HEALTHIER YEAR AHEAD
TIPS TO HELP ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS IN 2014
Now that the New Year has arrived, how do you actually go about starting a fitness routine? Perhaps you’ve started getting a little bit more active by walking the dog or taking the stairs, and have made some goals like losing a specific number of pounds by the summer or exercising for 30 minutes five days a week. But how do you turn that into a successful, fun, and lasting routine?
“OK, so I’m a new gym member. Now what?” Geoff Starling, the strength and conditioning director at Eau Claire YMCA gets this question a lot. He loves answering it. It’s not about going to a trainer and having them prescribe a one-size-fits-all-workout plan for you, he says. The main point of helping you start a fitness program, Starling says, is “exposing you to all the physical activity options that exist and trying to find the one that sticks.”
“If you can find an activity that you enjoy, you’re much more likely to make the time in your week to keep doing it,” says Starling.
Organizations such as the YMCA typically offer a wide selection of programs for people looking to find that right activity and stay motivated. Options include drop-in group exercise classes, registered/seasonal programs, and personal training. Each carries their own benefits. From the social interaction and fun of an aerobics or aquasize class, the structure and accountability of a registered program, or the support and individual attention of working with a trainer.
Meeting with a certified wellness coach to discuss your goals and help you discover ways to meet them can be a great way to get going on your fitness plan. Starling emphasizes that this one-on-one help is designed to lead to the best activity fit for each person — that could be more one-on-one meetings with the wellness coach, signing you up for a Zumba or yoga class, introducing you to a personal trainer or simply providing you with an in-depth tour of the fitness facility. Most gym facilities are staffed with certified coaches and personal trainers. Their job (and usually their joy) is to help people find the right fit.
By taking that step out of your comfort zone to open up about your goals, even if they are still a vague “to lose weight” or “be more fit,” and ask for help achieving them — you’ll make the trainer’s day and find the encour- agement and guidance you need to get there.