2012 fitness resolutions tips

While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it’s easy to get caught up in them without really taking them seriously. We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I’m afraid, are not immune. However, especially for promises that include improving our health it’s in our best interest to not take them lightly. So, what’s the secret to successful resolutions? While you can’t wave a magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to take to make it easier to fulfil your promise to yourself.

Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to look like a super model is not realistic for the majority of us, but promising to include daily physical activity in our lives is very possible.

Avoid choosing a resolution that you’ve been unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will only set you up for failure, frustration and disappointment. If you are still tempted to make a promise that you’ve made before, then try altering it. For example, instead of stating that you are going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to eat healthier and increase your weekly exercise.

Create a game plan. At the beginning of January, write a comprehensive plan. All successful businesses start with a business plan that describes their mission and specifics on how they will achieve it. Write your own personal plan and you’ll be more likely to succeed as well.

Break it down and make it less intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal, dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller goals to achieve throughout the year that will help you to reach the ultimate goal. Then even if you aren’t able to reach your final goal, you will have many smaller, but still significant, achievements along the way. For example, if your goal is to complete a 10K race, your smaller goals could be running a 5K in less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body strength training to increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles with a personal best completion time.

Ask friends and family members to help you so you have someone to be accountable to. Just be sure to set limits so that this doesn’t backfire and become more irritating than helpful. For example, if you resolve to be more positive ask them to gently remind you when you start talking negatively.

Reward yourself with each milestone. If you’ve stuck with your resolution for 2 months, treat yourself to something special. But, be careful of your reward type. If you’ve lost 5 pounds, don’t give yourself a piece of cake as an award. Instead, treat yourself to a something non-food related, like a professional massage.

Don’t go it alone! Get professional assistance. Everyone needs help and sometimes a friend just isn’t enough. Sometimes you need the help of a trained professional. Don’t feel that seeking help is a way of copping out. Especially when it comes to fitness, research studies have shown that assistance from a fitness professional greatly improves peoples success rate.

Limit your number of promises. You’ll spread yourself too thin trying to make multiple changes in your life. This will just lead to failure of all of the resolutions.

On average only about 20% of us keep our New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness resolutions. But don’t let the statistics get you down. By following the tips above you’ll be better equipped to fall into the successful 20% category.

Please don’t hesitate to ask one of the PT’s here for help kickstarting your new year.

Ski fit ready program by Jonathan

Skiing is a great and exciting hobby to have. However a week away skiing can often end in sore limbs and bruised bottoms. Skiing involves muscles you never knew you had. If you are planning on skiing this winter, our personal trainers have the means to prepare your body for the demands of skiing.  It a good idea to start this programme as soon as you can because you can’t practice skiing before you’re on the snow, not only that many of us ski only a few times a year, so we don’t have enough consistency to keep our bodies conditioned for it.

Get your body ready with this ski fit ready program by Jonathan.

Start on the x-trainer using the x-train aerobics program; choose the level that you like to work with for 10-20 min.

Next squats 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps

Lunges 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps

Chin up 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps

Dips 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps

Wobble board squats 2 sets of 8-20 reps

Gym ball wall squats and static hold 2 sets of 8-20 reps

Gym ball crunches

Floor crunches

Row machine or stepper for 10-30 min at moderate intensity

Finish with a good long stretch session.

Lets hit the slopes!