The Secret to Making Resolutions That Stick

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The New Year is quickly coming, so let the resolution setting begin! Lose weight, get to the gym twice a week, find a better job or relationship, save money, and watch less Netflix are just some of the vows we tend to make.

“This is going to be the year I do it … I’m going to change my life, just watch me,” we often say (at least to ourselves).

The question we need ask ourselves is how many times has this been the year that we lose weight, get fit, and start to eat healthier? How many years has our motivation started at a rocket’s pace in January only to slow down to a Fiat’s pace in February, with and all motivation gone by March? If the answer is once or more, please keep reading.

You want to know the “big secret” to sticking to your resolutions? Drum roll please… Do not quit, stop, or give up on the resolution that you have set for yourself until you reach it. This groundbreaking method has been tested and proven throughout history, and results have shown it works every single time! This secret sounds pretty easy, but it’s not. Here are my top tips to help you reach the finish line:

1. Remember: consistency, consistency and more consistency.
Woody Allen once said, “Ninety percent of success is showing up.” We often look at successful people and think their achievements happened overnight. That’s rarely the case; these people hustled, were disciplined, and made sacrifices to reach the levels of success they achieved. They practiced habits day in and day out without fail.

It’s time to show up, put your hard hat on, lace up your workout shoes, pack a healthy lunch, and start grinding.

2. Pace yourself.
January 1st does not mean you need to do two killer workouts, eat only veggies, and drink a gallon of water. This is a process that takes time, energy, patience and a damn strong will. Start by just making small changes and build on these small changes each week. I understand the rush and the urgency, but losing weight, making better choices, and getting in shape takes time. Avoid the early burn out by pacing yourself.

3. Keep it simple.
There is no reason to be on a complicated path when simplicity works just fine. For some reason we like to make things complicated, but this make things harder than they need to be so don’t even go down that road. Pick a diet and workout plan that is simple and progressive and follow it to a T.

4. Recognize your shortcomings.
Take a step back and ask yourself and others who know you well if have you given an honest effort to changing your life in the past. Have you only been 70–80% committed? Most of us like to think we always do our best, but are we really doing that? Taking a deep look inside isn’t always easy, but if you have been coming up short with resolutions and goals, you have to ask yourself why. Commit 100% to making big changes and stop phoning it in.

5. Make it fun.
My college track coach’s slogan was: “Run for fun and a personal best.” I think this slogan is a perfect reminder for all of us. Having fun is a key component to life and success. Having fun needs to be a priority in life!

Make chasing your goals fun and you’ll find it’s just easier to be healthier. Setting personal bests or reaching the small goals we set for ourselves is key to keeping our motivation high. Improvement motivates us to push forward and reveal our capabilities. Don’t underestimate yourself; you are capable of more than you think! Setting personal bests and reaching your goals is also part of the fun.

The challenge is simple: DO NOT QUIT, DO NOT QUIT and DO NOT QUIT! One year from now, where will you be … setting the same old goals, or will you be checking the box that you reached the finish line? Will you then plan to raise the bar for 2017? The choice is all yours, my friends.



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The Holiday Challenge You’ll Want to Take On Today

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It can be easy to lose the spirit of the holidays in the hustle and bustle of the season. With commitments to family, friends, work, and so much scheduled time to celebrate, we can quickly become burnt out and forget the true meaning of the season.

This time of year should remind us all to celebrate the light in those around us (translated as, jyoti, in Sanskrit). As you hurry through airports, visit with potentially challenging family members, and bustle around, it’s more important than ever to anchor yourself in the present moment and celebrate the light of the season. For that reason, I offer you a simple challenge: to recognize, revere and celebrate the light in everyone you meet. Here’s how to do just that.

Step 1: Smile When you smile, your whole face literally lights up. Your inner radiance shines through. Your eyes begin to twinkle and spark. You will immediately lift up those around you. Gift everyone you meet with a smile. Your world will immediately change.

Step 2: Love everyone Whether it’s your child or partner in the morning, your co-workers, taxi driver, the person sitting next to you on the plane….when you look upon another being this week, silently wish them well. Send good tidings with your thoughts, words and deeds.

Step 3: Offer compliments and thank-yous Seeking out the good in others puts you in a more positive, holiday mindset. Look someone in the eye, smile and offer a sincere “thank you” for a simple thing, such as opening a door for you, teaching you a yoga class, or hosting a party. Or pick one thing that was especially meaningful and compliment them.

Step 4: Practice gratitude Instead of getting annoyed with the crowds at the mall, train your inner muscle of positivity and find something to be thankful for—indoor heating, for example. Try to see the goodness in every experience. Practice makes perfect, so try to take these four steps and celebrate the light daily. If you do, you’re sure to have an incredible holiday season!

What are you grateful for today? Share in the comments below!



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Healthy Habit Forming Gifts to Give Yourself

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When I was 10, my grandmother told me, “Don’t buy anything for yourself around Christmas. You never know what Santa will bring you…” Strangely enough, this set me up for disappointment because Santa didn’t seem to know that what I wanted more than anything was a real lightsaber. Maybe Darth Vader was intercepting the mail between LaFayette, GA and the North Pole.

Much like a Jedi must make their own lightsaber in order to become a master, there are some gifts you just have to give yourself. This is especially true when you’re looking to form new health habits. Here’s a list:

1. Awareness. You can’t get to where you’re going without knowing where you are. Calorie and workout tracking are simply a means to the end of awareness. By using them diligently until new habits are formed, we begin to learn when behaviors we want (and don’t want) are being triggered and rewarded. Most of the habits I teach clients are simply habits of awareness. “To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are.” – Eric Hoffer

2. Forgiveness. Ask anyone in recovery how many times they tried to quit and I bet they know the number. I personally quit smoking 4 times before it stuck, and each time was a little bit easier. In order to get to our goals, it is absolutely essential we learn that failure is a part of the story of our success–not an end to that story. “Forgiveness does not change the past but it does enlarge the future.” – Paul Lewis Boese

3. Focus. I rarely see failures of willpower, but I have seen thousands of people fail to stay focused. New habits take effort, but that effort is wasted if you are scattering it across too many desired behaviors. Want to run a marathon and lose weight? Too much. Want to change your diet and start going to the gym? Too much. My clients work on one habit at a time until they master it. That’s it. But man, do they add up… “The goal is to keep the goal the goal.” – Dan John

4. Patience. Moving one habit at a time takes focus and patience, but something all my successful clients learn is that patience is not passive. It’s an active process of learning what works, and what doesn’t. What thoughts inspire us to keep going and what thoughts make us look for cookies. They learn how to plan for what they can control and to roll with what they cannot. “Most people overestimate how much they can get done in a day and underestimate how much they can do in a year.” – Bill Gates

5. Community. This is the most important gift you can put under your tree. It’s the batteries that power all the other gifts you need to give yourself. The people around you are not there by accident. You choose who to spend your time with and you have a say in what activities you do with them. Picking the right people to spend time with can make all the difference between hoping for a change, and making a change. So give yourself the gift of not taking this journey alone. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” – Jim Rohn

BONUS GIFT!

6. Get a smartphone. It’s the Lightsaber and Magic Wand of behavior change. From scheduled reminders, to cameras with which to take food pics, to awesome apps like MyFitnessPal, a smartphone is the best tool you have on your journey to health and fitness.



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5-Move Bodyweight Routine

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A total-body workout doesn’t have to take an hour or more if you pick the right moves.

If you’re looking for a straight forward strength training routine that you can do at home without any special equipment, this workout is for you. Former commando Jon Stratford walks you through how to execute each move with correct form so you avoid injury. These moves aren’t easy, but Jon patiently points out how to position every piece of your body so you get the maximum benefits from each move. In this video, you’ll learn how to perform:

  • squats
  • planks
  • pressups
  • lunges
  • dips


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10-Minute Treadmill Workout for Runners and Walkers

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Super instructor and treadmill whisperer David Siik is the creator of Equinox’s Precision Running class. He put together a quick, non-boring indoor running routine that will burn fat and leave you feeling exhausted—but Selfexhilarated! “The inclines are there to tone your legs and lift your butt,” he says. If you’re not ready to trade the track for a treadmill, you can do this routine outdoors—instead of keeping tabs on your speed and incline, think about matching each interval to a different intensity level.

Before you start, check in with your running form. Then, determine your PR (personal record) speed. This will be your max, one-minute sprint speed. Since treadmill training is so different from outdoor training, your one-minute PR speed may be a lot faster than your fastest 5K pace Siik explains. Still not sure what that would look like? Equinox Precision running offers this chart as a reference:

  • 4-6 mph – Beginner runners
  • 6-8 mph – Novice to intermediate runners
  • 8-10 mph – Experienced to advanced runners
  • +10mph – Extremely experienced to elite runners

Armed (er, legged) with your speed guidelines and form tips, you’re now ready to tackle this superhero-creating routine, below. Aim to do it three to four times per week.

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Warm-Up: Start with a light walk/jog for two to three minutes and do one additional minute of light plyometric exercises performed off the treadmill such as butt-kicks or high knees. Do a few exaggerated running arm swings to prime your shoulders and arms, then hop back on the treadmill and tackle the routine below.

Cooldown: Finish with two to three minutes of jogging at an easy pace.

Speedy intervals. Challenging inclines. You got this.



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Italian Meatball Soup

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This cozy soup is quick—less than 30 minutes from pantry to plate—and loaded with protein and fiber. The shortcut is to start with frozen meatballs. To make this dish vegetarian-friendly, substitute with meatless meatballs and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. 



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6 Ways to Modify Squats and Lunges for Bad Knees

One very important reason for exercising is to improve the way we feel and move every day. We want to be able to play with our children, carry the groceries, and do our gardening without pain or discomfort. Think of how many times you squat throughout your day or walk up the stairs.

Squats and lunges are functional movements that show up in our daily lives, and can be painful if you have sustained injuries, trauma or overuse issues in your knees.

The good news: With some practice, you can decrease pain and gain strength by executing proper technique while decreasing your range of motion when you squat and lunge. As you get stronger and become more comfortable with these exercises, you’ll be able to increase your range of motion gradually and perform the moves without assistance.

Try these variations and modifications for squats and lunges to help decrease discomfort or pain:

Squat
Key Pointers: Make sure your knees don’t extend beyond your toes. Keep your weight in your heels, maintain neutral spine, keep your chest open and flex at your hips.

1. Shallow Squat

2. Wall Squat

3. TRX Squat

Lunges
Key Pointers: Your legs should be staggered in parallel, and pelvis and spine should be neutral. Extend one leg back slowly and make sure your knees don’t extend beyond your toes.

1. Rocking Lunge

2. Static Lunge with Yoga Block

3. TRX Lunge



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