If you are like most Americans, by now the majority of your New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Unfortunately, sticking to your new exercise program was probably one of the first things to go.
It’s not that you don’t want to get in shape and reap the rewards of a properly executed fitness plan. You go through the motions as best you can, but it’s just NOT working — and you demand to know why!
Let’s take a close look at the top five reasons why exercise programs fail.
Reason # 1: Failure to Clearly Identify Goals
You cant expect to get anywhere fast if you dont know where youre going. Establishing goals early on in the development of your regimen, will help you to pick the right exercises, and routines to deliver those goals.
You might feel that spare tire youve been carrying around for the last six or seven years is starting to look like an oversized truck tire. More than anything else, your goal is to just get rid of it, and looking like Arnold is not important to you.
Solution: Sit down with pen and paper and make a list of goals to help you get in touch with what you want from your program.
Because you’ve clearly identifited fat loss as your main goal, you won’t waste hours at the gym hoisting heavy barbells. Instead, you now focus on aerobic exercise as the best way to burn fat. But you dont skip strength training (weight lifting) altogether, you just modify the way you lift, doing high reps with light weight, while resting only briefly between each set.
Reason # 2: Lack of Proper Instruction, Direction
You might have seen this guy at your local gym. Hes been training for years, spends hours working out, and yet never looks any different. If you ask him about his routine, he hasnt a clue. He basically just wonders from one station to the next, and hence, his program has little, or no effect. Worse yet, some of the exercises hes performing are actually having a negative impact on his health, possibly leading to over-training and injury.
Solution: Educate yourself. With all the time this poor guy spends training, hes never taken the time to learn HOW to train. He needs to read a book or two, and stop wasting his time and energy doing what doesnt work.
Reason # 3: Failure to Start Slowly
You want that new body, and you want it now! But back in the real world youll have to give yourself a couple of months to see real results in the appearance department. However, youll notice increases in strength, energy levels, and endurance almost right away.
Soluiton: Give your body a chance to adapt to this new stress called exercise. It will reward you by getting stronger and fitter. Small, gradual pushes work best. For example, if youve havent jogged in years, walk first. Gradually, ad in brief intervals of jogging during your walk, and before you know it, youll be jogging for a pain free half an hour.
Reason # 4: Lack of Time to Devote to Your Program
This is a failure to prioritize and put yourself, and your fitness program first. When you take a closer look, youll realize that you dont need all that much time. About a half an hour per day, 4 or 5 days a week will get big results if you exercise smartly, you can get by with even less.
Solution: Save the excuses for the boss, but be honest with yourself about when, and where you can train. Also, if you put together some basic equipment (a small bench and some dumbbells), you can save the travel time to and from the gym, and squeeze a thirty-minute workout before, or after work right at home.
Reason # 5: Poor Eating Habits
You wouldnt expect your car to respond at its optimum level if you filled its tank with the wrong fuel. A successful exercise program has to be fueled by solid nutrition, with an adequate balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
Failure to eat right while training hard can result in loss of muscle mass, and increased amounts of stored body fat, just what you dont want.
Solution: While shopping, read lables and always choose the low-fat, low-calorie option. Stay away from fried foods that are high in fat, and avoid junk food like the plague. Take a common sense approach to eating right, and make sure you avoid any extreme fad diet.
Michael Stefano is a 20-year veteran of FDNY, as well as author
of The Firefighter’s Workout Book.
His workout routines and articles have been featured on such
internet giants as America Online, Yahoo!, eDiets, and iVillage.
Currently Michael is editor in chief at
http://www.firefightersworkout.com, where you can get more
information about his book and other services, as well as sign
up for his FREE Train For Life Newsletter.
What’s For Dinner? Would you believe low fat red meat.Kim Paolino
Eating smart everyday is a challenge.
Today, more and more people are choosing the newest red meat, Ostrich. A tender and flavorful meat, Ostrich is similar in taste, texture and appearance to beef –but due to its low fat content, has only half the calories!
The lower cholesterol level of this red-meat-lovers alternative, makes it an obvious choice for your heart and cardiovascular system. This premier red meat is easy to prepare, and makes a healthy (and tasty) substitute on almost any menu.
Before you decide to run out to your local butcher and load up on Ostrich, lets take a look at the old reliable, whats-for-dinner meat –Beef.
Does beef have all we need for a healthier diet? According to The American Dietetic Association, it’s not a good idea to completely eliminate fat from our diets. Fat, is actually an essential nutrient, needed for energy, and the transportation of fat-soluble vitamins.
When it comes to consuming red meat, the important thing to remember is MODERATION, keeping portions small (limit serving sizes to 3 to 6 ounces), and avoiding that one pound steak.
Did you know that one serving of lean beef contains only 6.4 grams of fat, and there a several cuts of beef that are even lower in fat than a skinless chicken thigh? And lets not forget the incredible taste of a juicy hamburger, tender skirt steak, or an inviting bowl of hot chili.
Beef is considered natures multi-vitamin. Zinc, one of beef’s most important nutrients, helps boost the immune system and heals wounds faster. Phosphorous, necessary for strong bones and teeth, as well as protein, which helps build a strong and muscular body, are among the nutrients that are abundant in beef.
In addition to a number of B-complex vitamins that help to produce energy in the cells of the body, beef also contanins the vital mineral, iron. Iron aids in delivering oxygen to the muscles and cells, thus providing you with the energy needed to get through your busy day.
So just when you think you’ve made up your mind on ostrich or beef, lets serve up another alternative, Buffalo, also called Bison Meat.
This heart healthy meat, also low in cholesterol and fat is a good source of protein (35% more protein than beef), and another health-conscious, rich tasting choice of red meat. Tender and flavorful, buffalo has fewer calories and less cholesterol than ostrich.
Buffalo is nutrient dense because of its proportion of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals compared with its caloric value. Being high in iron, moderate in zinc, and low in sodium, makes this sweet flavored meat an excellent choice for those of us who are looking to maintain a low fat, low cholesterol diet, essential to good health.
Choices, choices, choices.
In todays world, taking care of our hearts, eating a healthy yet tasty diet, and of course, looking the very best we can, are of serious concern. Eating smart and following a solid STRENGTH, CARDIO, and FLEXIBILITY routine, will help you achieve our goals. Good luck in your selections.
About the author:
Kim Paolino is the senior writer at
http://www.firefightersworkout.com Her articles present
solutions to the dilemma we face every day, “What’s to eat?!”
Hopefully, you’ll find her insightful suggestions, and tips
helpful in making eating right fun, and delicious. More
healthful eating and workout tips can be found in the FREE Train
For Life Newsletter,sign up today at:
http://www.firefightersworkout.com
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The Wilmington Fire Department has received $155,402 in federal money to purchase air-purifying systems for city fire stations, and conduct wellness and fitness tests on each firefighter.
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Go FIT anniversary chance to take stock
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