Resolution or Revolution?

It's here...a new year.  If you are like many, you probably have made some new year's resolutions.  Are they the same as last year or the year before that?  Maybe it's time to make a different kind of change.  How about starting a "REVOLUTION"??  Look up revolution in the dictionary and you'll find the definition:  a sudden, complete, or marked change in something.  Let's make that "something" be you!!  Refer back to our post last year at this time about setting goals/resolutions.

Shake things up in your life by committing to changes in your lifestyle.  Don't go cold-turkey on everything but take baby steps.  Replace one unhealthy habit/action/food with a healthier version.  Get up off the couch, put away the electronics and get active.  We've all said it before..."I don't have time to workout or go to the gym" yet we spend hours on our smart phones, tablets, and computers.  Refer back to any of our hundreds of blogs about how to exercise and what you can do to activate your day.

Start a revolution in your house by cleaning out heavily processed foods.  Replace soda bottles with water bottles.  Start a revolution in your body by committing to a healthy breakfast every day.  Yes, I said EVERY DAY!  Starting your metabolism off in the right direction in the morning will set the tone for the rest of the day.   It will also help you make better choices.  Get the whole family involved in making better, more nutritious food choices.  Spend a few more nights at home with a healthy, home-cooked meal.

Revolt against high rising health insurance premiums by taking control of your health.  No one else will do it for you so step up and take action.  Check with your health care provider to see if they offer discounts if you participate in healthy activities or join a local health club.  Some employers may even reimburse you for the cost of your membership!!

Revolt against the rising number of diseases such as obesity and heart disease.  Don't become one of the statistics.  It's your life and your body and you only get one life to live.  Make it the best and you (and your family) will reap the benefits.

Take control and start your revolution today!!

Third Place is Not as Bad as You Think

Third place.  What does it mean to you?  Do you automatically think "2nd runner up" or "not as good as first place"?  Today I am challenging your thought process and asking you...where is your third place?  Yes, I said "where".  I'm talking about that place that isn't home (first place) and it isn't work (second place), but it's your "third place".  That place where you go during your "in-between" times of home and work.  About 20 years ago, Ray Oldenburg, PhD, who wrote a book called The Great Good Place, argued that there are a number of attributes that make a third place a third place: It has to be convenient, inviting, serve something, and have some good regulars (which, he says, is actually more important than having a good host).  This third place may be a coffeehouse, barbershop, local drinking establishment, or health club.  So...where is your third place?

If you are interested in making healthy changes in your life, why not make your local gym your third place?  Building healthy habits and interacting with others who are working towards similar goals can be accomplished by spending time in your third place, the gym.  What better way to meet new people who are interested in improving their health.  If you already belong to your local gym/health club, do you consider it to be your third place?  Are you comfortable there?  Does it create a place of pure sociability that not only contributes to your quality of life but also makes life not just bearable but enjoyable? 

We've talked about the importance of health and fitness in virtually every blog. You know that adopting healthy habits can create a better you.  You read our blog and learn about what to do and how to do it.  Have you implemented those habits yet?  Turn to your local health club, whether it's here at PROMATx Health Club or another place in your city, and start implementing your new-found knowledge.  Turn to fitness professionals to help you attain your goals.  Turn to nutrition specialists to help guide you through the mountains of nutrition information.  Turn your local health club into your "third place".  

Are You Sitting and "Weighting" for Your Body to Change?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard some of my training clients say "I work out so hard with you and I eat right...so why is the scale not changing??".  First of all, nutrition is a HUGE component of weight loss and although many people feel they are eating "right", they may still be lacking in well-rounded, nutritious meals/snacks.  Second, which is the focus of today's blog, think about how active you are (or are not) when you are not in the gym working out (with or without a trainer).  Granted you may be busting it during your 30-minute session, 2-3 times per week with your trainer.  However, that is only 60-90 minutes of the 10,080 minutes in the week (roughly 0.6-0.9% of the week).  What are you doing the other approximately 960 minutes in the day when you are awake?  Here's what I am getting at...the average person sits 9.3 hours a day.  So even if you are a competitive athlete doing "two-a-day" workouts, it is still possible to lead a sedentary lifestyle.

It's time to take inventory of your activity levels in a 24-hour period.  When you subtract out time for good, quality sleep, that will leave you with around 14-16 hours.  Granted you may have a job that requires you to sit through most of your work day.  However, unless your job physically requires you to stay tethered to your desk (i.e., call centers), then you still have the opportunity to add activity to your day.  As time evolves, we spend less time moving the muscles in our body.  Our grandparents and great-grandparents lived more physical lives than we do now.  Yes, technology was virtually non-existent when they were growing up, but is there too much technology in your life?  We don't have to use our muscles to open the garage door, to lower a car window, to change the channel on the television, or even get a message to a co-worker down the hall.  Technology has made all of that (and more) easier for us but it is taking away our ability to be physically active.

Once you look at how many hours are left in your day after sleeping, think about how you can make your day more active.  Walk down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail or instant message; stand (and pace) when talking on the phone; hang your laundry outside instead of throwing it in the dryer; bike to work; walk to the store around the corner instead of driving.  Put the computer/tablet/smart phone down and go outside and play with your kids or dog(s).

Burn more calories throughout your day and, in conjunction with a sound nutrition plan and regular exercise, you will see changes in your body.  Don't sit and "weight"...instead stand and lose!  One of the few times you'll hear me say that being a "loser" is a good thing!  Get up and get active.  Your health and your waistline will benefit.