Weekly Education - June 30

Those who have succeed with long term weight loss and fitness goals know that attitude is everything. Thinking like an athlete can help overcome daily obstacles that can thwart our best efforts to get in shape. Put yourself in the right mindset for the summer fitness challenge and see how far it can take you.

Make it a priority. With demands from work and home, we tend to put our needs at the bottom of the list. Carve out time each day for your workout and finally make yourself a priority – even for only 15-30 minutes. Don’t worry – the world won’t end and your kids won’t starve. In fact, you’ll find very quickly that you’ll have more energy to devote to your other priorities when you make yourself one of them.

Everything Counts. Don’t have time to do a full hour workout? Your P90X DVD not working? Don’t abandon exercise just because you your usual routine is thrown for a loop. Any activity counts and any length of time is better than nothing. Do 100 lunges, push-ups or squats and you’ll break a sweat and feel the burn.

A basic essential. Would you go days without eating or weeks without brushing your teeth? Of course not. So why would you go for any length of time without exercising? Consistent physical activity is just as important to our bodies and overall health as eating and good hygiene and should be treated as such. Start to think of this way and it will become harder to choose the couch over a walk.

Find a way to move all day. Those who always seem to be fit also always seem to find a way to move all day long even in the littlest of ways. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, stand up while on the phone or take a walk while watching your son’s baseball practice. You’ll find that a lot of little things can really start to add up.

Good Luck!