Often times implementing lifestyle changes or starting an exercise routine can seem like a daunting task. On the other hand, maintaining the motivation and discipline to adhere to physical activity can be even more difficult. And in this information age the mass media often wields a double-edged sword-it brings needed information to the masses, but often when this information finally arrives to you and me it has been tainted by the need to sell advertising or watered down for fear of litigation. Here are some suggestions and tips to make exercise a part of your life:

1. If you keep on doing what you are doing, you will keep on being what you are being.

This is a cute way of re-stating one of our old high school physics lessons-the Law of Inertia- an object at rest will remain at rest or an object in constant motion will remain in constant motion unless acted upon by an outside force. If you’re already physically active- GOOD-keep at it! It is much easier to maintain your routine than to start from scratch. Spice things up a bit, vary what you do, but by no means retreat back to the sofa and remote. If you haven’t started yet, START! Walk, work in your garden, use an elliptical machine, lift weights-do something. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. You can always get some coaching here at Teamworks or get more information on your chosen activity later on. You all know the abysmal health statistics in this country. Let this be your outside force and not a heart attack or cancer!

1. Don’t fear the muscle-head! (or for you ladies, don’t fear the fitness chick!)

You know exactly what I am talking about. The hulking giant of a man in the gym who can’t bend his arms to drink his protein shake or the super skinny, tanned diva who always seems to let people know about her whole food organic food program. Folks, let me tell you-9 times out of 10 these people have no idea what they are talking about! These people are not products of their training, but they flocked to this type of training because they already had an affinity for it. In other words, big guys often get into weight lifting because they are already big and it is something they can excel at. Skinny women get into aerobics because they find it is easy for them to do with little weight to move around. Just because someone has a genetic gift towards throwing a baseball, does not mean they can teach you to be a first rate pitcher.

            Secondly, aside from the gym muscle-heads, be wary where you get the rest of your fitness information. The majority of fitness books, magazines, and articles on the internet aren’t worth the paper they are written on. Recently, a student at a local high school where I work at left one of the popular muscle magazines lying around. Out of mere curiosity I decided to see what, if any, value this mag actually had. Out of a total of 268 pages, 161 full pages were dedicated to selling supplements and products! In fact only about 30 pages were dedicated to training programs advocated by the “elite” fitness and body-building gurus. All in all, I found about 5 tidbits of substantive information in the entire magazine! The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is go on a media-fast. Quit reading useless magazines, stop watching television and listening to the latest gimmick and hype, and stop the internet browsing of the latest “fad” exercise short-cuts. Why fear the muscle-head? Just don’t listen to them!

1. “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint”

When-ever you have purpose or a long term vision of what you want to accomplish, self-discipline is virtually self-imposed. This is especially true when it comes to our health or physical activities. Envision where you’re trying to go, avoid the pitfalls of distractions, and preserve through the process. Think long-term and you’re well on your way to not only starting a new exercise program, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I hope these tips help you to engage in a healthy lifestyle this new year!!
Check out our website at http://www.newlifehealthandwellness.com and see how our unique programs can keep you on track!!