So...it's going on a month into 2018 and for many the Resolutions may be starting to run out of steam...or even more unfortunate, the aches and pains of pushing a little too hard too fast! I've asked a few of my fitness friends to share some insight on how they recommend being smart about resolutions. The first is with my friend, Danielle Bogaty of Bodywell by Danielle! - A.D.
Welcoming in 2018 and the New Year, without a doubt for most people, brings up the word RESOLUTION. Whether people officially make them or just casually think about a fresh start, it crosses the minds of most, in one way or another. The two most common resolutions made, according to statistics every year, are to get healthier by eating better or exercising and to be more financially smart by saving money or investing.
Danielle Bogaty, CPT
By definition, a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” The word firm sounds pretty finite and the definition is not very forgiving because it doesn’t provide a middle ground. To say “to do or not to do” leaves no room for moderation, good days, bad days and living life. Achieving optimal wellness isn’t just a change for January, where you go all in and your efforts slowly fail and dissipate as the Springtime approaches. Making changes in fitness and nutrition should be any time a person is ready and in need of making a permanent change to their lifestyle, not just because it is the start of a new year.
Rather than resolutions, I suggest to my clients and friends to make changes when ready, and most importantly, make those changes realistic to fit into your life. Why change something if you aren’t prepared? Preparing for the change by thinking thru obstacles you may encounter and having a game plan as to how you will sustain and make the change last must be done before you start. It is like setting yourself up for failure if you don’t think the entire situation through and what your ultimate end goal is long term. This is why crazy diets and extreme protocols yield temporary results and most people often fail by the end of February.
Things to ask yourself are…
Is my goal sustainable?
Can I do this for the long haul?
Will this change make me miserable or cause me to get injured?
Will my quality of life be better or worse from these changes?
The key drivers to any successful lifestyle change is that it is not only sustainable, but also preventive in nature. Sustainable means you are able to stick to your change at least 80% of the time. Life celebrations, vacations and cravings get in the way, so look at a cheat day or a missed workout here and there as normal. Balance out the bad day with three good ones. Preventive is the other side of the equation, so what you are doing should provide a positive effect and reduce the chance of negative effects. If you restrict certain foods you may begin to lack vitamins and nutrients your body needs to function, which is not preventive nor positive. If you go crazy with a workout regimen that gets you injured or doesn’t allow for appropriate recovery time, it is also not preventive, nor positive.
To round out my personal training offerings, I work with many recovery companies including Normatec Recovery, Acumobility, Firefly and Freeze Sleeve. These types of tools, some even originating as medical devices, were all developed for the fitness enthusiast to help aid in recovery from intense workouts and to prevent injury.
Danielle offers Normatec and recovery sessions throughout NYC.
Tap the pic above to find out more!
Also, I always encourage everyone to make time for stretching and massages. It may not always be in the budget, so use a massage as a reward and self trigger point release can be done on your own at any time. There is an entire segment of the fitness industry that caters to recovery nowadays. Whether buying a recovery tool or fitting in a yoga or stretch class, it is out there and should be mixed in with the intense work to create balance for your body.
Overall, my advice is to view your new fitness and nutrition routine as your prevention medicine plan. The results could range from your doctor being impressed that your cholesterol or blood pressure went down, or your knees starting to hurt less and back aches subsiding, or your ability to sleep better and feel more rested each day. These things all do happen and can happen if you put your mind to achieving optimal wellness via a lifestyle change and not just a resolution.
An important point to keep in mind is none of this is a punishment! It blows my mind how many people think that it is torture to workout or that vegetables don’t taste good. If done the right way, workouts are proven to release chemicals that boost your mood or offset depression and vegetables can be prepared to taste delicious. It is not punishment, it is taking care of yourself and the one body that you have.
Eating bread or sugar as the staples of your diet and not moving your body is disrespecting yourself and bringing on disease. Yes, I said disease. As much as some chronic diseases may be genetic, many types have been shown to be the result of poor lifestyle choices. I find using the word disease is a great tactic when explaining why a healthy lifestyle is the only option. Also, there are people out there with real physical disabilities or medically diagnosed gastrointestinal issues who would do anything to use a limb they don’t have or eat a certain food or eat out at a restaurant without worrying what may happen. If you are overweight or unhealthy or not using your body to its full potential, every time you skip a workout or eat or drink bad foods too often...just think of the disease you are permitting in your life and think of those people who are struggling with no choice. So I encourage you to take pride in yourself, your body, and use your brain to make choices that don’t cause disease. When you start to think you are preventing disease and sickness, your mind will better process why you must live a healthy lifestyle.
Since I became a personal trainer over 12 years ago, the world of health and wellness has drastically expanded and changed. All around us there are nutrition and meal delivery companies, a million types of boutique workouts and fitness options, advances in science with the latest trend of genomic DNA testing, biohacking everywhere….take advantage and check it all out!! You will find many things you can stick with, I promise. There are more options than ever available to help you live healthier, longer and pain free. Do it for yourself... not for your “resolution,” you will feel better, look better and be happier!
Danielle offers Normatec and recovery sessions throughout NYC.
Email Danielle to inquire about special pricing and availability!
Learn more about Danielle at : www.bodywellbydanielle.com
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