New Year’s Fitness Tips for a Healthier You

A common New Year’s resolution is to “Get Healthier” and at the Y; we demonstrate our commitment to well being every day by providing the programs, services and support needed to succeed in this quest. If you are looking to add more healthy into your lifestyle in your regular routine in 2012, here are some tips to get you started on the right path.

Sit down with a wellness coach. The Y’s free wellness consultations allow you to explore what type of exercise program works best for you and give you the guidance in your quest to achieve a healthy lifestyle. A wellness consultant coaches you through the basics and helps you design a workout that works for you.

Schedule a personal training session.  The Y’s nationally accredited personal trainers are the perfect resource to provide you with specially designed workouts and extra motivation to help ensure you achieve your goals. These fee-based sessions are very popular with members and community participants alike.

Find an exercise buddy or group. Working out with others forces you to hold each other accountable. Both partners will benefit from the encouragement, and even some friendly competition. Jump into a group exercise class or call a friend for a morning walk. The Y’s group exercise programming provides an opportunity for our members and community participants to work out with others in a welcoming, motivating environment. No matter what age or fitness level you’re at, we have classes for you! We have hundreds of classes a week across the metro Milwaukee area. From Zumba to Cycling, we have options to fit your needs!

Start with activities that are already part of your lifestyle. Being busy, tired, or overwhelmed makes it difficult to succeed, so it is important to make healthy choices that fit your schedule. If you are able, dress for the weather and walk places instead of taking the car. You can also plan family time that revolves around your goals - go swimming, shoot some hoops, or walk the dog together.

Plan your healthy choices ahead of time. Mark down fitness classes, walks or swimming sessions for the week and keep them as you would keep any other appointment. If you miss one, write down the excuse you used, and then write down a solution to that excuse. For example, if you were too tired to get up at 5 a.m. and go to the gym, make sure you get to bed earlier. Or if you were late getting home from work, plan a flex option such as an exercise video or a walk around the neighborhood.

Take a look at your diet. Keep a food journal for one week and review the results. What substitutes or changes can you make to get more energy and meet your body's nutritional needs? For example, if you find yourself stopping at fast food restaurants on the way home from work; try keeping a container of trail mix in your purse to satisfy the desire to snack. Make healthy meal plans for the week and shop for food using those plans.

Focus on weekly behavior change instead of a long-range goal. Making a personal goal is a good idea, but change happens one day at a time. Take each day as it comes, work on it and move on. Celebrate every healthy choice you make, and use missed opportunities as motivation to choose differently tomorrow. Remember, every step counts!

During the month of January, the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee is waiving the join fee when you become a member. So stop in and visit your neighborhood Y to take advantage of all that the Y has to offer in the new year!

For more information and to find your Y, visit us online at www.ymcamke.org