After this past holiday season, like most other college students, I realized I had gained some “winter insulation.” Not happy with these extra pounds I had gained, I decided it was time to make a change. Not a New Year’s Resolution, (because we all know those don’t work), but a lifestyle change. I wanted to be back to the person I was in high school – loving gym class, being active, and having to work really hard to keep my heart rate up – unlike now. I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin again.
To help me do this, I attended the Health Fair sponsored by HMU on January 12. At this health fair, I signed up for a semester-long exercise program called “Beaver Fit.” Through this program, I will be able to attend fitness and nutrition classes free of charge such as: Rock Climbing, Kettlebell, Belly Dancing, Plyometrics, Weight Lifting, Judo, Yoga, Water Aerobics, Stability Toning, and Methods to Better Nutrition. Along with these classes, I will be getting periodic Body Assessment checks to track my progress. These assessments will chart my height/weight, waist/hip measurements, and skin fold (pretty sweet right?).
To keep me motivated through this program, I will have a support system of about 40 others. We will all be tracking our workouts and will obtain points for each workout session. At the end, prizes will be awarded to the top point holders and someone will be named the “Best Dam Beaver,” the person who made dramatic differences to improve their lifestyle and has put in the most effort to reach their fitness goal.
So my challenge to you is to make your own fitness goal. Grab a friend and just do it. It doesn’t have to be drastic right away. You can slowly work yourself into it. To help you out, I have provided a link to the American Heart Association’s webpage, which provides the top 10 tips for starting a physical activity program.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=528
I will also be posting the progress I make, along with videos of the workouts done in Beaver Fit so you can try them at home. Leave a comment to tell me about your workout strategy.
Do you get enough sleep? If your like me, the answer is no. Sleep is needed for recovery. Recovery from stress, repair from damage and injury, and replenishment of energy sources. Sleep helps to prepare you for the next day. Sleeping is important in my workout strategy.
How can you get more sleep? Time management. More tips; avoid caffeine prior to sleep, start a routine – prepare for bed 30-45 minutes before you want to fall asleep, drink sweet dreams herbal tea, turn off the computer, cell phone ringer (text notification also) and TV off, use white noise in the background and leave it on all night, a slightly cool room helps get your body ready for prolonged sleep, point your alarm clock away so you can’t see it – or your body will automatically start waking up at the same time every night, if you wake up in the middle of the night – do something boring to fall back asleep.