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Resolution Solution

I have given this a lot of thought. What single gem will really make a difference in your 2012 resolution? My advice…

Get Help

Whatever your health goal for 2012, the best suggestion I can give you is to enlist help in your endeavors. Maybe, the initial reaction is “Thanks, but I can do it on my own.” Forgive my direct reply but “Why haven’t you?” The truth is, healthy living is simple. Simple, not easy. We know what we should be doing and yet we don’t. The missing link is acknowledging that your goal is important and that you need help to get there. What do we do in other areas of our lives? We get quality help and our lives are better for it. You might trim your bangs on occasion but you probably don’t give yourself a full haircut. Below are a few examples to get your juices flowing.

Goal:

  • Limit my risks for heart disease/diabetes
  • Finally lose 5/20/50 pounds
  • Help my overweight husband/partner/children
  • Feel as fit as I used to
  • Have my body be my best fashion asset (even with Prada in the closet)

Decide your weakness:

  • I’m scared to go to the doctor to find out my risks/blood work
  • I’m tired of failing
  • Nagging ends in no one being happy
  • I’m too tired to work out
  • I’m intimidated at the gym

Enlist help:

  • Have a friend or relative go with you to the doctor appointment with questions written down and notes taken during appointment(s)including follow up care
  • Sign up for class or personal training with a very optimistic, positive leader with substantial success record
  • Find family/couple activities that take you out of the driver seat (bowling, parent/tot/couple dance classes, open gym at park district, couples tennis lessons)
  • list your activity and eating differences between then and now and sign up for help in those areas
  • Sign up for shorter duration and ultra beginner activities to start
  • Hire a trainer (I’m never intimidated at the gym and it rubs off on my clients)

Then, what?

1. Start working with in your new system. Remember, I said simple, not easy.

2. Evaluate. Is your help helping? If not, find another helper.

I wish you all the best in identifying your needs and accomplishing your goals. Need help with your help? I’m just a phone call or email away.Happy Happy New Year to you and yours!

Dinner Tonight and Easy Help

In an effort to help you stay healthy during these busy times, here are a few economical and easy ideas. Enjoy!
Dinner Tonight:
  • a cooked rotisserie chicken ($7)
  • a bag of washed mixed greens ($4)
  • a small loaf of fresh whole wheat bread or rolls ($4)
  • some fresh berries ($4)

Remove all the skin of the chicken and debone, add some dressing to the greens, warm the rolls and add a sprinkle of sugar to the berries after rinsing. Healthy, filling and nutrient rich all while tasting homemade.

Stress Relief: Take full deep exhales and inhales while squeezing your limbs from close to the center of the body out to the ends of your fingers and toes as though you were squeezing a tube of toothpaste. Have a partner on hand? Offer to help each other – it’s such a simple concept even the “massage challenged” can deliver.

Need to exercise? Search “Yoga” or “Dance” or “Cardio” on your TiVo or DVR system and record the next available class. Enjoy first thing in the morning of after the kids have gone to bed. Even ten minutes of exercise will leave you feeling rejuvenated.

Next week… New Year’s Resolution help.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Blakely FIT

Strength Training Exclusively for Women

www.blakelyfit.com  773-680-6824  train@blakelyfit.com

 Operating out of Symmetry Center:  401 West Ontario, 4th Floor, Chicago IL 60610

Gift Ideas Large and Small

 Great Gift Ideas ~ Large and Small

 After discouraging you from buying last week, I thought it only fair to offer some helpful suggestions for the exercising woman in your life. (Or, feel free to forward this on to people looking for a great gift for you.)

Free: Mix CD: Music is an outstanding motivator. Make it funny, make it romantic, or make it inspiring. She’ll love the time you put in and the mid workout motivation.

$10 to $50:

Small Toiletries Kit (make sure it has a hook) or buy travel sizes of her favorite shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion to really personalize

Body Shammy

Full Size Bath Towel (gym towels are too tiny for anyone over a size 6)

New Yoga Mat (community mats are just that, community)

New Goggles (for your swimmer)

MP3 or iPod arm holder for workouts

New Flip flops for the shower

New refillable Water Bottle (with cleaning tabs or cartridge if needed)

$50 and above: 

Blakely FIT gift certificate (this one’s my favorite) 773-680-6824

Urban Oasis, Message Envy or favorite spa gift card to soothe those hard working muscles

Lululemon gift card for those high quality, last forever workout clothes you can actually run to the store in afterward

Heart Rate Monitor or Body Bug for the woman who loves to track her progress with computers

I hope these are a help! Wishing you a low stress week and time for your rejuvinating workouts.

Do NOT Buy This Gift

Do NOT Buy This Gift

Unless you are in need of a very expensive dry cleaning clothes hanger please do not buy yourself a piece of cardio equipment for your home this Christmas or Hannukah. I have been a personal trainer for over ten years and I can count on one hand the number of people that actually use their home cardio equipment. Your money and home are too important. Pieces of cardio equipment are expensive, space consuming and when unused, guilt inducing.

I do understand why you want to purchase these items for you or your loved one. It is the promise of health, beauty, energy, a slim physique, convenience and accomplishment. Who doesn’t love all of those things? But the truth of the matter is – these machines go unused. It is not the piece of equipment that delivers success. It is the habit and the action. The act of consistantly exercising over weeks and months changes our bodies and our energy level. A piece of equipment can only deliver such changes if you’re on it.

If you are still unconvinced, I invite you to take this test for one month. Decide a cardio schedule as if you had purchased new home equipment (i.e. “I will exercise on my cardio equipment every M,W,F at 6am for 40 minutes”.) And every time you were planning on working out – use a work out DVD (rentable form Library for free or use the one that’s been sitting on your shelf) or dance in your living room or walk outside – remember this is just for four weeks. If after four weeks you have completed all the cardio sessions – maybe you are the exception to the rule but if not – you just saved your self potentially thousands of dollars and a big guilt trip.

I realize it’s disappointing to have the curtain pulled back. Know that there are solutions and tools that can help. Give me a call if you would like to see what personal training can offer. I am the closest thing available to “habit delivery” and would love to help you feel all that the infomercial is promising.

Blakely FIT
Strength Training Exclusively for Women

www.blakelyfit.com  773-680-6824  train@blakelyfit.com

 Training out of Symmetry Center: 401 West Ontario, 4th Fl., Chicago IL 60610

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STRENGTH TRAINING EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOMEN