Become a Healthier You Inside and Out In the New Year!

Become a Healthier You Inside and Out In the New Year!
Tips to Jump Start Your Level of Fitness

Although January signifies the beginning of frigid weather and shorter days, it also brings you the opportunity to reflect on the year that has just past and offers a perfect time to evaluate the level of fitness that presently exists in your life. If you look back to the past with feelings of frustration or dissatisfaction, you are not alone. Thankfully, each year brings the opportunity for positive change. Change is not an easy process; if it were, we would all stroll through our lives rolling from one stage to an even better one with no difficulty at all. The fact is, however, that change is a process that takes time, commitment and a tremendous amount of support in order for it to be truly accomplished. In implementing any positive change in our lives, perhaps the most crucial factor to keep in mind is to think of the possibility of such change in an optimistic manner. According to Dr. Martin Seligman, who is a pioneer in the field of Positive Psychology, thinking optimistically is a highly effective way to increase wellbeing. There is direct evidence that positive emotions predict health and longevity. The reason behind much of Seligman’s finding is that optimistic thinkers view obstacles as temporary. They recognize that it is not the circumstance in our live that make us happy or sad, but rather our perception of those events that dictates how we feel and move forward. By choosing to look on the good side of any challenge and electing to believe in ourselves and our ability to conquer, recover and be resilient, there is nothing that can keep us down permanently. This is viewing life through the glass half full mentally. Studies have shown that optimistic thinkers:
• Are more successful at work
• Have better health habits
• Have lower blood pressure
• Have feistier immune systems
• Experience more life enjoyment
• Have more friends
• Live longer than pessimist thinkers

With such optimistic encouragement to fuel you, here are some tips to help you become a healthier you inside and out in this New Year!
1. Make a commitment to the type of changes you wish to implement
in the New Year. Set aside some quiet time to reflect on what it would look like if you were totally satisfied with the level of fitness in your life. This is unique to each of us. After you clarify what your fitness goals are, write them down in a health and fitness journal. Use this journal to record your progress and your feelings during this process of change. This serves to both clarify your emotions as you change and grow and also to get a clear view of the progress you are making. Since permanent change often occurs slowly, such journal entries help us see the progress we are making.
2. Plan what type of exercise you would like to implement. Make your goals specific so you can clearly follow them. Look at your calendar each day in advance and make “an appointment” to exercise and reserve a time for it. An example of this would be, “Monday, January 2, 2006, 8:00AM- walk briskly for 40 minutes.”
3. Take one step at a time. Each day is a new day with a fresh opportunity to progress towards your desired goals. Keep in mind that the process of change takes time and patience in order for it to be truly accomplished. If setbacks occur, use your resilience to reevaluate what you could do differently to get yourself back on track.
4. Allow yourself variety in your exercise routine by mixing up the type of exercise you do each day. By alternating the form of the exercise you choose to do, you not only add variety and keep your workouts exciting, you also develop and strengthen different muscles by cross training.
5. Get support to help you maintain the positive strides you are making during your new journey towards positively changing your life. This could be accomplished by hiring a personal trainer, working with a nutritionist, using a life coach, or simply by recruiting your friends and family to assist you as you change. Such support systems are extremely beneficial in providing encouragement, motivation and also to keep you accountable as you take the steps necessary to help you become a healthier you inside and out!

Elizabeth Savino is a personal Life Coach and the owner of Sole Life Coaching. She specializes in Women in Transition. For more information on changing in a positive direction and empowerment techniques, you may contact her at esav1@aol.com or visit her website at elizabethsavino.com.