Conway Sax, a has-been race driver cum auto-mechanic, curses as he wrestles a rotted 30-pound muffler from a Nissan Maxima. Just then a woman, a beautiful woman with whom he has a tumultuous past, saunters into his auto-repair shop causing him to drop the muffler on his foot. He curses some more, she takes his face in her hands, his girlfriend walks in–things unravel from there. So begins a meeting that sets in motion a snarly web of campaign secrets, illegitimate babies, blackmail and murder that make up Steve Ulfelder’s second of three novels, “The Whole Lie,” a tale the Richmond Times-Dispatch calls “a work of hardcore crime-fiction art.”
You may have noticed a preponderance of “30 Day Challenge” postings in your social media of late. It’s one of those trends that’s been slowly gathering steam over the past few years and suddenly seems to have exploded into the interweb zeitgeist. Some trends can be fleeting and silly, but the good ones stick when people find value in them.
“Thirty days is enough to get started in the right way, to begin to understand what makes change easier and most importantly, how to stay on the right track,” says Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of “The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier.”
For people thinking about fitness, the 30 Day Challenge concept has merit for beginners and experts alike. The idea is to pick an exercise or a small series of exercises and repeat them daily, gradually increasing reps throughout the 30 days with periodic rest days, building toward a goal on day 30 that is significantly greater than the starting point. It’s perfect for beginners because the starting number of reps and duration is very manageable and not terribly time consuming; most people can bang out fifty squats on a commercial break. Such a challenge is also worthwhile for those with more advanced fitness goals as a way to boost the benefits of an existing routine. The idea that you can make a gradual but significant change or achieve something in as short as 30 days is appealing in our world of instant gratification and often inspires greater challenges to follow.
Mike Eaton
Fitness Together trainer Mike Eaton has spent the last year rehabilitating a severe arm and shoulder injury and knows the value of baby steps; it takes patience and perseverance to claw your way through the tiny achievements of those painful post-surgery PT sessions. It takes still more discipline to fully reclaim your pre-injury fitness, flexibility and strength. As a Fitness Together trainer, Mike sees the value of accountability not just for himself but with his clients every day because they identify the accountability component of their appointments as the key to their fitness success. For Mike, building accountability into his own routine by adding a 30 Day Challenge gave him a “no excuses mentality” and kept him on task.
Toward that end, he designed a grueling 30 Day Challenge for himself. “I had to do at least 100 chest-to-floor burpees, 200 squats, and 200 double-unders (where) the jump-rope passes under you twice instead of once.” (See video box above). For added discipline, Mike decided that the workout had to be completed in one structured session, not in piecemeal throughout the day. He logged each workout with a running total of each day.
“There were plenty of nights after work that I just wanted to get home but I needed to push myself and get the challenge done for the day. After a week I kind of looked forward to getting it done and logging my numbers.”
Mike completed the challenge in early May and says it was definitely worth it. “During and after the challenge I definitely saw improvements in CrossFit as well as my long distance running. I highly recommend trying a challenge and structure it to what you need improvements on.”
Alicia Tansey & Karen O’Connor Ripley
Fitness Together Norwell trainer Alicia Tasney began the 30 Day Squat Challenge in April as a way to motivate a few friends who have been historically reluctant to begin exercising. She baited these friends into doing the challenge by promising them that she would to do twice the amount outlined on the challenge web site.
“The squat is a great exercise to focus on for it’s functional benefits,” says Tasney. “It translates to things we do regularly in our every day lives, like getting in and out of the car, walking up stairs, bending over to tie shoes or pick up an object.” When done properly, the benefits of the squat include building muscle; improving flexibility and balance; and gaining strength in the glutes, legs, knees, feet and lower back.
Form is important when doing any exercise, but especially where high reps are involved. Even more important if you’re adding weights. Tasney says that for such a simple exercise, there are many ways to go wrong, and that can lead to injuries of the knees and lower back. (See below for tips on proper form.)
As of tomorrow, Alicia will be on day 21 of the challenge, which means 180 squats for her friends and 360 for her. By the time all is said and done, she’ll have completed 6,590 squats! She says she’s already feeling the benefits from the challenge. When running, her legs feel stronger and take much longer to fatigue. Another benefit? Friends have offered compliments, which we’ll refrain from repeating, but suffice it to say we could rename this challenge the “30 Day ‘Damn, Gurl!’ Awesome Booty Squat Challenge.”
Fitness Together client Karen O’Connor Ripley, a client at FT for several years, is always looking for ways to push herself further. A busy mom who also runs a cleaning business as well as a facebook page, “Ecomomics,” Ripley is a busy person. But when she overheard her trainers, Mike and Alicia, talking about their challenges she decided to incorporate one into her own routine as a way to boost her fitness level without eating up a lot of time. To focus on the area she most wants to improve, Ripley chose an abdominal challenge. “It consist of sit-ups, crunches, planks and push-ups with the reps increasing everyday. This also got me to do plank and push-ups which are two exercises I don’t usually do unless I’m at FT. It’s going good, I like it, it’s gets me going.”
As inhabitants of a planet whose circadian rhythms are tied to the 30-day cycle of the moon, you might say we are hard wired to operate within the parameters of this increment of time. When thinking about making a change or an improvement that involves discipline, a month isn’t really a daunting amount of time, but you may be surprised at what you can accomplish.
If you take up a 30-Day Challenge of any kind, keep these tips in mind:
Choose a challenge that is doable, but challenges you as it progresses. You’re in this to make progress, not waste time or injure yourself.
Make sure you’re using proper form. Check with your trainer if you have questions.
Journal your progress. This will keep you on task and give you a real sense of accomplishment at the end.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up: If you miss a day, pick up where you left off if possible. If you miss more than a few days, back up or start again. Just don’t give up!
Here are the challenges happening at Fitness Together in Norwell. If you try one, let us know how it goes, or share your challenge here. We’d love to know how you’re doing!
Mike Eaton’s 30 Day Beatin’
To be completed in one session each day for 30 Days
100 chest-to-floor burpees
200 squats
200 double-unders
30 Day Squat Challenge
(Again, Tasney’s doubling this.)
To do a proper squat, keep this slightly bizarre visual in mind: you’re testing a metal chair with your butt to see if it’s hot, discover it is and stand up again. You can even place a chair about a foot behind you to lightly touch down on before standing up. Keep these other tips in mind for proper form*:
Begin in an athletic stance, feet shoulder width apart, feet slightly turned out, spine in neutral position, abs engaged.
Keeping your weight in your heels, your head up and your eyes looking ahead (not at the floor) bend your knees until your upper leg is parallel or deeper to the ground. Your butt should be moving backwards as well as downward as your knees hinge, preventing your knees from going forward beyond your toes.
Throughout the squat, your head is still up, eyes forward, shoulders back and chest out. Don’t collapse your spine and hunch downward.
To return to the standing position, engage your legs, glutes and abs and squeeze as you “explode” back to your starting position.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
*Have your trainer check your form or help you modify if you have any physical constraints, or if you wish to add weights to increase difficulty.
Day 1 – 50 squats
Day 2 – 55 squats
Day 3- 60 squats
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – 70 squats
Day 6 – 75 squats
Day 7 – 80 squats
Day 8 – Rest
Day 9- 100 squats
Day 10 – 105 squats
Day 11 – 110 squats
Day 12 – Rest
Day 13 – 130 squats
Day 14 – 135 squats
Day 15 – 140 squats
Day 16 – Rest
Day 17 – 150 squats
Day 18 – 155 squats
Day 19 – 160 squats
Day 20 – Rest
Day 21 – 180 squats
Day 22 – 185 squats
Day 23 – 190 squats
Day 24 – Rest
Day 25 – 220 squats
Day 26 – 225 squats
Day 27 – 230 squats
Day 28 – Rest
Day 29 – 240 squats
Day 30 – 250 squats
The Mean Ab Challenge
(It says “June” but Karen O’Connor Ripley couldn’t wait. “Thirty days is 30 days!” she says.)
For more about Ariane de Bonvoisin’s inspirational books:. First30days.com
The snow has melted, the air’s a bit warmer, and the windows are starting to open. This is the time of year when most people renew their homes with a deep cleaning, a fresh coat of paint and de-cluttering the closets. How about taking that same approach with your body, mind and spirit? After a long winter of hiding under layers of clothing and eating comfort foods it’s time to refresh our workouts and clear our minds.
One of the best ways to relieve stress and clear the mind is to workout. You may have heard of “runner’s high”. This phenomenon is the result of your endorphins being pumped up; your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. You don’t have to run though to obtain these results. Any activity that increases the heart rate for an extended period of time will have the same effect. The key to success and consistency is finding an activity you enjoy. Along with spring’s promise of warmer weather comes a whole list of possible activities; biking, hiking, canoeing, rollerblading, swimming, and the list goes on. The repetitive movement and deep breathing necessary to perform these activities is like meditation in motion. Often after a walk or game of tennis people feel a sense of relief and calmness. The daily problems and stresses in life are easier to deal with.
If results are what you want, then you also need to change up your resistance-training program. Our muscles respond very quickly to the demands we put on them and will get “bored” rather quickly if we don’t refresh the routine. If you are mindlessly going through a weight training circuit performing 3 sets of 15 repetitions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, then your body is in need of an exercise overhaul! What better time to try something new than Spring time! There a so many different ways to stress our muscles, but they won’t respond unless you have a plan. Consider hiring a trainer to not only to motivate you, but to educate you on how to put together an effective exercise routine. You will be reaping the benefits of this investment for years to come. Remember the “mind to muscle” rule when working out: When you concentrate on the muscle you are working, you increase the response of the each muscle fiber. Another bridge crossed in the mind/body connection!
Lastly you need to eat clean! Which means, forget the processed foods, sugar, white flour, and chips. Eating clean means whole foods, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. The further away from its natural state a food is, the more processing it has under gone. Not only is eating clean good for your waistline, nutrient-dense natural foods do wonders for your arteries, hair, skin, and yes, your mood.
So let’s renew our spirits and start or re-start a balanced exercise and stress reducing lifestyle. As you bring balance in to your life you will be better able to cope with the daily stresses of work and family.
If you found this helpful and you would like to suggest some topics for next month or you have some general questions, please feel free to call or email me at anytime: P (978) 623 8181 Email: lisa@swansonfitness.com. Visit our website at www.ftandover.com for more information on fitness and nutrition.
“Regardless of what your challenges are, just walk through the door,” assures Myers. “And life becomes beautiful all over again.”
After Lisa Myers received her breast cancer diagnosis five years ago and endured the long and difficult course of treatments, she wasn’t sure if she could trust her body again to carry her back to fitness level she dreamed of.
“I thought fighting cancer was tough,” says Myers, “but losing the confidence in yourself from that experience is just devastating.”
Her treatments left her with weak muscles a very limited range of motion, especially in her arms. When doctors gave her a clean bill of health a year and a half after her last treatment, she decided to recommit to getting fit.
Myers, who lives in Methuen, found her way to trainer Frank Francis at Fitness Together in North Andover. Francis saw right away he was dealing with a woman who was determined to reclaim her life. His comprehensive experience as a personal trainer coupled with Lisa’s extraordinary determination quickly yielded some very satisfying results for both trainer and client. “Lisa has the kind of drive to succeed that you just can’t coach; it comes from within.”
When Francis ran Lisa through her 8-week fitness assessment he was amazed. In just two months of training, she was able to increase from 27 sit-ups in one minute to 40. She had gone from holding a plank position for 1:43 and a wall sit for 2:43 at her first assessment to being able to easily maintain those skills for five minutes each.
Francis, who’s seen his share of impressive physical accomplishments, was blown away. “As a trainer, you do your best to inspire your clients. Lisa is one of the few who, whether she knows it or not, inspires ME. That drive still exists and she brings her best EVERY session. Currently, she is training for a Sprint Triathalon in the fall.”
Myers is grateful for the improvements to her life. “Walking through that door was the best thing I could have done for myself. It’s an experience that I highly recommend to anyone who has gone through what I went through. You can get your life back, you can get your body back, you can get your self back.”
Bob Lexander – age 60
Production supervisor for the Dedham/Westwood Water District
For most of Bob’s adult life, he’s been an avid runner, marathoner and all around fitness enthusiast, partly because he loves being active and partly in hopes of hedging a family history of health issues. “My father had heart disease, arthritis and cancer,” says Bob. “I always hoped I could outrun it.” But as he got older, his knees began to break down. After his third knee replacement (the second on his right side) failed to heal as well as he’d hoped, doctors put him on heavy doses of arthritis and pain meds and told him he’d just have to live with it. Despite physical therapy his exercise routine all but came to a complete halt.
Last April, Bob’s wife, Mary Ellen Kelly, became concerned at seeing her husband slip into a funk the longer he went without exercise. Kelly, an attorney, had heard of Fitness Together through her professional networking group. When she suggested to Bob that a personal trainer might be able to help, he agreed to give it a try.
Trainer Kate McNally likes to take a holistic approach, striving to carefully match a client’s personality and goals to his or her program. Specializing in body composition change and endurance training, McNally uses a wide variety of training styles to fit her clients’ goals. Though she started Bob on a gentle regimen, she quickly saw that his determination could take him beyond his limitations.
“In his time at Fitness Together Bob has greatly increased leg strength and flexibility; two really important achievements for guy as active as Bob. All this with little complaint,” says McNally. “Bob Lexander is the model client. When you ask him to do something, he not only does it, but will give 110%. He really wants this. Wants to be stronger, healthier, more fit.”
Since first beginning at Fitness Together last April, Bob has lost 20 lbs and completely weaned himself from his medications. “It’s been a big deal to me to get off those pain meds,” says Bob. “It’s just been so good for my outlook.”
His wife, Mary Ellen, was so inspired by Bob’s success, she also signed on. After increasing her fitness level and losing weight, the couple is enjoying a more active lifestyle.
“Our quality of life is so much better now. I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years. We enjoy walking and hiking together. Now we can walk up big hills without breathing hard and my knee is even flexible enough that I can ride my bike. Going to Fitness Together has been a wonderful thing.”
Says his trainer, “I really enjoy training Bob, training someone with his motivation makes my job easy. Bob comes to every session ready to work hard, usually already dripping sweat from his so called “warm up” (30-40 mins hard on the elliptical). He is just as dedicated in life to family and work as he is in the gym. Bob is making great strides toward his goals and you can tell by just looking at him. He looks great!”
All the sly marketers out there will tell you fitness results can be achieved in as little as 1 week…I’m sure you all know this is simply untrue, but perhaps you’re not aware of a realistic timeline. Most professionals agree (this one included) that 12 weeks is a good timeframe to see quantifiable results. Some may achieve results in 10 weeks and others in 14. Nevertheless, somewhere around 12 weeks is what you should shoot for when beginning a fitness routine. Anyone that tries to tell you it can happen in less time is simply uninformed or trying to SELL you something.
What do I mean by quantifiable results? It means measurable changes, not just when you look in the mirror and think to yourself, “Hmmm, I think I look better.” The only way to have measurable changes is to MEASURE YOURSELF before you start. And no…no…no, don’t just get on the scale and use your weight as the starting point…WHY??? Because weight is a very poor indication of your success; weight is made up of 2 different (and very important) variables: 1.) Lean Body Weight and 2.) Fat Weight. You want MORE of the first and less of the second. Yes, more of the first…and depending on your body type and starting point…you very well can and perhaps should GAIN some weight in the beginning. Time after time my clients tell me and readers email, “P.J., I’ve gained 3 lbs. since starting; what am I doing wrong?” DON’T WORRY! This is a good thing as long as the Lean weight is what’s going up and not the fat weight.
How do you know it’s the lean weight and not the fat? This is where the measuring you do at the beginning comes in to play. If you measure your body fat % before beginning your exercise routine, you can measure it again later and see QUANTIFIABLE CHANGES. If you start with 40% body fat and later have only 30% body fat, you know you’re headed in the right direction because you lost 10% body fat. Conversely, if you only use your weight to gauge results, you may start at 200lbs and later weigh only 180 lbs, but how do you know the 20 lbs you lost are from fat? Far too often people will lose a majority of their weight from lean body weight; therefore, causing more harm than good. You want to retain lean body weight because this is what burns fat. If you’re not sure how this works, email or call me (617-484-9048) and I’ll give you more information.
I’ll use another post in a few weeks to go into greater detail. So watch this space. But not intently as I want you all to push away from the computer and do some exercising, of course.
So class, for homework, find out your body fat percentage and overall measurements before you start on your journey. Moreover, don’t set yourself up for disappointment by expecting big changes in an unrealistic timeframe. Plan on approximately 12 weeks for quantifiable results; if you do so, you’ll set yourself up for success and just in time for the good weather!
Woody Allen as a sperm in the movie Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex…
A new study finds that if you want to have the best swimmers in the gene pool, turn off the TV and get to the gym.
By Martha Hicks Leta
Psst, hey you. Yes, you, the young healthy guy over there. You’ve got it going on, right? You got all kinds of game and, if you do say so yourself, when the lights are low, the libido is All Systems Go. No complaints there, right? So, let me ask you this: How much TV would you say you watch per week? Be honest. A couple of hours a night? Maybe, more? Well, if you think you might want to be a dad someday, hide the clicker and read on because, as it turns out that all that TV watching isn’t doing your little swimmers any good.
That’s right. Over the last several decades, scientists have been keeping an eye on, of all things, semen quality. As it turns out the state of our man stuff has been in decline and the reasons for this are as yet unresolved.
Toward that end, a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has evaluated the relationship of exercise and TV watching with sperm quality in healthy young men. The study gathered data on a group of 189 men ages 18-22 years of age over the course of three months. A questionnaire was used to assess hours per week of exercise and TV viewing. Semen quality of the test group was also evaluated based on sperm concentration, motility, morphology and total sperm count.
The findings showed that the men at the highest quarter of the exercise spectrum, those who exercised more than 15 hours per week, had 73% higher sperm concentration than the men in the lowest quarter of the exercise spectrum.
TV watching, on the other hand, had an inverse effect on semen quality. That is, the men in the study group who watched the most TV, more than 20 hours per week, actually had 44% lower sperm count than the men who watched the least.
The study concluded that, “higher moderate-to-vigorous activity and less TV watching were significantly associated with higher total sperm count and sperm concentration.” In other words, more exercise and less TV make for righteous swimmers.
So, the next time you’re planning on sitting around the man cave and watching sports with the guys all weekend, take a moment to ponder the results of this study. If you want your little fellers to swim like Richard Phelps, you may want to drop the clicker and get yourself to the gym.
To help you get your edge back, get your free fitness assessment at a Fitness Together studio near you. Go to FTGetsResults.com for more information and a list of studios in Northern New England.
Judging by the numbers, this year’s flu season is shaping up to be a real whopper. If you haven’t already caught this year’s flu, you’re probably doing everything in your power to avoid catching it, but as you think about the progress you’ve made with your workouts, you may be wondering whether you should continue your routine or crawl into a sterile bubble until flu season passes.
As you weigh the facts, you should consider, once again, the benefits your regular exercise regimen should have on your overall health and your body’s ability to fight illness. “Findings continue to support the benefit of regular exercise in strengthening the immune system, enabling it to fight viral and bacterial infections,” according to the good people at WebMD.com. Why? Exercise causes white blood cells, which fight infections, to blitz through your body more quickly, fighting bacteria and viruses (such as flu) more efficiently. To achieve this benefit it’s good to have at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day. So, just because it’s flu season, you really don’t want to pull the plug on all that progress you’re making with your workouts, and you shouldn’t have to.
Until the “All Clear” signal is given on flu season, here are a few strategies to deploy before, during and after your workout to keep your germ exposure to a minimum and your workout to a maximum.
Before Your Workout
Talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot. Influenza vaccines are available through local health departments, health care providers and most pharmacies. The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months receive an annual flu vaccine. It’s especially important to get the flu shot if you have asthma, diabetes, lung disease or are age 65 or older. You should also get the flu shot of you live with or care for someone at high risk, or if you’re pregnant. The flu can hit hard and set off a string of other medical problems, including pneumonia, not to mention lost productivity.
Wash your hands often. During flu season, you may feel like a fanatic, but now is a great time to tap into your inner clean freak and ask yourself, “What Would Felix Unger Do?” He’d clean it, spray it, wipe it, wash it. In fact, ask any doctor or nurse how often they wash their hands through the course of a day: “I wash my hands or use a hand sanitizer before and after every patient,” says Christopher Tolcher, MD, a pediatrician in the Los Angeles area and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. “I probably wash my hands 40 to 50 times a day.” Felix would be proud.
Keep surfaces clean of germs- Again, say it with me, WWFUD? Frequently used objects such as cell phones, keyboards, steering wheels, door knobs, pens and sink faucets can harbor the germs of every other person who’s been in contact. Wipe these surfaces in your home or office daily, and use alcohol based hand sanitizer in between. Keep hands off of your face and especially away from your eyes.
Get your rest, plenty of water and quality nutrition. Its unfortunate, but many of us don’t pay attention to our sleeping and eating habits until we get sick. Only then will we start pounding the fluids and nutrients. Get your healthy food groups in daily—whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Your body can’t take care of you if you don’t take care of it. Feed it well and give it a good rest.
During your workout
Wash Your Hands Before and After Your Work Out- Not to belabor the point, but washing your hands before your workout will keep you from spreading bacteria. Washing your hands after will keep you from picking germs spread by all those other people who didn’t think to wash their hands like you did.
Avoid Touching Your Face – Your eyes, nose and mouth are the main portals for bacteria and viruses. Don’t show them in if you don’t want them as guests in your body.
Bring two different colored towels – Designate one as your personal towel and use the other to wipe down equipment before and after use.
Disinfect – Most gyms should have squirt bottles of powerful disinfectant lying around. Don’t be shy about using one or asking for one before you hunker down on that mat or yoga ball for your ab work. Better yet, bring your own mat for classes that require prolonged floor work. At least you know where it’s been.
Don’t Overdo It! Flu season is not the time to indulge in prolonged extreme workouts. Studies show taxing your body too much can decrease the number of white blood cells flowing throughout your body while increasing the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream. Your trainer will help you keep you out of the red zone during flu season.
After your workout
Take It OFF! Peel off those workout clothes and shower as soon as you’re able. Your sweaty clothes are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you don’t have time for a shower, at least wash your hands or wipe them down with hand sanitizer. No matter where you’ve been all day, it’s a good idea for you (and your kids) to change clothes as soon as you get home.
Rehydrate and Replenish. After you’ve taxed your body with a challenging workout, be sure to recharge with a dose of protein and plenty of water.
If you do get sick
Determine if it’s a cold or the flu. A cold will usually hit “above the neck” and consist of a stuffed head and maybe a sore throat. The flu will strike above and below the neck and involves body aches, fever, chest congestion, coughing and often gastro-intestinal distress. Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Edward Laskowski, M.D. says, “Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a garden-variety cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion, though you may consider reducing the intensity of your workout until you’re feeling better.” But if your symptoms are “below the neck” lay off the exercise, especially if there is a fever involved. A fever is a sign that your body is battling a viral or bacterial infection. Exercising while taxed with a fever may stress your body even more and leave you dehydrated, complicating your symptoms and delaying your recovery from the flu. Also, the flu is contagious and spreads mainly through droplets made when someone coughs, sneezes, talks, or sweats. Do your trainer and fellow gym members a favor and keep it to yourself if you catch it.
The bottom line is, if you do get sick, listen to your body. If you have a cold and feel miserable, there’s no crime in taking off for a day or two, as long as you get back to it as soon as you’re able. If you have the flu, definitely wait a good few days after your fever resolves before returning to the gym. And, as always, check with your doctor if you aren’t sure if it’s OK to exercise. Read more to find out whether you should exercise with cold or flu symptoms: WebMD Exercise & Flu WebMD How Doctors Keep Germs At Bay WebMD Cold & Flu Map Tool
If you’ve ever been a regular member at a conventional gym, you’ve noticed that this is the time of year when those people, we’ll call them The Resolutionaries come out of the woodwork. The Resolutionaries are those folks who, on or about January 2, rush to renew the membership they barely used last year, promising themselves that this year, YES, this year will be different! They come in waves of inspiration and perspiration, clichés and good intentions in their brand new sneakers and sweats purchased with that sporting goods gift certificate given to them by a concerned relative. And then, just like that, most of them are gone again.
Maybe a few will successfully make the conversion to regular exercise, but without a lot of help, most will not. Maybe you’re one of those Resolutionaries and you already feel your commitment flagging. So, what’s the secret? How do you permanently convert those New Year’s Resolutions into real and lasting change this time?
You ready for it? The big secret? Here it is: People who exercise regularly and successfully do so because they’ve made it a habit to do so. That is, they’ve made it such an entrenched and engrained part of their very brains that NOT doing so leaves a gaping psychic hole through which the winds of loneliness and despair howl without mercy. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but when people who exercise regularly miss their workouts, they feel cranky and out of sorts much the way a smoker feels upon running out of cigarettes, except what they’re missing is the thing that’s actually healthy for them. Because the craving for that healthy reward is now engrained in their habits, they’ll get back to their routine as soon as possible. That, my friends, is what we all want.
So how do you get rid of the bad habits and create new ones? Without going into a college level course in neuroscience, suffice to say that changing entrenched habits and behaviors is no easy proposition. This is because your brain, we’ll call it Alice, has a greedy obsession with a chemical called Dopamine. Think back to any happy memory: that time your first love bought you that box of chocolates, or maybe the time your mother made you feel better after a tough day at pre-school by getting you your first Happy Meal. That sense of euphoria created by these experiences caused by a burst of dopamine in your brain. Alice really likes dopamine. It’s her Happy Pill. Once Alice discovers a trigger for dopamine, she will try to drive you back to that trigger again and again. For athletes, that trigger is exercise, or winning a trophy. For the rest of us, it’s French fries or chocolate. Thanks, Alice.
The good news is that your brain can be literally rewired in 14 to 21 days through daily practice of the behavior you wish to make a habit, exercise. After a few days of consistently practicing your exercise routine, your brain will start producing a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which makes the brain more supple, allows you to think more clearly and releases the old habits. It also increases the effectiveness of dopamine neurotransmission, which means the more you exercise, the happier your brain will feel, which will then cause your brain to drive you to exercise regularly. It’s kind of a win-win for your body and Alice!
So how do you get started? This is where your Fitness Together trainer comes in. During your fitness assessment, your trainer will or has discussed your goals with you and customized that program for you. Your trainer will then get you on track with these key components:
Boost your calorie-burning furnace by strength-training. The only scientifically proven method of enhancing the number of calories your body burns at rest (RMR) is to change your body composition meaning adding more muscle mass. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat (one pound of muscle burns approximately 9 times the calories as a pound of fat) so by increasing muscle mass through intensive strength training, you can increase RMR to a small degree. Strength-building exercises also help maintain your bone density and balance, two important factors in healthy aging.
Daily cardio adds to your burn. Here is where you have the greatest daily control over your total burn rate. Cardio is the greatest calorie burner in the least amount of time. Combine a daily cardio expenditure of a few hundred calories with your strength training workout calorie burn and you have a one-two punch which will guarantee to fire up your metabolism.
Power up your protein intake. Eating a small amount of lean protein at every meal is also an effective metabolism booster. Protein takes more calories to assimilate thereby raising your TEF to a greater degree than carbs or fat.
Eat small, frequent meals. And don’t forget to eat small frequent meals throughout the day (another proven metabolism booster) rather than consolidating your entire food intake into just one or two large meals. Eating metabolism-raising foods in small quantities, spread throughout the day, will also provide you with a stable blood sugar level and a constant source of energy needed for metabolism. It is also important that you do not skip breakfast or drastically reduce your calorie intake as it will be interpreted by your body as potential starvation and lead to a slowdown in your metabolism.
Get enough Z’s. Sleep deprivation actually has been shown to harm your body’s endocrine function and capacity to metabolize carbohydrates. Translation: when you don’t get a good night’s sleep you decrease your calorie burning potential. Aim for at least 7 solid hours per night to help your metabolism run more smoothly.
Practice stress reduction. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. When cortisol bathes your body’s tissue it stimulates fat storage, particularly around the middle (the more dangerous location). Cortisol also slows metabolism. Practicing healthy stress reduction techniques such as exercise, listening to music, gardening or any other relaxation technique will lower the amount of cortisol and help you maximize your metabolic rate.
Making those appointments with your trainer week after week is what will most effectively replace bad habits of avoidance and sedentary living with good habits that lead to strength, fitness and a greatly improved appearance and sense of self. Keep those appointments, follow that program and you WILL see results!
If you’re looking for a great way to get started, take a proactive approach in 2013 by igniting your inner inferno and joining us for our IGNITE YOUR INFERNO 21 DAY CHALLENGE! Make the commitment to yourself to get the New Year off to the right start by forming a new habit of working out and getting your body fit and healthy. We are here to help you ignite the spark inside you that will turn you into a lean mean fat burning machine! All you have to do is take the first step and commit to working out for 21 days. We’re betting that after that time, you’ll be hooked! Once a flame is started, it is hard to extinguish; make your body’s Inner Inferno unstoppable!
The IGNITE YOUR INFERNO 21 DAY CHALLENGE is only available at participating Fitness Together studios. Don’t do a slow burn get ignited, call an FT Studio today for a free fitness assessment. To find a studio near you go to: FTGetsResults.com
Fitness Together can prevent you from falling into the holiday fat gain abyss! Our trainers are experts in helping people who struggle to exercise and can’t get results. We are your coach, your therapist and your supreme butt kicker – and we WILL stop you from gaining those unwanted holiday pounds.
Who do you know that’s in pain and needs help getting a jump start on their New Year’s resolution? Give them the gift of good health with a Fitness Together gift certificate. Visit your local Fitness Together and request a custom gift certificate at special holiday prices.
By Martha Hicks Leta
