Get Healthy Now: What’s it Gonna Take?

We’re bombarded by images of rock stars, athletes, newscasters and actors with rock-hard abs, perfect legs and enviable arms, and we think “if I had the time and money to look that good I would too.” And while these images paint a pretty skewed picture of reality (only a small percentage of people in this nation are model-thin, thank goodness), I’m going to suggest that maybe our attitude is what needs an adjustment.

Before I begin, let me quickly tell you that I am NOT suggesting people starve and kill themselves at the gym to look a certain way. Those of you who know me also know I’m all for having a healthy body image no matter what size you are. But let me start by telling you why celebrities and athletes are dream clients for trainers: Because for them, self-care isn’t optional; their very livelihood depends on it. So why is it optional for the rest of us? Because we don’t have sponsors and major corporations paying us to go for a walk or lift weights? Our attitude is that we’ll deal with medicating ourselves as soon as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. hit us; When in fact we could likely prevent those very things in the first place just by making fitness NOT optional in our life.

Easier said than done? Believe it or not, I get it. Which is why I’ve thought of a few points to help you figure out what it’s gonna take YOU to get healthy in 2010. Read on and please, be brutally honest with yourself because, let’s face it, no one else will!

Commitment
A journey of health begins and lasts when you decide you aren’t willing to live one more day without taking action to be the very best that you can be. I know this sounds cliché, but... I don’t care. One way to ensure you become totally accountable to yourself is to keep a journal of how you’re doing against the action steps you’ve made for yourself (i.e.: sticking with that walking routine you pulled out of a magazine, cutting back on portion sizes, etc.). Logging your daily or weekly actions serves as a reminder until each step becomes habit. You could even go so far as to draw up a “contract” with yourself, sign it and keep it somewhere you’ll look at it every day as a demonstration of your commitment to your new life (the refrigerator works well for this!).

Find Your ‘Why’
In the last newsletter I discussed the ‘how’ of fitness – how to begin what you already know you need to do. Here I’m talking about addressing the ‘why’ behind your motivation to improve your health. Why right now? What’s different about this time versus last time you tried to get healthy? When you discover the thing that inspires you to move forward then the wheels start moving and send you into action. Maybe you want to be around to spend time with your children’s children, or maybe you’ve witnessed someone close to you falling ill to a disease you feel they could have prevented with a few healthier decisions. Whatever it is, make your ‘why’ compelling and don’t say you’ll start working on it “next week” or “next month,” because you probably won’t (I’m not being Debbie-Downer, just honest). Start right this moment!

Mindset
Most of us set goals and fall short of accomplishing them because we fail to realize what the outcome will actually look like. Be crystal-clear on what achieving your goals will do for you. Visualize what life will be like for you if you achieve your healthy lifestyle. What do you look like? How do you feel? What are you wearing? What has changed for the better? How will it affect the loved ones around you? The more detailed, the better. You’ve got to transform your vision into the reality of your new, healthy life. And I’m not going to lie; you’re going to have to reinforce your mindset daily to make sure you stay the course. Getting healthy is rarely the problem for most people – it’s maintaining that’s the challenge. Let’s face it: The world is saturated with negative messages on a daily basis which can slowly chip away at our resolve. You’re going to have to mentally work to tune negativity out, shut it off, and then do what you can to surround yourself with positive messages, feedback, and people. Whether you realize it or not, thoughts are very powerful and with positive thoughts come tremendous gains. Day by day, my friend! That’s all anyone can ask for.

Meet the Trainer

Crystal is a certified personal trainer through the National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA). She has a passion for helping others live a healthy lifestyle and
coaching them to push their limits beyond what they
think they are capable of.