Keep that Fitness Resolution!

Beat the 11 biggest mistakes in New Year's fitness resolutions By Holly Leonard, CFT President, BeFit Health and Wellness Solutions, Inc. Did you know that only about 20 percent of people actually stick to their New Year's resolutions, on average, and that the biggest resolution failures are fitness resolutions? In this month's column, I want to share the most common mistakes when making New Year's fitness resolutions. Hopefully, knowing the mistakes . and taking action to prevent them.will help you avoid frustration, disappointment, and ultimately failure. Avoiding the 'Top 11' 1. Setting an unrealistic goal. Avoid setting the same high standard resolutions that you continue to unsuccessfully achieve year after year. This will only set you up for frustration, failure, and disappointment. 2. Beginning with an incomplete program. A complete program includes attention to nutrition, resistance training, and cardiovascular exercise all leading to a "synergy" effect for maximum results. 3. Failure to address nutrition first. Beginners often make the mistake of joining a gym before they've cleaned up their diet. By starting with a nutrition plan to eat healthier, energy will naturally increase. This prepares the body for more intense exercise. 4. Incomplete nutrition. Complete nutrition goes beyond cutting out junk food. Meals must be balanced with healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and essential fats. Vitamin/mineral supplementation is also essential to ensure required amounts of essential micronutrients and anti-oxidants. 5. Avoiding endurance. Don't be afraid of cardiovascular exercise. Too often men run to the "weights" and avoid cardio equipment. All exercisers can benefit from building endurance with light cardiovascular exercise before including resistance training in their program. 6. Pushing too hard, too soon. A gradual build up in intensity and duration of exercise is essential to avoid unnecessary soreness, injury, and discomfort. Slowly progressing into a program will not only protect the body, but will make the process much more enjoyable. 7. No warm-up or cool-down. Skipping a warm-up leads to an inefficient workout, pulled muscles, or even more serious injuries destroying enthusiasm for exercise. A cool-down is also essential to reduce the amount of adrenaline in the blood, flush out toxins, and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Spending five-to-10 minutes after a workout is crucial to helping the body transfer to a recovery state. 8. No stretching. Few exercisers give attention to flexibility which leads to inevitable injury. When joints and muscles are not stretched, their range of motion (ROM) gradually decreases over time. Eventually a stiff body will tear, pull, or break. 9. No post-workout nutrition. Many people begin a weight training program full of enthusiasm ... until they wake up and can't move for three days. Consuming a post-workout shake transfers the body to a recovery and anabolic "muscle re-building" state immediately following exercise. 10. No professional guidance. Many people begin a fitness program without defined goals or a plan to achieve them. To achieve significant, long-term results, you need the guidance of an expert to put you on the right track. 11. No accountability. Without support and a regular "check-up from the neck up," life's distractions quickly take many off course. Use accountability to stay on track with goals to avoid plateaus or backsliding. Knowing these common mistakes and pitfalls can prevent frustration, injury, and loss of motivation. Holly Leonard, CFT, is a body transformation specialist who has helped hundreds of frustrated men and women reclaim their attractive, healthy, and energetic physiques. For more information on how you can make 2007 your best year ever, please visit: http://www.befithealthandwellness.com or email: Holly@befithealthandwellness.com.