New year - New You! Tips to help you develop your plan to get fit in 2014

New Year New YOU!  - Helping you develop your plan to GET FIT!
So here we again with the start of 2014.  What is going to make this year different from last?  You are.  You are not only going to set goals, you are going to develop a plan to achieve those goals.

Like most people, you are probably making goals to get fit, eat better and improve your overall health.  To make this happen, you need to get specific.  How are you going to more fit?  How are you going to eat better?  How are you going to improve your overall health?

Start with getting fit -
You need to make a plan and stick to it with exercise.  Schedule it and don’t let anything interfere with that appointment.  EXERCISE SHOULD NONNEGOTIABLE – like showering and sleeping ( I am hopeful you do these daily!).  Your body needs regular activity to function at it’s peak.   If you are a person who constantly gets stuck at the office or have other factors keeping you from your scheduled exercise session, then you need to consider becoming a morning exerciser.  Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning are more than 60% more likely to still be exercising a year from now.  Why?  Because it becomes part of their day and nothing that happens later can interfere because you have already gotten it done.   
If you are tight on time, be sure you have a plan that includes time efficient exercise programs like metabolic training  and or / high intensity interval training.  Do not try to train for a half marathon or marathon if you only have 30 minutes a day to get in shape and DON”T BE FOOLED into thinking you have to exercise for an hour or more every day to get fit and improve your health ---research has shown time and time again that short, intense exercise sessions (between 20 and 40 minutes) are just as effective for getting in shape and burning fat as longer duration exercise sessions.
Be sure to take a balanced approach.  You need to include strength and endurance training along with cardio exercise to get the most benefit for your body and your health.

Don’t try to do too much too soon!  If you have not been active for a while and are very busy, a plan that has you exercising 7 days a week is more than likely not going to work.  Be realistic and begin by scheduling 4 days  / week for exercise consisting of 2 days of strength training and 2 days of cardio.  After that becomes routine, then try to add to this with more active days.  Always include at least 1 rest day per week for your body to recover.
 

Not sure where to begin?  There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming and confusing.  Call several trainers and interview them.  Tell them your personal fitness goals and time availability.  Find one that you can connect with (that’s why it’s called PERSONAL training).   Many trainers will design a program for you if you prefer to exercise on your own but need a plan and structure to follow.