[January 03, 2014] |
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Avoid Another Year of Failed Health and Fitness Goals
CHANHASSEN, Minn. --(Business Wire)--
Following a holiday season of parties and overeating, tens of thousands
of people tend to make a resolution to live a healthier life in the New
Year. Driven by an oversaturation of resolution advice, many feel
empowered with new diets and exercise plans yet most have unrealistic
expectations and approaches which quickly lead to a sense of failure and
reverting back to unhealthy behaviors. As part of Commitment Day, a
broad social movement of 5K fun walk/run events on January 1,
symbolizing a commitment to healthy eating, exercise, family, respect,
giving and a healthy planet, Life
Time - The Healthy Way of Life CompanySM (NYSE:LTM)
instead encourages everyone to make a commitment, which is more focused,
unique to the individual and drives personal responsibility. This year,
forget making a resolution and instead, make a commitment that will
demonstrate progress and keep you motivated, and follow these tips to
make your New Year commitments real and attainable.
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Create a vision statement. Make your resolution a commitment
and create a vision statement that projects clear personal investment
and connects directly to your happiness and health. Take a few minutes
to write out your core values and what you need to help live out those
values the best way possible. It will feel more meaningful if it's
rooted in the priority of your personal values and driven by emotional
connections. Once you've created your personal vision, you
can identify what goals will get you there.
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Don't assume you know how to exercise. Many people who exercise
think they know what to do when they walk into a health club, but the
reality is poor form, training at an inappropriate intensity or
choosing te wrong exercises for their needs lead to failed results.
While any workout provides some benefits, a well-planned program using
proper exercise technique will prove much more successful. Sit down
with a well-qualified and certified personal trainer to talk about
your exercise program to start on the right track.
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Test your readiness. Take some time to ask yourself how
ready you are to make an actual change. If your vision is health-based
and you've made the goal of working out every morning of the week, ask
yourself (on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being absolutely positive) how
likely you'll be able to commit and achieve that task and identify
barriers that might get in the way. If your readiness is 7 or above,
you're ready to embark on your vision, but if it's below 7, change or
revise your goal until you're confident enough to know you'll succeed.
Small steps to success are better than big steps to fail.
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Don't workout six days your first week if you haven't exercised six
days in the past few months. All of us want to see results as soon
as possible but the more you try to rush progress, the more likely it
is you're going to get hurt, sick or burned out. Remember, your body
changes, adapts and progresses while it recovers. An appropriate
exercise program is one designed to build on your current level of
conditioning each week while allowing you to rest, recuperate and reap
the benefits of downtime.
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Junk the junk. Don't think you can stick to your diet while
keeping junk food in the house. Make a commitment to get rid of all
the foods that don't promote health and instead fill your kitchen with
good choices. Get rid of the candy, processed snack foods, sodas and
juices and load up on a variety of vegetables, grass-fed meats,
pasture-raised poultry, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, and other real,
unprocessed foods.
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Put it on the fridge. Laminate it, frame it or post it
on your mirror - the goal is to have your resolution statement
somewhere where you will see it often as a reminder of what you are
working toward this year. Find a place for your framed commitment to
remind and motivate yourself throughout the entire year. If you're a
social person, share it. Some people find inspiration in sharing goals
through their social media outlets to stay on track, while others find
more connection with a close friend or coach throughout their journey.
Whether you're just getting back to exercising and reevaluating your
nutrition or you've been on a solid program for a while, you likely have
some goals you'd like to achieve in the New Year. As you approach 2014,
don't assume you have all the answers or that you have to find them on
your own. Set reasonable expectations and work with a professional to
develop an appropriate approach designed specifically for you.
For more information about Life Time Fitness, check out a club near you,
visit www.lifetimefitness.com
or like Life
Time Fitness on Facebook.
About Life Time Fitness, Inc.
As The Healthy Way of Life Company, Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM) helps
organizations, communities and individuals achieve their total health
objectives, athletic aspirations and fitness goals by engaging in their
areas of interest - or discovering new passions - both inside and
outside of Life Time's distinctive and large sports, professional
fitness, family recreation and spa destinations, most of which operate
24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Company's Healthy Way of Life
approach enables customers to achieve this by providing the best
programs, people and places of uncompromising quality and value. As of
Jan. 3, 2014, the Company operated 108 centers under the LIFE TIME
FITNESS® and LIFE TIME ATHLETIC® brands in the
United States and Canada. Additional information about Life Time
centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com.
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