If there is anything my 20 years as a personal trainer has taught me, it’s that people who have the most success in accomplishing their fitness goals are the ones who take the time to create a plan that clearly defines what they would like to achieve, explains what they are going to do to achieve it, and provides a way to keep track of their progress until they achieve it. This plan is the crucial difference in the success or failure of reaching their goals – and it’s the crucial difference in reaching yours.

So, how do you go about creating this plan? It’s easy. Follow these six steps – the same six steps I use with each of my own clients – and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your personal fitness goals.

Step 1: Buy a journal

It doesn’t have to be something fancy – even something as simple as a plain three ring binder will work, as long as you’ll be able to use it to document your plan and keep track of your success.

In your journal, you will assess yourself and determine your goals, create a contract with yourself to keep on track, define your long-term and short-term goals, and keep track of your progress on a daily basis.

Step 2: Assess yourself

In your journal, create a list of areas you would like to analyze on your way to creating your personal fitness plan. Rate these areas 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (1=good, 5=poor). This will be your starting point of enlightenment in your journey for better health.

Some areas I usually like to assess are:

_____ Morning Energy _____ Stress Management
_____ Evening Energy _____ Time Management
_____ Posture _____ Cardiovascular Fitness
_____ Strength _____ Flexibility
_____ Weight Management _____ Eating Habits
_____ Balanced Lifestyle _____ Social Life
_____ Personal Lifestyle _____ Habit Changing

From your answers, you can determine what areas need to be worked on the most and create your goals for the future.

Step 3: Create a contract

After determining what areas you would like to improve upon, create a contract with yourself to improve those areas. This contract makes you accountable for the goals you have set.

Put this contract in a place where you will see it on a regular basis – on your closet door, on your bathroom mirror, in your daily planner. Looking at your contract often will remind you of what you are trying to achieve.

The following is an example of a simple contract that you may want to use:

I, ____________________________________, agree to accomplish (the goal) before ________________ (date), and formally contract myself to achieve this goal. This goal is challenging but reachable, and I accept the challenge.

Fill this out for each goal you choose to work on.

Step 4: Determine long-term goals

Your long-term goals are the things you would like to accomplish in 1 to 5 years. These are the end result – your target goals. Include with your long-term goals what you will do to help attain those goals.

For example, if you are 50 pounds overweight, your goal may be to lose 50 pounds in 1 year. Another example may be to run a marathon in 3 years. You may even have less specific goals in mind such as to just become more disciplined with your workouts and keep motivated to stay fit.

Whatever your long-term goals are, make sure you list them even if they seem unattainable to you right now. Knowing what you are working to accomplish will help you to stay focused on your way to meeting that goal.

Step 5: Determine short-term goals

Your short-term goals are the pieces of the puzzle that will support reaching your long-term goals. These should be very specific and realistic goals that will incrementally take you to achieving your final long-term goals.

For example, if your long-term goal is to lose 50 pounds, your short-term goal may be to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month. If your long-term goal is to run a marathon, your short-term goal may be to run 5 miles by the end of the month.

Short-term goals should generally be reassessed every 8 to 12 weeks, and make changes and adjustments as necessary to help accomplish the long-term goals.

Step 6: Create an action plan

An action plan is an evaluation of your short-terms goals, the barriers you will face in achieving those goals, and what you will do get past the barrier and achieve your goal.

Creating an action plan will help you to visualize what it’s going to take to accomplish your short-term goals, which will in turn help you to achieve your final long-term goals.

Here is an example of how you might want to set up you short term goals, barriers and actions:

Short-Term Goal: Lose 3% body fat and 15 pounds in three months

Goal Barrier Action

Train with weight 3 days a week Motivation Schedule it
Cardio training 3 days a week Motivation Schedule it
Plan out meals each week Time and preparation Pick one day to shop each week and put it onto the calendar
Start a new meal plan Feeling deprived can cause binges Talk with someone to understand emotional eating

Using a calendar is a great way to set reminders for your workouts and shopping days. Anything that will remind you and support you in your new habits will help to create a sense of accomplishment until it is part of your new lifestyle.

Step 7: Reward yourself

I know this was a six-step plan… but every successful achievement deserves a reward! When you reach your goal, be sure to treat yourself to a reward for taking the steps necessary to create the changes needed to accomplish your goals. Celebrate!

Carolyn Phillips, founder and CEO of Fit Behavior (http://www.fitbehavior.com)

 Here is a quick check list of how to read an ingredient label

• Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance.
• The first two or three ingredients are the ones that matter most.
• The word “whole” should appear as the first or second ingredient if you are considering types of grains such as whole wheat, oats, rye, or another grain.
• Whole-grain foods should contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, but more is better.
• If sugar is listed in the top three ingredients, my recommendation is not to buy the product at all. To know how many grams of total sugar a product contains, check the nutrient facts label. Four to 5 grams of sugar is equal to a level teaspoon. For example, is the ingredient label has 40 grams of sugar in your “healthy drink” you have purchased, you will be consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar!
• Partially hydrogenated oils are the primary source of trans fats. If a food contains partially hydrogenated oils, it contains trans fats.

Other bedazzling ways to misrepresent foods

You’re trying to make the right choices in the foods you choose. Beware of manufactures tricks to deceive consumers into thinking that you are purchases healthier or better quality foods than they really are.

• It used to be you would look for sugar in the top three ingredients. Now a trick of manufactures is to distribute sugar among many ingredients that fall below the top three ingredients. They may use corn syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup solids, dextrose and other sugar products in smaller quantities so they do not fall in the top three spot.  Ingredients that end in the word “ose” are all forms of sugar, as are honey and corn sweeteners. These products still contain as much sugar as their counter parts.
• A food that states “trans fat free” may in fact contain up to 0.5 grams of partially hydrogenated oils, a source of trans fats, in the ingredient list.  In turn food companies have changed serving sizes to sell their product as fat free!
• Another trick is to list healthy ingredients and have the label state this clearly in the front as an added benefit.  Unfortunately the ingredients listed are in such small amounts or hardly even detectable amounts that you will derive no real value from the consumption of them in the product.
• Ingredients lists don‘t have to list chemical contaminants. Foods can contain pesticides, solvents, and other toxic chemicals without having to list them at all. The best way to minimize your ingestion of toxic chemicals is to buy organic, or go with fresh, minimally-processed foods.

If you notice that your day to day energy levels seem to be less than exuberant from the moment you get out of bed; your lack of energy may not be related to lack of sleep.  Many times the root causes are not addressed and could be connected to other health related issues or daily lifestyle choices. Check out these top ten energy zappers and solutions for you to consider.

1. Food Allergies can cause fatigue. If you feel especially tired after meals on a regular basis, notice what you ate 30 minutes to an hour earlier. You may want to make an appointment with an allergist who specializes in diagnosing and treating allergies. If you try to eliminate foods on your own, you can risk removing too many nutrients from the foods you are eliminating.

 2. Sluggish Thyroid. A common sign that your thyroid is not functioning normally is fatigue. The thyroid gland produces hormones that control your metabolism.  Higher energy during your day will be the result of an efficient metabolism. As many as 10 percent Americans are currently undiagnosed. A woman faces as high as a one in five chance of developing thyroid problems during her lifetime, (seven times more often than men). Consider a blood test to determine if you have hypothyroidism.  

3. Anemia is a condition in which you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your tissues. Having anemia may make you feel exhausted. Your doctor can do a blood test to see if you are anemic. If you are anemic, you can typically correct the problem with iron or vitamin supplements and change in diet.

 4. Dehydration. This is an often overlooked cause of fatigue. Dehydration, even at minor levels, causes the body systems to slow down; this makes you feel sluggish, tired, irritable and less productive If you need a quick energy boost, drink one or two glasses of water. Drinking water also has other benefits, such as avoiding headaches and increasing metabolism.

5. Stress.  Life is stressful, but many of us make it worse by overfilling our schedules and trying to do it all.  Reducing stress—external or internal will reduce free radical damage, slow down the aging process and increase your energy and mental capacity. If you want your body to look and feel better, have more energy, and want to develop a stronger immune system, it is essential to work on ways to reduce your stress. Figure out what is most important to you and cut out the rest. Learn to say no. Try out a few of these techniques to improve your ability to deal with stress: yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and nutrition.  

 6. Sugar. A quick sugar fix may result in a necessary nap! Excess sugar consumption causes inflammation in your body, which leads to a sharp spike in insulin levels. It accelerates the aging process and increases the risks of heart disease, every form of cancer, memory loss and energy drain. If you choose to eat sugar, combine it with foods that have monounsaturated fats, such as nuts, olive oil and avocado’s. Fiber is also good since it aids in slowing down sugar absorption.  Fiber foods are found in certain fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans.  Protein, too, aids in better sugar absorption.  Include protein foods such as egg whites, chicken, fish, and nuts.

7.  Oxygen increases energy available for your brain and muscles. Many of us have shallow breathing most of the time. Build in mini-breaks during your day, take three deep breaths and release them slowly to relieve stress. Good posture opens the chest cavity and increases oxygen intake. One of the biggest culprits for bad posture is sitting at your desk all day without break. Take a break once an hour. Take a mini-breathing-break, climb a stairway or stretch.  

8- Lack of Exercise. If you’re feeling lethargic: get your blood pumping. A brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down and provide a quick pick-you-up. Cardiovascular exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to complete your day with ease.  Looking to for a time saving workout?  Try circuit training, which combines strength training and cardiovascular activities and provides a more time-efficient workout than traditional aerobic and weight training sessions. In just 30 minutes, you can improve your mood, feel happier and more relaxed and boost your self-confidence and self esteem and increase your day to day energy levels.

9-Nutrition is a key ingredient in having lots of energy and optimizing brain chemistry for mental clarity. When you skip meals and snacks, you may think you are training your body to ignore hunger signals; however, when you don’t eat regularly, your blood sugar level drops, and your energy levels pay the price.

10- Processed Foods It is easy to snack from the vending machine or hit the fast food drive-through for a quick food fix. These choices typically serve up the unhealthiest options for nutrition. Pack a lunch that includes organic foods and avoid processed foods, which have chemicals, decrease vitality and lead to overeating at the end of your day because they lack nutrients. Become a “food detective” and study food labels. A good rule of thumb is this: If a food item has a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, there’s probably more than one ingredient in it that could be harmful to your health and will zap your day of energy.

Do you feel the need for a little TLC at the end of a long hard tension filled day?  There are home therapies that you may want to try to relieve soft tissue stress. Soft tissue consists of muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia (tough connective tissue that covers the entire body).

People who live with the soft tissue pain are usually part of a bigger problem.

Primary factors resulting in soft tissue strain:

• Persistent muscular contraction, strain or overuse (emotional or physical cause) -Sitting at a desk all day, over training at the gym etc.

• Trauma (local inflammatory reaction) - Injury

• Adverse environmental conditions - Cold, heat, damp

• Prolonged immobility -Laying on a couch for long periods of time regularly

• Systemic biochemical imbalance - Hormonal, nutritional

• Muscle imbalances work etc. - Using the same muscles everyday for work or sports

There are several factors that you may need to correct for long term healthy soft tissue. Consider an initial consultation with a physical therapist, massage therapist and acupuncture/acupressure professional to determine the best path to healthy soft tissue. Home therapies including acupressure, reflexology and trigger point are available as part of a daily routine.

Acupressure was used 4,000 years ago used to heal the body and mind. Acupressure stimulates points on the body to increase energy and blood flow increasing nutrients and oxygen to the painful areas. Studies have shown lower blood pressure benefits. Acupressure may even induce the release of endorphins and oxytocin, the body’s own pain-relieving and happiness hormones.

Yantra Mat http://www.yantraway.com. Yantra Mat’s 8,820 acupressure points provoke increase in blood flow. In minutes, you’ll feel warmth along the parts of your body touching the mat. It only takes 10-20 minutes a day.

Reflexology applies pressure to specific zones on the body to create an analgesic effect (pain relief).

Stress balls The action of squeezing and releasing the balls acts on the reflexology points in the hand, and long reaching beneficial effects on the body. It’s great at the office ward off repetitive strain injuries and it’s beneficial for people suffering with arthritis.

Trigger point – Trigger points are tender to touch. However, every tender area isn’t a trigger point. Tender points are areas of congestion where tissue may be lacking blood flow, or there may be a lot of scar tissue matted down in the particular area of stress.

Foam rollers Many people like to take the foam roller and roll back and forth on it. This is okay because it helps to address the fascia, improves circulation to the tissue, and breaks up adhesions. However, if you want to address the trigger point, you need to stop on the tender area that is referring pain and hold your pressure until it begins to release and the pain starts to dissipate. 10- 12 seconds. A good source for trigger point and roller use: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief by Clair Davies.

• Good pain – the type that’s part of the muscle strengthening process called delayed onset muscle soreness.
• Bad pain – the kind that may be an injury.

Good pain – General workout guidelines for stiff and sore muscles
• Stiff and sore muscles four to 48 hours after exercise come with the territory, especially when beginning a new workout regimen.
• You can workout if you are mildly sore and the pain goes away during the warm up. It takes about 10 minutes for all the physiological adjustments to exercise.
• Evaluating yourself in this warm-up period is important for preventing injuries. If the stiffness disappears after five or 10 minutes, continue with your usual workout, however; it’s not a good day to increase the distance or the duration of your workout.
• If the pain doesn’t go away after you’re warmed up, cut back on your workout and make it an easy day. If possible, exercise in a way that doesn’t involve the painful area.

Bad Pain
• Do not exercise day after day with a pain that won’t go away.
• Seek immediate diagnosis from a physician in the following cases.

Warning Signs
• Your pain does not go away in 12 to 48 hours after ice treatments, rest and gentle stretching.
• Your pain is sharp and localized in the joint, not muscles surrounding it.
• Your pain is accompanied by numbness, weakness or swelling in the joint.
• Your pain limits your motion.

Common bad pains
o Tendonitis(inflamed and torn), the fibrous tissue that anchors muscle to bone
o Cartilage, damaged cushion between bone and surface of a joint.
o Stress fractures from overuse.

Trying new adventures in life creates an exciting life. Connecticut has lots of gems for exploring the state and getting fit doing it!

CTcoastalkayaking.com
Kayaking Connecticut Coastal is a two owner hands on business with years of experience and knowledge that will make you feel comfortable and confident assisting you to explore what out kayaking is all about. You can take lessons as well as take tours as an individual or group exploring and enjoying the CT Rivers and coast. They offer basic to advance instruction and can include equipment and education regarding basic to advance kayaking.

Canoeing and kayaking is a great way to enjoy the Connecticut waterways and see the state. Canoeing and kayaking can be peaceful and meditative or can be exhilarating workout– depending on where and how you do it. Both are low impact activities that can improve your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility and be a great overall workout. Paddling is also a low impact activity that can reduce the risk of wear-and-tear on joints and be a great fitness activity for almost any age!
Connecticutwatertrails.com
Once you have your groove on and feel confident enough to get out on your own (with buddies of course), check out Connecticut Water Trails Program. This website will provide you with maps and information on the water ways in CT. You will be provided the history and what you can see as you explore the water ways of CT.

Brownstonepark.com
The Brownstone exploration and discovery park located in Portland Ct. is an experience you need to check out if you want live it up, try something new and challenge your body! Snorkeling, sub diving, cliff jumps, biking, hiking, zip lining, canoeing/cliff jumps, scuba, and swimming are just some of the exciting adventures you can participate in. Instruction and equipment are provided.

Visit Kent!
Check out these three options for a healthy recreational fitness days or weekends.

www.clubgetaway.com
Weather you’re a healthy minded single person or a family looking for activity based getaways, Club Getaway has fit and fun options! Day trips and weekend getaways are an option.

www.bicycletours.com
This company will help you design your own trip and offer self-guided tours, outings locally as well as internationally. Bicycle maintenance/van support can be included.

Kent Falls State Park
What a perfect location for a picnic to recharge after a FREE adventure exploring the series of waterfalls on a mountain stream known as Falls Brook. The stream begins in the town of Warren, draining an area of six or seven square miles. It then flows west to the big fall where it plunges approximately 70 feet in a dramatic cascade.
Looking to explore more fun ideas?

 Check out http://www.lookingforadventure.com/states/ConnWaterSports.htm

Check out your local fitness classes or DVD’s to find some of the newest trends in workout combining. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Piloxing- is a sleek, sexy and powerful workout! It might be the latest Hollywood Celebrity fitness craze. PILOXING creatively mixes Pilates and boxing into a fat blasting and muscle sculpting workout.

Cy–Yo – brings the mind, body, and spirit together in a fitness workout. A Cy-Yo class begins with yoga flow that focuses on energizing the muscles, lubricating and warming the joint structures, and bringing awareness to the mind/body energy centers. Following is an indoor cycling class. During the cycling class, focus is on energy centers, visualization techniques, and breathing patterns. A yoga flow is done following the cycling class to refocus minds, calm bodies, and create a positive energy flow.

Yogalates – Yoga focuses on flexibility, then strength. Pilates focuses on stability, then strength and flexibility. Pilates helps develop a stable core. Combining the two disciplines of “yoga” and “pilates” into “Yogalates” is perfect blend.

Circuit Training – includes both your cardiovascular and weight training components of fitness. Circuit training is short bursts of resistance exercise using moderate weights and frequent repetitions, followed quickly by another burst of exercise targeting a different muscle group or cardiovascular activities to encourage weight loss and calorie burning.
Try out Fit Behaviors 30FIT(CURCUIT TRAINING) includes unlimited workouts every week for the same price as a one hour personal training workout! There are only one to six people in a workout session. The intensity levels are high to challenge you, yet can be modified by the personal trainer to accommodate your personal level of fitness and work around previous injuries.
ONE WEEK FREE WHEN YOU MENTION THIS BLOG!
Every day is a different work out so you will never get bored! Workouts consist of boot camp, functional training, plyo metrics, cardio kick, compound training a variety of workouts to inspire and keep you focused. Group training includes kettle bells, ropes, weights, steps, heavy balls, TRX, and all the latest and up to date equipment to get you fit!
You can book 30FIT workouts Monday through Friday 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM at your convenience! Times on Saturday are available as well.

Bring your senses to the rescue. Your home and work environment can offer a more serine environment that includes sight, sound, scent and touch to engage the senses in stress reduction.

Sight. Different colors elicit different feelings; blue and green are known for reducing stress. Add some blue tinted glass, blue water glasses, blue clothes, paint and other splashes of home décor to reduce stress. Surround yourself with visual stimulation such as mementos and photos. Keep a fresh bouquet of flowers at a table or workstation.
Sound. Include music and other sounds that calm and soothe you. Open the window and tune into bird chatter. Place a small fountain in your home, office or bedroom so you can enjoy the sound of running water.
Scent. Include scents that make you feel good such as freshly brewed coffee or a bowl of fragrant fruit that can perk up your day. Candles don’t need to be just for romance.  A lavender scented candle is know for being a scent that is stress reducing.
Touch. Experiment with warm and cool temperatures to relax and renew. Warm up a heat pack with herbs for back relaxation at the end of a day. Don’t think of these pleasures as a splurge. Build them into your day to day activities.

Skin is exposed to hundreds of chemicals during the course of a lifetime. Shampoos, shower gels, lotions, soaps and deodorants, household cleaning solvents, detergents and chemicals from the bath or shower water affect the skin. The winter months, clothes that are confining, sun exposure and lack of activity and not working out adversely affect the skin. A sedentary lifestyle leads to holding toxins in the body longer and is not healthy for the skin and overall health. Studies have shown that environmental chemicals, poor diet and stress cause 95% of cancers.

Steam rooms and saunas can be more than just a luxury. They can be a very healthy addition to your home and weekly routine at the gym. A typical steam room session can sweat out up to 30% of its toxins that have built up.

Steams and saunas works by providing the right amount of heat to the body to improve the rate of blood circulation and produces sweat eliminating toxins out body through the pores. Another benefit for skin care is increased blood flow to the tiny capillaries (just under the skins surface) causing the skin to glow and look healthy because the blood cells carry minerals, vitamins and oxygen: vital for a healthy body.

Our first step in coaching together was to find ways to increase movement during her day that would not overwhelm her. Nancy started taking the stairs, rather than parking in the closest spot. Instead of e-mailing a coworker, she would get up and walk over to the person.

I had her take mini-breaks during her day for breathing exercises. Oxygen increases energy available for your brain and muscles. A quick energy and mood enhancing break consisting of breathing only takes moments and stress may feel like its floating away. You will be able to calm down and focus better on the task at hand. Take three to five deep breaths and release them slowly to relieve stress.

She also was skipping meals and snacks. You may think you are training your body to ignore hunger signals; however, when you don’t eat regularly, your blood sugar level drops, and your energy levels and mood pays the price. The solution is easy. Keep healthy, easy-to-eat snacks readily available in your desk at work. Almonds make a good snack when you feel a low energy slump. They lift your energy and mood levels because they contain large amounts of iron and some B vitamins, which help your brain, nerves and muscles to function properly. Combine almonds with a source of vitamin C, such as an orange, so your body will better absorb the nutrients.

Nancy also became aware that she was sitting at her desk all day without a break. Blood pools in your legs, which takes away blood flow to the brain and other important muscles and can affect moods because of lack of effective blood flow. An easy solution is to take a break once an hour. Take a mini-breathing-break, climb a stairway or stretch. You can do office stretches while you’re seated at your desk, standing in your work space or on a conference call.

Family life after work mostly consisted of food and television in the evening or finishing up work from the day. One night, Cindy was in her home office, finishing up for the evening, when she heard her husband in the kitchen, and she called out, “David”, can you bring me a glass of water?” Then, she had an “aha” moment and realized how she was consistently finding ways to move less in her day. Maybe it was not just “lack of time” that was creating her problems.

We also built in cardiovascular exercise into her day as often as possible. Cardiovascular exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy and your mood improves. It’s also a great use of time to reflect and plan your day.

Looking to for a time-saving workout? Try circuit training, which combines strength training and cardiovascular activities and provides a more time-efficient workout than traditional aerobic and weight training sessions. Rise 15 minutes earlier every day and you can improve your mood, feel happier, more relaxed and boost your self-confidence and self esteem.