Getting healthier with goals

Continuing with my last discussion here are more figures on the deterioration of the health of Americans. These statistics were found in the TD Times Newsletter, and they were compiled from the CDC and IHRSA.

* Approximately 72.5 million adults in the United States are obese
* Obese adults are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and premature death
* Childhood obesity more than tripled in the past 30 years
* Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008
* Obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1% in 2008
* 16% of the American population belongs to a health club
* Of that 16%, only 10% exercise 1 or more times per week
* Less than 2% of the overall population of the US exercises regularly (3 times per week or more)


These are alarming statistics; makes me shake my head in amazement. There are thousands of highly qualified trainers in this country and these experts have all the science in the world, while millions of dollars is spent on health products. Why are we (as a population) going the wrong way? I know some people think that their journey is far too great, others feel that they do not have the energy and some it is time, or money. Which are you?

It does not matter which you are, you can succeed. Whether you want to loose one or one-hundred pounds, you can do it. All you have to do is make a commitment to yourself. It is going to take some changes on your part, because what you (we) are currently doing is not working. Start simply by writing some goals: I tell some of my clients to start with a long term goal (may be a weight loss number), then break it down to what are you going to do this month to get closer to that goal, and then finally what are you going to do TODAY to get to your goal!
So, what are you going to do to reach your goal?

Get up and move!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend, we here in Maine finally got to enjoy some sun and the temperature has climbed out of the forties and fifties. This would be a great time to start a new fitness routine for those who have strayed, and try something new and exciting for the more consistent workout worriers. This kind of leads me to my point of how have we gotten so far out of shape. There are hundreds if not thousands of infomercial-DVD exercise programs, and self-help diet and exercise books that dominate the shelves; we should all be “in shape”. What is the problem?
I think we are all looking for the next best thing, and we (me included) procrastinate too much. We need to get up and move more; walk, run or jump. The question that I get asked the most is “what is the best cardio machine or type of cardio to do?” I have a very simple answer, whatever you are going to do! What if the best is something you hate doing, you are probably not going to do it. Some types of exercise are more difficult than others, but I would rather you sit on a recumbent bike and ride for thirty minutes than do nothing at all. I do not want to hear the time excuse either, we all have ten to fifteen minutes per day (not the ideal amount of time) to perform some sort of exercise routine. So, guess what, the Next Best thing is to do something, and to do that something now, and tomorrow and the next day.
If you do not know how to put a small (or more extensive) plan together, seek out the advice of fitness professional. They can help you map out a plan that works for you