Five Tips to Become More Active

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow; but that doesn’t mean that it’s time to crawl into your Snuggie and hibernate. Get a jump start on your spring by getting moving! Below are 5 tips to help you become more active.

1. Make time for yourself – Block out fitness time like you would a meeting on your calendar. If you don’t make time for yourself, who will? Make yourself and your goals a priority.
2. Set SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, set to a timeframe) goals – In other words, You are going to achieve HOW much of WHAT by WHEN? Rather than being vague and saying, “I want to tone up.” Put some detail into your description. For example, I want to become toned by walking three times a week (M, W, F 6-7 am) and doing kickboxing once a week (Thursdays at 6 pm) for the month of February. Or, by March 1, I want to be able to walk/jog a mile under 15 minutes; and I’m going to practice doing that 3 days a week.
3. Find an accountability partner. Tell someone else about your goals – don’t be afraid to share. You’ll be more likely to stick with your goal if you know you have to report back. AND, you’re likely to have someone who will join you on your journey. In fact, just don’t tell one person, tell a couple of people about what you plan to achieve.
4. Plan ahead – meal planning, packing clothes for workouts, how you’ll handle challenges, and how you’ll reward yourself. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” If you have healthy snacks on hand, you’re more likely to eat them and resist the temptation of going to the drive-thru and skipping your workout. If you have your clothes ready to go for, you’re more likely to not let other errands or the couch jump ahead in the priority line on your way home from work to the gym. And, a step that we often forget is planning to REWARD ourselves for making positive steps for meeting our goals. Reward yourself (not with food) frequently. Don’t wait to reward yourself until you reach your goal, saying that attaining your goal will be reward enough. Arrange to give yourself a pat on the back for sticking to something for 3 weeks; or after you’ve logged X number of minutes on the elliptical. Getting into shape is a fitness journey, you might as well enjoy it along the way! Think creatively - what gets you excited? Movies with friends, a book, new music to download, some quiet time? What feel good thing/feeling don't you give yourself often enough?
5. Invest in a good pair of workout shoes – they’re your foundation; and are the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment you’ll ever own. Many specialty shoe stores will do a complimentary gait analysis for you, meaning they’ll look at the way your feet and legs move while you walk and recommend shoes that would work best for your feet and the way you move. Don’t be tempted by new “fitness” shoes. Buy a solid pair that’s suitable for your feet; and get up and get moving!