s re-assess how your week went. Did your goal seem to fit into your day to day routine or not? If it fit well and you were able to adjust accordingly to life’s challenges then keep up the good work. If not, then let’s go back to the drawing board. What needs to change or be more flexible in order for success to happen? Perhaps this goal is still a good one, but you’re overthinking it and stopping yourself with negative thoughts. Take a moment right now in the middle of this column to stop and jot down on paper, phone, or computer anything that comes to mind, positive and negative. It might even make you feel relieved to have it out of your head. Now that you had a week to test a few things out, you might have come up with a few questions or researched a few topics about fitness, healthy eating, or even purchased a new product or two to assist in this new habit you have committed to. Besides executing the plan you have made for yourself, now what should you do to keep on moving forward. Ask a friend or family member to join you. Support is huge! Having another person to chat with, hang with, and even be active with can be a factor that contributes to success and enjoyment. You are going to have ups and downs, guaranteed. Find someone or a few people that you can use for support. We are not perfect at everything we do the first time. Having a solid base to come to for support during those rough patches can be the difference between quitting and persevering. Start a journal. Do not over think this one. Journaling can provide a great escape, support system, and feedback tool for everybody. You can write whatever you want, maybe it is more emotional, a spot to empty all the to-dos that are stuck up in your head, or a place to write your daily activity and progressions you have made. Use it as a way to start fresh every night, morning, or mid-day. You may be surprised at how useful little changes and additions will become once you start utilizing them. Remember that you are not alone in pursuing a goal. Goals may be different from person to person but with support, reflection, and positive thought you can achieve anything. Congratulations. You survived Christmas weekend and all the craziness that goes along with it. Now I am sure you are starting to think about the new year to come. It is approaching fast. Well, technically it is here.
What would I like to achieve this year? Where would I like to go? How should my life be different this year? So many thoughts and ideas on what I want to achieve in 2016. Time to set a resolution. You might think that it is weird that I encourage people to make a new year’s resolution. Especially since most people fall off the horse within a couple of weeks. However, I choose to promote realistic resolutions. No starvation diet plans or unrealistic leanness goals, please. Making a new commitment is important and healthy as long as you think about it. Think about how to add this new behavior into your “real life”. Your real life can be crazy and hectic at times. Perhaps you have a kid or two to feed, clothe, and interact with, a job to manage during the day, a household to care for and maintain and maybe even some animals, too. Real life is busy and active and just about the time you want to go for a walk another life situation stops you dead in your tracks. Therefore, this new year make a resolution that fits your “real life.” Really take a moment to think about what you want to achieve or how you want to live. It does not have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Truthfully, I discourage those types of resolutions because usually you end up with nothing, not all you desired in the first place. Maybe that fitness goal needs to be a bit more flexible with where it happens or striving for one healthier meal a day instead of an entire week of healthy meals. In order to fit this resolution into your real human life you must be prepared for hurdles. It may not be easy, but if you make a realistic goal, set a plan, and continue to move forward while being flexible great things will happen in 2016. I can feel it. Happy New Year! The same old same old. I tend to gravitate towards the activities that I am good. Why? Because they are easy for me and I enjoy them the most. Strength training and just about any physically active thing outside is what I prefer to do. It is engrained in my head and their is no struggle to complete once or twice in my day. This is healthy right? I am active. I do something every day. Is this enough? Well the answer is yes but no!
As human beings we are creatures of habit. We gravitate towards the same, comfortable activity all the time. Does that mean it is the best thing for us. Absolutely not! It means that you are comfortable with your routine. Maybe that routine is eating a pastry for breakfast everyday. While yes eating breakfast is important, however a pastry item may not be the most nutritious option for daily consumption. If you are looking for health improvements then maybe making a change or adding more variety to your breakfast will assist you in reaching your health goals. Trying something new takes time. Time to adjust your routine and make it second nature. This new routine can really enhance how you feel and act. The same goes for exercise. The same routine you have been doing to 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or maybe even longer might be doing as much harm as it is good and yet you still gravitate towards it. Why? Because it is comfortable and easy. It requires little thought or energy to complete and is part of your routine. I do the exact same thing. It is normal to do this, but lately I have been trying to expand and try new activities. I want to challenge my mind and body. I want to move my body in ways that I have never moved it before. I want to work on my weaknesses versus focusing only on my strengths. I want to add these challenges to my day, month, year, and life all the time. Stepping out of my comfort zone is hard. I am worried that I may not be good enough. I start to compare myself to others. I have to tell myself to stop, breathe, and just focus on me. Focus on my plan, progression, and personal goals all while supporting those around me as well. Over time this new challenging activity starts to become a normal part of my day or week and more familiar. Part of what I do as a trainer is help guide people through this process. You are not alone. I am here to help you as well as other dedicated health practitioners in town. I practice yoga to slow down and focus on each movement and clear my head of negative thoughts and feelings. I trail run/walk instead of road run to get away from the hustle and bustle of the word into the peace and quiet of nature. I also would like to relearn how to cross country ski this winter because it sounds fun and it has been a while since I have done it. Step out of your comfort zone. Sign up for a new class, learn a new exercise to incorporate into your routine, learn a new sport or activity, and better yet invite others to join in with you. There are plenty of opportunities for you. Take a step outside of your comfort zone and explore! I was chatting with my nephews on the phone this week and out of nowhere they asked me, “what do you do all day?” I immediately laughed and asked, “what do you mean?”
“Well, where do you go to work and what do you do at work.” I explained to them that I encourage and motivate people to live a healthier life through healthy eating and exercising. Their response, “so you exercise all day?” Well, I don’t actually exercise all day, however I do have an active job that requires me to lift heavy things and move my body around in various ways. This got me thinking about how much exercise is enough? How much exercise is too much? What types of exercise is best for your particular health fitness goal. These are all questions that clients, friends, and family members ask me. There is not always a simple answer, which is what we all really want to know. Long periods of sedentary behavior (such as sitting at a desk or watching TV), are considered a detriment to our health even if we are active outside of this time. American College of Sports Medicine’s basic recommendations are categorized by cardiorespiratory exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise and neuromotor exercise and are as follows: Cardiorespiratory Exercise:
Resistance Exercise:
Flexibility Exercise:
Neuromotor Exercise:
After reading all this, you may be thinking that this is a lot of information and even a lot of exercise. If you are beginning an exercise routine or trying to incorporate more or a new style of training into your routine. Start small with 10 minutes 2-3 days per week of the activity and build from there every week. Try to keep a journal of your exercise and/or keep track using an app. That way you can track your progress and adjust your program based on what is working or not working. Last of all have fun! Get moving and encourage others to do the same. As I sit here writing this column thinking of a topic to write and browsing through journals for health/fitness topics to bring to you eyes, I spot the word “deskercise.” Yep, exercising at your work desk. We are all aware that inactivity is unhealthy and sitting has become our enemy! Today more than ever we find ourselves sitting in a chair for work, at home on the couch watching a season marathon on neflix, at school watching your kids play sports, and the list goes on and on. You may think that you do not have time for a fitness routine, but let’s change that thought process.. Instead of I don’t have time, say where can I fit in 5-10 minutes of exercise throughout my day. Here are a few examples of where and how to fit it in.
If you have a desk job, sitting at a computer and staring at a screen all day you know that you go a little crazy if you sit there too long without a break. A typical break might include chatting with co-workers, getting something to eat even if you are not actually hungry, or walking to get water. Let’s take this time for you and your mind and body. Setting a timer at your desk is a helpful reminder to take a break and get up out of your chair and move. Here are a few activities and movements that can be completed in under 10 minutes.
Now that we have tackled your work breaks, let’s find a few ways to fit in quick, mini workouts at home or on the go. Think of how great it will be for your kids to see you doing something physical and they may want to join you too.
Habits. We all have our own habits and have learned these habits during our lives. Something new may have been introduced to us and that new thing or behavior satisfied a craving, which made you feel good. When we continue to repeat this new learned behavior over and over it becomes a habit. By now, I am guessing that you have thought of a habit or two that you would like to change.
The real question is, “How do I change a negative habit to a healthier habit.” Being a personal trainer for over 8 years, I immediately think of many people who try every year to make a bunch of new habits all at once, also known as a New Year Resolution. There is a reason why people struggle with following through with a New Year resolution. Trying to change multiple areas of your life all at once is a lot of work, which is why you may succeed for a while but eventually it comes to a crashing halt. Then how? How does change happen? First things first, what habit would you like to change? Write out on paper a specific goal, then write a list of negative behaviors, and finally pick one of them that you would like to focus on changing. Let’s say that my negative habit is eating a sweet dessert after lunch and dinner. The overall goal may be to lose weight, but for now we will focus on the dessert. Now let’s try some new behaviors. You sit down to eat your lunch and afterwards you feel the urge for something sweet. Instead of your normal dessert, try putting a mint in your mouth and immediately get up and move away from where you were eating or go for a quick walk around the block. How did you feel after the new behavior? Did you still crave something sweet? If you felt satisfied with the new behavior continue to repeat this pattern every time you eat or as often as possible. If the newly implemented behavior still leaves you craving for sweet desserts, then try something else. Changing a habit is a learning experience. It takes time for your mind and body to adjust. Sometimes the process is quick and easy while other habits can be more challenging and take a longer commitment. Don’t give up after your first attempt. Find friends, co-workers, or family members that are also looking to make a change and provide each other with encouragement This is the wee, I have been dreaming of for a few years now. Liz Whalen Health Fitness Specialist. LLC is fully open and operational!! I am so excited to provide health, fitness, and wellness offerings to the community of Libby, Montana. My private training studio inside Orthopedic Rehab has turned out just the way I have envisioned and I could not be happier. Stay tuned for special training offers, programs, and events coming soon. Time to Train!!
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This is me, Liz. I am an, instructor, personal trainer, exercise physiologist, dog-mom, loving wife, little sister, coolest-aunt ever, and now blogger living in Libby, Montana.
Welcome to my blog! This blog follows my life and my interests in fitness, adventure, food, and healthy living. The Girls, Katy & Madi, and I. We have spent a lot of time together the past few years. I appreciate them for their quirks and how they love me unconditionally. They help me appreciate the small, simple things in life. Archives
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DiclaimerThis is a personal blog created and maintained by Liz Whalen. My blog posts document my life and sometimes highlight the food I eat and workouts I perform. I do not have professional medical training, nor am I a registered dietician. I am an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, while the content you see on my blog aims to bring you along on my health & wellness journey. The published information may not be right for you and should not be viewed as guidelines in any way. Seek counsel from a medical doctor when looking to incorporate or change your physical activity and/or dietary habits.
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