April 24, 2024

Get Visual with Your Fitness by Melissa Kahn

With the new year well under way, it’s normal to struggle to keep up with your resolutions right about now. It’s hard to establish new habits in just a few weeks’ time, so don’t be discouraged. Sometimes, a little help is all you need to keep going. If you find yourself lagging on your goals, consider creating a Vision Board for motivation. Writing it down is a great first step, but actively visualizing your goals every day might be just the boost you need. Here’s how:

1) Fill your Vision Board with vibrant visual expressions: You might want to keep your board small (letter size paper) or go poster size, depending on the size and number of the images you’ve chosen. Cut out photos and phrases that represent your heart’s desire, and feel free to include physical, professional, spiritual, financial, and relationship goals. The more dynamic and exciting to you, the more inspired you’ll feel every day!

2) Keep your Vision Board in a central place: Whether that’s in your office space or framed on top of your nightstand, it’s best to display your Board where you will see it daily. The thoughts you see repeatedly are the ones that will slowly creep into your subconscious mind, and will help you regain focus on the goals that you are intent on reaching. For additional inspiration, add dates for your goals to drive you faster and harder!

3) Actively visualize yourself reaching your goals: Starting a Vision Board is a great time to put your mediation skills to good use. Take 10 minutes out of your day every day to imagine the specific feelings you want to experience when you reach your goals. Picture your success in your mind, including every detail: what you’ll be eating, drinking, the perfume and clothes you’ll wear, and even the sounds you might hear when you know you’ve “made” it. Scientific research shows that the more deeply you connect to your goals on an emotional level, the more likely they are to come to life.

Once you have clear goals, set to visual tangible results, success is much more likely. Don’t let new habits scare you off this year: Get back in the game and make a visual and emotional commitment to living your best life.


Melissa Kahn is a Jenny Craig ambassador and the proud founder of Run, Heifer, Run! —a fun-loving community of fitness enthusiasts dedicated to common sense solutions for weight loss and healthy living. Melissa competes in triathlons now, having lost over 100 pounds, or the equivalent of 45 kilos of fear. She has maintained her healthy weight for more than five years.

Become A Beginner!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Become A Beginner With Your Fitness!

A great method to increase motivation and maintain interest in your fitness is to learn a new sport or skill. Be vulnerable and put yourself out there as a beginner. What activity would you love to try? Here’s how to get started:

To get ideas ask your friends what workout or sport they enjoy?

Do an online search to see what gear and knowledge is involved, as well as where the sport is offered in your community.

Poll your friends for their impressions about the facilities and instructors your internet search revealed. Still sound interesting?

Sign up! Better yet, invite a friend to join you!

 

Quality Fitness Time

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Quality Fitness Time

Getting in your workout is not a luxury, it is a necessity.  Quality fitness time is essential for all aspects of health. Whether a 10 minute walk or a 90 minute power class, your body AND your mind will thank you. Here’s how to insure quality fitness time:

Rotate workout focus. Choose a different focus for each workout to maintain mental interest.

Not all exercise has to be structured to count. Choose to live active during each day.

Choose a skill-set to master. Take up a new sport or a new mode of exercise. There is motivation in learning something new.

 

 

 

 

Share Your Love of Fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:
Share your love of fitness!

Sharing your love of fitness with others is easy- simply invite a friend or family member to join you! You never know who will be inspired. Many who wish to begin an exercise program are unsure how to begin. A buddy workout is a great first step! At the very least, those close to you will see how much you love fitness and be happy to see how you spend your free time. Here’s how to make it a positive uplifting experience for all:

Keep it user-friendly. This is not the workout to shoot for your pull-up PR or your sprint interval personal best on the community track. Keep the intensity low, duration to 20-30 minutes and workout mode easy as far as coordinate/agility required.

Keep it interactive. Chat it up, take water breaks, focus on having fun.

Keep it to a small group. A large group or the most popular fitness class at the gym may be intimidating to a new exerciser. Choose off-peak times and classes, or times when the trail is not packed with runners.

 

Take a Fitness Break

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Fitness Breaks!

Whenever you’re out and about or working on a project at home, add in fitness breaks! Anything goes as long as you’re moving your body for 10 minutes… and having fun! Fitness breaks are limited only by your imagination.

 

Make Workout Prep a Priority

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Weekly Workout Prep!

Once Monday hits, the week rolls fast and life gets busy. Make your fitness as convenient as possible so less time is wasted when schedules are tight. Make sure you have what you need for your workout, when you need it. Plan for your workouts for the week NOW!

1. Workouts planned and logged into your calendar.

2. Workout clothing washed, folded and packed in your drawer or gym bag. Shoes too!

3. Water bottle cleaned, filled and chilled.

4. Healthy pre and post-workout snacks portioned and packed in your container or bags.

5. Gym bag placed by the front door.

 

Set a Healthy Tone to your Week

Set a healthy tone to your week with #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat every Monday 5pmP/8pmE! Pick up exercise ideas and inspiration. Chat with others, get motivated and excited about your fitness journey.

 

Here’s how to join:
Log onto your Twitter account and follow @HealthyWayMag to see the chat questions. Questions for discussion will be posted as Question 1, “Q1″, Question 2, “Q2″ and so on. Contribute your answer and experience via answers to Question 1 noted as “A1″, designating your answer to Question 2 as “A2″ and so on. Interact with others, chat, exchange ideas, training tips and have fun!

Monday February 22, 2016 #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat is Sponsored by StrideBox.com:

StrideBox.com delivers fuel, nutrition and monthly motivation in a box right to your front door. As a monthly subscription service, their mission is simple, “perform better, be healthier, and have more fun.” The box also makes a great gift for the runner in your life. It’s suitable for all ages and is packed with products to sample designed specifically to boost your training and your fitness. Products vary from month to month. Inside the box you’ll discover bars, gels, food, apparel, and gadgets just to name a few. Rest assured, knowing you’re sampling the best of the best products on the market. Order your box TODAY at www.stridebox.com! Follow them on Twitter @StrideBox.

Catch the Enthusiasm!

Enthusiasm and passion for health and fitness is contagious, CATCH IT!

Join #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) on Twitter to find workout support, encouragement, accountability, tips, friends and FUN!

We chat about everything fitness from how to overcome obstacles on your fitness journey, how to recover after a setback, how to set goals, training tips, workout motivation and even specific exercise ideas. We also exchange ideas on gear picks, equipment faves and must-do races for runners, cyclists and triathletes.

Here’s how to join:

1. Log onto Twitter.

2. Enter #HealthyWayMag to follow the chat feed.

3. Interact, chat, have fun and exchange ideas with other participants.

4. Questions are posted as “Q1″. Participate by noting your answer as “A1″.

5. Tag your responses with #HealthyWayMag to allow other participants to see your contribution.

6. SUPER-charge your workout motivation!

 

 
Monday June 1, 2015 #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Giveaway from ROLL Recovery:
One lucky participant will win a R8 massage roller. Recover faster from workouts with their revolutionary R8 massage roller. Massage is a well known method to not only make your feel better and function better, but to recover from tough workouts and races faster and with greater ease. Using the R8 massage roller reduces inflammation, breaks up adhesions and increases blood circulation. It’s portable, easy to use and the benefits are instant. Join their Facebook community and follow them on Twitter to learn more about how they can help make YOUR fitness better. Bookmark www.rollrecovery.com!