35 Tips for a Healthier Year






"Mighty things from small beginnings grow."
~ John Dryden





Now that the New Year's resolution hoopla has started to level off, it's time to get to down to business developing practical habits and viable strategies to make your healthy 2011 goals a reality.

Getting in better shape and advancing your level of well being doesn't have to be a big production, however. Since the aim is to create a healthier lifestyle leading to positive results that last a lifetime, there are many "small" things you can do that can add up to big results. Some of ideas are listed below. Just pick a couple you aren't doing and focus in on them. You can always add more later, but the most important thing is to begin. DO something.

Start today!

1. Move 30 mins each day.
2. Eat fruit AND vegetables EVERY day.
3. Simplify your schedule. Why are you so busy? What matters MOST to you? Does everything on your schedule truly have to be done by you? What can you delegate?
4. Go to sleep!
5. De-stress daily/weekly.
6. Do something nice for someone else (community service).
7. Smile!
8. Floss your teeth EVERY day.
9. Drink six to ten 8-ounce cups of water daily.
10. Use a foam roller for myofascial release.
11. Stretch daily. Not only can this help improve mobility, relieve pain and relieve stress, it also can reverse arterial stiffness, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
12. Create a budget.
13. Plan a vacation.
14. Run a race.
15. Do something unusual.
16. Learn a new hobby/skill
17. Read a book.
18. Drink green tea.
19. Schedule your yearly check ups.
20. Wash your hands often. This can help ward of colds and flu. Remember to keep your hands off your face while at the gym as well.
21. Create a sanctuary in your bedroom.
22. Leave your desk regularly (stand up).
23. Eat with the seasons.
24. Avoid pesticides, preservatives and artificial additives.
25. Select a progress garment like jeans, bathing suit or shorts to help track body fat loss.
26. Take your picture. Another progress tracker, this can help you to better see the progress you're making.
27. Resolve toxic/problem relationships/situations. Say you're sorry, forgive or walk away. Bottom line find a pathway to peace and move on.
28. Create and use daily power habits. Choose up to 10 daily actions that you can do that will keep you focused, motivated and moving towards your goals.
29. Monitor your self-talk. Manage and eliminate negative, non-productive thinking.
30. Take a multivitamin.
31. Cut sodas from your daily diet.
32. Share your goals with your support system.
33. Create a food and exercise log. Studies have shown that people are more successful with their goals to change these habits when they write it down. Use a notebook or track it on-line for free.
34. Eat breakfast.
35. Schedule your workouts and guard that time.

To your fitness success!

3 Fitness Goal Setting Blunders to Avoid, Part 1



Year after year many people fail to succeed at reaching their fitness goals and desires.

Avoid these common pitfalls and make it an extraordinary 2011!



1. Failing to dream big.
Why do we settle for mediocrity? Maybe it's because we've heard it somewhere that our true dreams are unrealistic. As a result, we then limit ourselves with more "down-to-earth" aspirations, leading to a lack of lasting excitement since it doesn't connect with our true "deep down" passion.

If someone's true desire is to lose 100 pounds, for instance, then settling on a goal of only 20 pounds may not be sexy enough to get him or her off the couch and ready for action. Instead, setting that larger goal, and then breaking it down into smaller progress markers for "digestibility" can better keep the fire stoked while presenting attainable deadlines along the way. After all, while success doesn't just happen, it is created one step at a time. That one hundred-pound weightloss goal broken down to a healthy 10 pounds per month means a goal deadline of 10 months, for example.

The Fix: Whatever the dream is, don't settle. Go for what you truly want!
Power Quote: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." ~ Henry David Thoreau

2. Not creating a plan for your success.
Imagine deciding to try the famously good paella at El Rall in Valencia. You wouldn't simply get in your car and start driving without at least finding out answers to some basic questions, would you? How do you get there? What do you need? How long will it take to get there? Where is it? While most people wouldn't dream of leaving without planning this trip out, each year people embark on a fitness/weight loss journey without much, if any, thought on what they truly want and how they're going to get it. Instead, they jump on something haphazardly and feel disappointed when it doesn't work as well for them as it did on for the TV spokesperson. Know thy self! Do a little research. Find out what's required to get the body/healthy lifestyle you want. Think about what you think is fun: flying solo, group workouts, in the gym, outside? Identify potential obstacles and figure out how to overcome them. If you need help knowing what to do, ask questions.

The Fix: Your journey is unique and many hurdles can be anticipated. Don't wait for foreseeable problems to arise. Take the offensive!
Power Quote: "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." ~ Henry Ford

3. Failing to discover the true source of your passion.
This goes hand in hand with the 2nd point above. Whether you realize it or not, you live according to your passion and what you value most. For instance, one reason you make it to work each day is likely because you value your paycheck more than anything else you could be doing. For many people, a low level of success reaching their goals is because regardless of what they say, they are not truly ready to do "whatever it takes". If the individual from our 100 pound example knowingly continues to eat improperly and exercise sporadically, it's unlikely that he or she will find his or herself 100 pounds lighter at the end of the 10 months. Though unhappy about that fact, the passion and fire for change simply isn't there to truly change and adopt the healthier habits that would lead to success.

The Fix: Don't just go with what easily rolls off your tongue ("lose weight, "get fit", "eat better". Be specific and figure out what you REALLY want in relation to what you will REALLY do.
Power Quote: "When your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme." ~ Jiminy Cricket

Live Your Goals!

Ready. Aim... Aim... Aim...


Imagine watching Michael Jordan running for the basket during his first winning championship game, faking a throw then jumping for what should be one of many famous dunks...
...and then dropping to the ground frozen in place as he continues to eye and aim for the basket.


Imagine seeing Lance Armstrong peddling ferociously towards the finish line of what would have been his first Tour de France win...
...and then stopping suddenly to fiddle with his bike or talk to spectators as all the other competitors peddle past to the finish.


Imagine Venus Williams running to the ball on the court of what should be her first winning Wimbleton championship match...
...and then allowing the ball to whiz by as she stands frozen with the racket aimed and cocked.

What if Oprah hadn't dropped her last name and hosted her first television talk show?

What if Bill Gates and Paul Allen had only pondered talking to computer manufacturers about their MS-DOS ideas?

What if Warren Buffet only thought about making his first investment and never took any action?

Those who are famous and applauded are those who take action instead of forever waiting and forever contemplating their ideas and notions. Don't get me wrong, I believe in a well thought out plan. As the saying goes, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Contemplation and thought are highly necessary as they give rise to action. The problem is, many people remain in that state for far too long, or perhaps forever.

Take some time to plan and aim for your success in this New Year. Dream and dream BIG! Plan and strategize. What do you really want? What are you truly passionate about? What's on your life's "Bucket List"? Write it down. Figure out how you will overcome potential obstacles and barriers. Tell people about what you want to do...

Then TAKE ACTION!
Do the first thing, then the next. DO each thing and TAKE each step.

After all, even if your goal is equivalent to climbing a mountain, by taking each step, one by one, and focusing on your target, you will eventually find yourself at the top!

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.”
~ D. Hammarskjold

Don't let 2011 be just another year of resolutions lost.
Live your goals!

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