Develop Your Wellness Plan
By Mark Misner, Certified Personal Fitness Trainer
December brings to mind a plethora of great memories and a time to revive wonderful family traditions. Many of you may be surprised to hear this from me, but I encourage you to enjoy every minute of what makes our holidays special! The key to making sure you do not regret your behavior following the festivities, is “MODERATION.” Did you really think I was just going to tell you to enjoy the season without a few healthy guidelines? (This is where my passion as a personal fitness trainer comes out.)
I believe that your actions should be dictated by your goals. While back-to-back-to-back holiday events can put a large dent in your health and fitness progress, every effort in the spirit of MODERATION is a positive step. For example, selecting a small serving of Grandma’s special pie is better than the large wedge that she usually offers you. And limiting yourself to two glasses of wine, instead of four, will save many calories. Opportunities for MODERATION are available throughout the holidays; such as, choosing a small golf-ball size serving of stuffing over a softball size portion. Please note that the premise of “moderation” only works on first servings; second helpings have no place here!
Do you know what your health and wellness goals are for 2009? Do you think the time for these resolutions are after January first? Well, the best time to determine your objectives is before the New Year.
Health goals are not something to be resurrected each January and acted upon for the next few months. “Right now” is always the perfect time to establish your goals. What better way to take care of your family over the holidays, then to take care of yourself? There is often a significant amount of stress surrounding these celebrations; you can lessen the impact of this added pressure by exercising and eating right. To help you meet your 2009 health resolutions, you can follow along as I share proven tips and exercises in the coming months. While I believe that every individual should have a program customized to their needs, I want to establish some guidelines that should get you on the track for success. I will continue to assist you in developing your program with each of the next several issues of the Davis Islands Community News.
Now that you are ready to set some goals, the starting point in developing your plan is awareness of the three elements necessary to your success; aerobic exercise, strength training and healthy dietary choices. Achieving the healthy body composition you desire and then maintaining this level for the long-term duration requires a substantial, yet very attainable, commitment in all three areas. Regardless of your age or personal goals, an experienced, certified personal fitness trainer may be a worthy investment in your plan development as well as providing for a proper rate of progress.
I have already mentioned using “moderation” as a method of making healthy dietary choices, and will cover additional strategies in the future, but let’s talk about the two exercise elements. (Remember to check with your physician before starting a new exercise program.)
Aerobic Exercise: The objective is to get your heart pumping on most days. The key points include getting enough exertion (i.e. brisk walking verses leisurely strolling with your dog) and making time for aerobic activity, for 20 to 45 minutes, five to seven days per week. I believe that at a moderately challenging to very challenging level, six days of 20 minutes of activity can be more beneficial then three days of 60 minutes of activity. Daily consistency is important to your aerobic activity commitment.
Strength Training: This is easily the most difficult area of an exercise program, but with two or three safe, challenging sessions each week you can get incredible results. You will need to do your homework to develop a program that works best for you. Your plan should consider your starting fitness level, any orthopedic limitations (i.e. a problem back or a bum knee or shoulder), your medical profile, your ability to maintain your balance, as well as your overall posture (spine, shoulder, hips, etc.) Strength training can include working out with weights; however, there are plenty of exercises that use other equipment (bands, balls, etc.) or no equipment at all. I have included a description and instructional photos of one of my favorite exercises below. (And I really like a lot of exercises!)
Exercise Introduction: The Pointing Dog – Superman/woman
• Objective: Safely strengthen the lower back muscles.
• Starting Position: Begin (on the floor) in a balanced, stable position on your hands and knees.
• Technique: Slowly raise, for a count of 3, your opposite arm and leg (right arm/left leg then switch to left arm/right leg) to a point about even with your back. Pause for a moment and then slowly lower, for a count of 3, to touch the floor.
• Breathing: Inhale before you begin the upward motion, then exhale softly as you reach the high point (the level of your back.)
• Repetitions: Work up to 15 – 25 repetitions for each arm/leg combination.
• Progressions: Once you have mastered the basic exercise, you can vary it for an added challenge.
1. Add a hold of 10-15 seconds in the raised position.
2. Use 3-5 pound ankle weights strapped to your lower legs.
3. Try to balance so that neither hand nor toe touch the floor as you transition between each repetition.
Enjoy this exercise, be consistent and you will love the results. I look forward to sharing additional safe, creative, challenging exercises with you in the future. Have a fantastic holiday season and best wishes for an awesome 2009!
Mark is the president of Body By Design, Inc. – Personal Trainers; he has been helping clients realize their health and fitness goals for over nineteen years.
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