6 Ways to Make Your Resolutions Last Past January

You started the New Year full of motivation and enthusiasm.   You decided that this is going to be your year to make lasting changes and improve the quality of your life.    Now that we’re almost a month in, perhaps your motivation has started to wane and a little doubt has crept in.  Does this mean that you’re doomed to repeat the failed resolutions of the past?  Definitely not!  Take a few simple steps to ensure that your resolutions last from January to June to December—and for the rest of your life. Here's how.

My Best Fitness Tips for Busy Moms

Exercise is an important part of my life, not only because of my job, but because of what it does for me personally.  Exercise helps me relieve stress, makes me feel good about myself, and since I've become a mom, it's one of the few things I do these days that’s all my own.  I’ve blogged in the past about being a busy mom of three small children, and most of the time I put 110% of my effort toward my kids, leaving little for me.  I know that’s not good (and something I need to work on), but one thing I do try to make time for almost daily is exercise. 
 
Whether it means getting up early, squeezing in a few 10-minute workouts throughout the day or doing a quick video while they nap, exercise calms me and helps me get through a busy day without a (mommy) meltdown. 
 
Everyone has the same number of hours in a day, so whether or not you exercise comes down to how you choose to spend your time.  It’s not always easy, and just because I exercise regularly doesn’t mean I pop out of bed at 5 a.m., excited and energized to work out.  I have to drag myself out of bed most days, and some days, my scheduled workout doesn’t happen.  I do the best I can.
 
So if you’re a busy mom like me, how do you begin to find time for exercise?  Here are a few suggestions that work for me.

Does it Take a Village to Maintain Weight Loss?

You've Got To Want It, They Say. Understatement, I Say!

Learning from Things that Used to Lead to Failure

Sparkers Support: The Hidden Gem of SparkPeople

Goal Board Leads to Huge Breakthrough!

This classic board post is a featured "SparkStory", an inspirational post that provides support, encouragement and motivation to the SparkPeople Community. 

Poster: DIMARKS

Last week I finally got it. The big lightbulb went on.

I used to set goals based on the number on the scale. Rewards for pounds lost. Consequences for pounds gained. It's a horrible roller coaster that does not encourage caring for myself. In fact, it's based on self-hate.

Last week, I set up a goal board with stars and fun rewards for CARING ACTIONS like meditating, making good food choices, and having positive self-thoughts. Well, what a major shift in how that feels! I'm loving myself and caring for myself and being rewarded for those positive actions. I "earned" 24 stars and got a new bike bell. I feel so happy thinking about what I can do on my list to care for my well-being and earn stars each day. I'm not focused on starving myself for a number on the scale. It happens that I lost 4 lbs last week with all the self-care but that is just a side effect of my new perspective.

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4 Signs You Won't Reach Your Fitness Goals

No one wants to fail.  When you start a fitness program, the hope is that all of your hard work (and sweat) will carry you to the finish line. A lot of people can start a fitness program, but very few can stick with it for the long-term. Why?
 
In my experience as a trainer and health coach, the excuses we use to miss a workout aren't the real reasons people fail. You don't have to be a fortune teller to predict who will be going strong a few months from now and who will be starting over again. Most often, I can tell whether someone will succeed or fail based on four simple signs.

Perfect Layering for Winter Workouts

When there is a chill in the air, it's easy to assume you'd be better off heading to the gym or hibernating in your workout room at home. But as long as you dress properly, there's no reason you can't venture outside for a workout that is both comfortable and enjoyable. 
 
The tricky part is wearing enough that you're not shivering from the cold, but not so much that you're sweating because of all of the heavy layers.  Here's a guide to knowing what—and how much— to wear so that you can be prepared all season long.

How Important is Strength Training for Kids?

Should children and adolescents strength train? For years, many said "no", believing that it could damage a child's growth plates, thereby stunting their growth. The risks of injury seemed to outweigh any benefit that strength training could provide. But there is growing evidence that strength training is very beneficial for children and could be an important part of their exercise routine.

Stick-With-It Winter Workout Tips

When the temperature drops, so can your motivation to get outside and get moving.  So how do you resist the temptation to stay curled up under a blanket until spring arrives?  According to a poll of SparkPeople.com members, 76% of exercisers have a hard time staying motivated in the winter.   
 
I’m no exception, especially when it gets dark so early. But keeping a consistent routine helps me avoid holiday weight gain and deal with stress during this chaotic time of year. 
 
If you are dreading the cold, you can't always blame the weather.  Your attitude and approach go a long way, too. Winter doesn’t have to be a time to abandon your regular workout routine if you’ve got a good plan in place.  Here's how to stay comfortable exercising outside—and adjust your plan when getting outdoors just isn’t feasible. 

Does Yoga Count as Cardio?

Yoga has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past few years.  According to a 2008 report released by Yoga Journal, 15.8 million American adults were practicing yoga.  In 2010, that number grew to 21.9 million.  The majority reported that they practice yoga for a number of health benefits, stress reduction and relaxation.  Yoga is a great complement to a well-rounded exercise routine, no matter what your fitness level.   It offers a variety of modifications (as needed), styles and intensities, giving it a wide appeal among exercisers of all fitness levels and goals.
 
But one of the questions I get most about yoga isn't whether I recommend it (I do), but whether it counts as a cardio workout. Could yoga replace one or more of your weekly treadmill or elliptical dates? 

How to Injure Yourself at the Gym

Although I’ve been a fitness coach for years, I will admit that I don’t always practice what I preach. I don’t stretch quite as much as I should, and as a result, I’ve sustained frustrating injuries that could easily have been avoided. 

Whether you’re new to exercise or a workout veteran, we all make workout mistakes from time to time. While some can be harmless—where the only consequence is burning fewer calories—others can lead to serious problems. Here are four common fitness mistakes that can lead to serious injury if you don't catch them early. 

Improve Your Chances of a Healthy Pregnancy with a Healthy BMI

I always assumed that when I was ready to start a family, it would be fairly simple and I could get pregnant without any trouble. I had a healthy diet, exercised regularly, didn’t have a weight problem and had no history of medical problems. When I talked to my doctor about it, he said “You’re a little bit on the thin side, so gaining a few pounds might help.” It took almost a year, but I finally got pregnant with my first child. I never thought my weight would make a difference, but I think gaining a few pounds helped. New research shows that having a high or low BMI can both affect your chances of getting pregnant and carrying a child to term.

Will Adjusting Form Make You a Better Runner?

Whenever friends or family see me running around our neighborhood, they know it’s me right away.  I have a very distinct run, or as I like to joke, a distinct “shuffle”.  Over the years I’ve tried to adjust the way I run, because I think it could help me get faster.  So far, that has been totally unsuccessful.  I blame my dad for the problem because he runs exactly the same way I do.  It must be genetic.

My problem is that all of the movement in my legs comes from the knee down.  My feet don’t come very far off the ground and I don’t have any lift in my knees.  I know if I could get my knees up and my quads working a little more, I’d have additional power and potentially, additional speed.  I’ve worked with a running coach to try and correct the issue, but at this point, it’s hard to change something I’ve been doing for so long.  Perhaps if I would have tried much earlier in my running career, I would have had more success.  A new study proposes that people naturally become better runners, just by running more.  Although I can’t say the same applied in my case, the results are pretty interesting.

The study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, followed 10 women on a 10-week, self-paced program for new runners.  Each woman visited a lab before started the program to have their aerobic capacity, running form and running economy assessed.  “Running economy, also known as running efficiency, is a measure of how much oxygen a person uses to run at a particular pace — in essence, how hard it is to run at that speed. Efficiency is considered one of the determinants of running success.  A more economical runner requires less energy than others and presumably should be able to run farther or faster.”  It’s no surprise that the new runners were not very economical in the beginning, but that improved as the 10-week training program progressed. 

Additional tests over the 10-weeks found that the women improved their speed and endurance, and also improved their running economy (their ability to use oxygen increased by about 8.5%.)  There were also changes in running stride which ended up making running easier.  For example, their legs became more flexed as they left the ground which allows for a quicker turnover and increased speed.  They also increased stability in their feet as they struck the ground, which indicates becoming more comfortable with the movement of running. 

This study was done on a very small, specific group of people.  The results won’t necessarily translate to all runners, but the study’s author feels it can lead to some important takeaways:   “You can optimize your gait naturally,” she says, “by becoming more conscious of your running movement and how it feels.” Your body, at least in the early stages of becoming a runner, can be a fine and knowledgeable coach.”

My advice is to stick with what feels comfortable.  I know I’ll never have the long stride and leg lift of an Olympic sprinter.  But as long as I can stay injury-free and enjoy what I’m doing, that’s what is most important to me.
 
Have you considered becoming a runner but don’t know where to begin?  Check out SparkPeople’s Running Center, where you can find articles, training programs, virtual races to join and much more!
 
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