Fitness Mantra : A Health and Fitness Blog

5 Simple New Year Resolutions For A Fitter, Healthier You!

01

January

Linkfitnessmantra12:27 am1 comment

new year 2007 Here we are again at that time of the year. The holiday season is almost over and it’s time now to take stock of what we are left with. Let’s see. In the gifts department, there’s loads of chocolates, homemade pies and, of course, one too many picture frames with holiday designs around the border.

Then a quick look at the mirror to see if a “little” bit of careless eating over the month-long holiday season had any effect on - Holy Cow! Is that really the same person? But it was just a cookie here, a bite of chocolate there and a piece of pie everywhere!

With the scales showing at least a 5 pound gain of the wrong type of weight (fat, rather than muscle), what is one to do? Make the same old resolutions like last year? Starve till one gets back to the old weight or run like crazy in the gym (but just in January)? Promise to abolish cakes from your life? Not only will these short-term resolutions not work, they sometimes may make it more difficult for your body to burn off fat. Instead, gentle readers, here are 5 simple ideas.

Presenting Fitness Mantra’s 5 Simple New Year Resolutions For A Fitter, Healthier You:

I will make fitness a way of my life: Bored to death by the byline? Well then, make it a part of your life. Make every choice a healthier one. Be it using the stairs for a couple of flights instead of the elevator or eating the whole-grain version of breads or pasta, only you have the control to make the fitter choice at every opportunity.
I will include more natural foods in my diet and reduce highly refined/processed foods: Increasing your intake of low-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese), whole grain versions of products like bread and pasta, raw, unsalted nuts in moderation, loads of fresh (preferably green) vegetables and fresh fruits will do wonders for your body in the new year just as will the complementary decrease in highly refined and processed foods like white rice/bread/pasta, fast foods, sweets (pastries, cakes, chocolates) and fried foods (chips, doughnuts, French fries).
I will find time to exercise: Maybe you are a morning person who loves lacing up your running shoes right after brushing your teeth or the eveninger hitting the gym right after work. Some, like me, could even be mid-day persons, squeezing some time out for a workout during the lunch hour. Whichever type of person you are, resolve to find, nay, make the time for exercise. As more and more of the studies I highlight in my del.icio.us feed show, regular exercise can ward off a plethora of illnesses and diseases.
I will watch what I eat: This is not about just counting calories but knowing what your ultimate weight goals are and working toward achieving that target. You can begin this easily by finding the correct weight range for your person and then eating the right amount to achieve that weight. Not sure how to go about it? Begin by reading 5 links to calorie-conscious fitness. The links in that post to previous articles should, if read in the same order, give you a good starting point to begin achieving your long term weight and fitness goals in 2007!
I will have my annual physical exam this year (and every year): No fitness advice, eating regimens or exercise can ever take the place of regular physical exams from your physician. Nothing beats prevention, but then the very next-best-thing is catching a problem early. Physical examinations can catch the early warning signs of a wide variety of diseases including heart-disease and certain types of cancers. Early detection almost always gives you a highly increased chance of combating (and surviving) most illnesses.

Keeping these resolutions uppermost in our minds and simply making better choices everyday will ensure a happy and healthy 2007 for all of us.

Have a Very Happy New Year and may we all achieve our fitness goals for the year!

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del.icio.us Friday

29

December

Fitness Mantra del.icio.us page Welcome to del.icio.us Friday. You can stay updated with this news as it happens by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

I felt this week’s top story was that effective advertising for health and fitness indeed has a positive impact on teenagers who view them. Ad Campaigns Help Get Kids Active is an article that is based on the evaluation of the impact of the first two years of the CDC’s national youth media campaign VERB: It’s what you do, designed to persuade children ages 9 to 13 to get more exercise.

“The bottom line is, children who saw the VERB campaign were more physically active than those who didn’t see it. We were ’selling’ physical activity as a product and lots of kids ‘bought’ (it),” study co-author Marian Huhman said in a prepared statement.

Now, onto the top fitness news this week:

Ad Campaigns Help Get Kids Active: Advertising can help kids get off the couch and be more physically active, say researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Timing of weight gain affects breast cancer risk: New mothers now have even more incentive to shed pounds gained during pregnancy, other than wanting to fit into those pre-pregnancy jeans. A new study indicates an association between gaining weight in adulthood and an increased risk of breast cancer afte
Got Kids? Check Your Fat Intake: Adults with children 17 and under living at home eat more fat than adults in childless households, according to a new study. Their daily fat intake is about 5 grams higher.
Nitrates in Vegetables Lower Blood Pressure: Nitrates, a chemical found in vegetables like spinach and lettuce, may be responsible for keeping blood vessels healthy, says a new study.
Housework cuts breast cancer risk: Women who exercise by doing the housework can reduce their risk of breast cancer, a study suggests.
Low-Income Preschoolers Prone to Obesity: A review of nearly 2,000 3-year-old, low-income children and their mothers found that one-third of white and black children were overweight or obese, while a stunning 44 percent of Latino children fell into those categories.
It really is possible to exercise too much: Overzealous exercisers can run their way to stress fractures, spin their way to insomnia or even overdo it to the point their immune systems are compromised.
Universal Studios Parks Ban Trans Fats, Offer Healthier Menus: The early reviews are mostly positive at the Universal Studios theme park in Hollywood where the menu changed on Christmas Eve to cut unhealthy trans fats from many junk food favorites.
Big bellies tied to greater heart disease risk: The more your belly sticks out, the greater your risk of developing heart disease, a new study shows. “The message is really obesity in the abdomen matters even more than obesity overall.”
Energy Bars: Health Food or Candy?: With claims such as “tastes like a candy bar,” “helps build muscle” and “boosts your energy levels,” who wouldn’t choose these quick-to-eat bars? But are they really a smart choice?
Diabetics Confront a Tangle of Workplace Laws: The number of diabetics in America swelled by 80 percent in the past decade. Experts say the disease is on its way to becoming a conspicuous fact of life in the nation’s labor force, raising all sorts of issues for workers and managers.
Pill that tricks you into losing weight: The drug fools the body’s metabolism into staying active, cutting weight by 12 per cent in under a year.
Olive oil may hinder cancer process: People who use plenty of olive oil in their diets may be helping to prevent damage to body cells that can eventually lead to cancer, new research suggests.
Weight Loss Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk: Men who lose weight may be less likely to get aggressive prostate cancer, while obesity may increase a man’s risk.