“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
/I would be lying if I said it has been easy to find the right message of inspiration for the New Year. But I think I found it. Aristotle wrote “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” If we are going to improve, we have to change our habits. We all know Covid has helped create some pretty zany ones like all day pajamas and midday martinis. Below are my top five tips, and articles with supporting science (bottom), to not just stay strong physically and mentally, but to seize the moment and create a happier, healthier you.
Commit to a fitness goal to complete and write it down, where you will see it every day.
Commission a partner in crime to hold each other accountable
Change your day into a standardized routine to include exercise and down time.
Choose two to three milestones to gage your progress.
Celebrate the achievement of the goal
To help with the 5C’s, I have curated a few super fun events to help us blowout the COVID cobwebs and achieve our goals. Take a look below or see my complete 2021 event calendar and sign up today.
New Year’s detox cleanse & “Biggest Loser” competition – Join me in starting the New Year right with a four-week detox to reverse the holiday overindulgence. An overtaxed liver is unable to regulate blood sugar which leads to bloating and weight gain and disease. For a small ante, you will get a fitness schedule, weekly nutrition coaching, and the chance to win cash. The person who loses the most…wins! Weigh-ins end the 11th so sign up today.
New Year’s Cold-Water Plunge – For most the thought of swimming 500 meters in the freezing cold SF Bay in the dead of winter is absurd. Start the new year with a cathartic cold plunge and spend the next 364 days basking in the warmth.
Optime’ 10k – Running is a fantastic way to get and stay fit. Since all events are currently cancelled, join me outdoors for Sunday social training runs and a virtual competition in eight weeks to celebrate our improvements.
Spring Cycling and YOGA camp. As the vaccine rollout increases, we will gain back our freedom to exercise together. Join me at a super plush venue on the Sonoma Coast for three days of yoga, cycling and/or hiking and fantastic clean eating. Early Spring.
That’s it for now. Remember, “health is wealth” so don’t waste it.
Joel
More on that science stuff…….
How the pandemic is Ageing You
You've heard the saying "use it or lose it" read here to understand the science behind this and why less exercise makes you age faster. https://www.ideafit.com/personal-training/power-up-your-aging-clients/ . A must read for my fifty and over friends on the importance of strength and power training over regular exercise (walking, jogging, biking, swimming, yoga). The science shows high-intensity training is not only important and any age, it is more important for people over fifty
Strength Training to Alleviate Depression
2014 Germain and Australian health study of 23600 adults proved strength training just one day per week equated “adults who participated were less likely to experience depressive symptoms” https://www.ideafit.com/personal-training/strength-training-may-alleviate-depression/ .
CONCURRENT TRAINING – Strength and Endurance training for runners
Running economy is defined as the metabolic cost to cover a given distance at a constant velocity” (Beattie et al. 2017). Runners who are able to consume less oxygen (and spare carbohydrate usage while running at a given velocity are said to have a better running economy. Adding strength training significantly improved muscular and explosive strength, running economy, and speed at V02max. The control group showed no improvements. Resistance training showed higher speeds during the middle to last phases of the 10km running trial” helping to counteract the fatigue during the last part of a race.
https://www.ideafit.com/personal-training/resistance-training-for-runners-has-arrived/
