Waiting for the New Year to start your new health and fitness plan? Did you know that approximately 41 percent of individuals make resolutions, and 56 percent of those who make such resolutions are so confident they will be successful that they initiate changes within one month. Unfortunately, only 46 percent actually do succeed in keeping their resolutions at 6 months, and only 19 percent at one year. Not very encouraging for those of you who are thinking about making big changes on January 1. After a season of way too many cookies, candies and holiday parties, its only natural that a vow to lose weight and get fit would follow. Each January, fitness clubs offer deals and promotions to those who want to make good on their resolutions. To those who have been at the gym for the other 11 months of the year, the crowded classes and treadmill lines make the new year a dreaded time. Luckily for gym rats, research says that 60% of gym memberships go unused and attendance is usually back to normal by mid-February. While the news is not encouraging, there is something you can do RIGHT NOW to avoid becoming one of those unsuccessful statistics. Instead of using the Holidays as an excuse to slack on your exercise plan, or eat way too much of everything, I have a better idea. Why not challenge yourself to ‘Stay Strong Through the Holidays’ and resolve to make Jan 1, 2015 a day that you can celebrate the newer, stronger, healthier you. Instead of facing the New Year with regret and dread, you can begin today to make little changes that will add up to BIG results. No more excuses about parties, family get-togethers, treats at the office, and well-meaning gifts of fudge and fruitcakes! Bah Hum-bug to that! Please don’t tell me you’re just “way too busy” during the Holidays to exercise. Seriously, I’ve heard it all, and that’s why I have specialized in teaching my “20 is Plenty” fitness method for many years now, and the results have been nothing more than miraculous! Really, with the right exercise combination, even if you have only 5 minutes a day to spare, you can see BIG changes in your fitness level and shift your metabolism into a more efficient fat-burning machine. Really! So of course you know that all the exercise in the world will not keep you from packing on the pounds if you choose to eat ALL the yummy stuff that crosses your path during the Holidays. But the good news is, if you’re doing the work to rev up your metabolism, building muscle, and staying strong, as long as the bulk of your diet is healthy, whole, nutritious food, then that slice of pumpkin pie and big scoop of mashed potatoes won’t be hanging around until way after the New year. By now, I’m sure you’ve read enough and are ready to say YES to the “Stay Strong Through the Holidays Challenge” so instead of gaining weight, the only thing you’ll gain is a fitter, healthier you. Thursday, November 13, marks 7 weeks until Jan 1. If you prefer you can use Thursday November 20, to make it an even 6 week challenge. But, as I always say, “why wait?” The workouts are appropriate for beginners to advanced. If you already have a workout plan and are in great shape, you might want to add one or two of these to your weekly routine just to give yourself a boost and push your fitness to the next level. Beginners stay at the low number, intermediate somewhere in the middle, and advanced use the top number. Remember that it’s not really the quantity of an exercise, but the quality. Use good form, full range of motion and keep the intensity level as high as possible for your ability. Do the following exercises in order with as little rest as possible. Rest for 1 minute between rounds and repeat from the beginning for the desired number of rounds or for time (5-20 minutes). *JUMPING JACKS / 25-50 *PUSH-UPS / 5-10 (beginners from knees, advanced from toes) *TOTAL BODY EXTENSIONS / 10-20 (from standing position, squat down to touch the floor, quickly thrust up reaching arms overhead and coming up on your toes, repeat with smooth, quick motion) *MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS / 10-20 per side Rest and Repeat As this becomes easier, you’ll want to increase intensity by going faster (more rounds in less time) and gradually building up to the higher number. This is about as basic as you can get, and yet everything you need to build and maintain a high level of fitness throughout the Holiday season. Remember, it’s about making it work for you, ease of access, time efficiency. No equipment necessary, not much space needed. NO EXCUSES! Do this 3-5 times per week and let me know how this Challenge helped your resolve to “Stay Strong Through the Holidays!” Your Trainer
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 19:32:57 +0000
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