You know you want to be healthier in 2010. But do you know why you want to be healthier?
It’s human nature that as one year draws to a close we wonder how we might make more out of the year ahead. In our neck of the self-improvement universe here at GetGoingNC.com, that translates to how we can improve our physical lot in 2010. You may know that you want to weigh less and be more energetic. You may know that you want to drop two dress sizes, or pare your waistline down to a 34. You may even know what exercise regimen you plan to pursue and how you plan to eat better. But have you stopped to think about why you want to to do all this? Is it because the doctor told you to lose 15 pounds? Do you want to show up for next year’s high school reunion looking like you did 25 years ago? Are you tired of having to fly business class so you can fit into the seat? Those may be perfectly good reasons to shape up, but are they the reason?read more
Source: About.com
This about About.com post is a year old, but the advise is timeless. Tips sent in by readers about how to avoid tubbing out over the holidays. Some you’ve likely heard elsewhere (“Eat a healthy snack before a big holiday party …”), others maybe not (“Go for a brisk run about thirty minutes before you go to bed, this is a refreshing way to end the day and it keeps your metabolism working as you sleep …”). Advice from the masses.read more
In my New-Year’s-On-Thanksgiving post, I touted the benefit of walking. But I didn’t address the benefits of walking. If you like to see evidence before making a committment, here’s some recommended reading on the benefits of walking.read more
So you like the idea of starting a fitness program during the holidays rather than waiting until the holidays are over and the damage done, but you need something with structure? Starting a walking program, as we’ve discussed, is good, but if you need something to hold your feet to the fire (or treadmill, as the case may be), then you may be surprised by the number of fitness classes offered by your local parks and rec that run between Thanksgiving and the new year. Most of the classes are offered two or three times a week, in the evenings. And because they’re through your local parks and rec., they aren’t expensive.read more
If you’re debating whether to go the extreme, quick-results road with your New Year’s Resolution (which started yesterday, remember) or adopt a healthy, lifelong lifestyle, check out a New York Times story this week on past contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” As you might expect, the long-term impact for many of the contestants over the past eight years has not been good, starting with first season winner Ryan C. Benson, who started that season at 330 pounds, dropped 122 and is back up over 300. Good insight into the show and why strategies that cause you to lose 15 pounds a week or more not only don’t work in the long run, they can threaten your life.read more