When you’re thinking about your health and fitness resolutions for 2012, here are some things to think about before you race towards your goals and burn out before the finish line. In my ten years of experience as a fitness trainer and wellness coach, I can say with certainty that less is sometimes more when it comes to your fitness goals and health!

Be Realistic

If you have big plans for your fitness and health goals this year such as losing weight, be realistic. When clients come to me saying they want to lose 50 pounds in two months, I look at them and smile, and say, how about losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. Not only will this goal be easier for you to achieve, it’s healthier too!

When the body loses weight too fast you’re actually losing muscle and water instead of fat. Severe and quick weight loss will leave you feeling tired and sluggish, while healthy weight loss invigorates your mind and energizes your body. If your goal is to try and lose a large amount of weight in a short amount of time, you will burn out before you reach your goal, and, you will gain all of your weight back within a month after stopping your crash diet or whatever it was that slopped off the weight quickly. Losing weight too fast put’s undue pressure on the heart as well and should be avoided. If you set your goals to realistic standards such as losing 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week, instead of 50 pounds in 2 months, you will reach the finish line and accomplish the goals you have set out to achieve!

Eliminate Processed Foods

You don’t have to starve yourself this year to get in shape! In fact, crash diets, shakes, and not eating enough calories will cause weight gain and muscle loss in the long run. Here is what you should do instead… avoid buying processed foods! What are processed foods? Processed foods are anything that does not come from Mother Earth, for example, soda, candy, and anything pre-packaged is considered processed. Next time you shop for food, avoid these ingredients; high-fructose corn syrup, artificially sweetened foods, and foods that say enriched or refined.

Cutting out processed foods does not mean eating less or forcing tasteless food into your mouth. Fortunately, when we eat real food that has not been processed, we can eat more of it. Real foods such as, fruits and veggies from the farmers market, grass fed beef, and cheeses that don’t have the label Kraft, give our bodies nutrients that we need and keep us feeling full longer than processed foods, thus, making our unhealthy caloric intake less.

Processed food is nothing more than empty calories and has been linked to diseases such as, cancer, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.  If its flavor you’re craving, believe me, real food has more flavor than processed foods do, it’s just familiarizing your taste buds to them. Carrots for a snake, Dark chocolate for desert, and Fresh fish from the market, are all excellent foods you should add into your diet this year! And remember to start small, baby steps—if you are used to only eating processed foods, eliminate them over a period of time, incorporating real foods into your diet in-between the processed junk, and eventually the good stuff will win out, you’ll feel better, look better, and never look back!

Lifestyle Change versus Bullet Trains

Instead of treating this New Year as a bullet train to reach all of your health and fitness goals within the first few months, how about easing up on the accelerator and slowly incorporating your goals as life long, or lifestyle changes instead? Be patient with yourself this year, and don’t have the over used attitude and phrase, “all or nothing.” Most of my clients who rush into a diet or new workout routine too quickly always give up before they reach their destinations. If you look at your fitness goals as mere Lifestyle changes, things you incorporate into your life naturally and with ease, you’re sure to reach them all. Don’t tell yourself that you have to do this or that, don’t think of your health as a task but rather, think of it as something you can enjoy, like you’re favorite television series or novel. Many people feel like working out and eating healthy is a nuisance, a job that has to be done in-between real life and work. However, if you slowly begin to incorporate healthy lifestyle changes into your busy schedule, it will no longer feel like a chore, but instead, a part of who you are, a piece of the puzzle helping to create  the final masterpiece, your life!

Happy 2012!

So there you have it, a few pointers to make your health and fitness goals become a reality this year and for the rest of your lives.  If you need more suggestions on this topic or have some of your own, I would love to hear from you! Happy 2012!

Being the health enthusiast that I am, I had a lot of questions about the world of fitness in France. How would I get my workouts in? Where would I get my workouts in? Would I still be able to personal train and teach Pilates on the other side of the world?  Would taking dance classes be feasible, and would the French look at me like I was a lunatic if I decided to wake up at 6am and go for a run before my studies… (that’s a yes!) Where were the gyms, and would I be able to afford a gym membership, did gyms even exist in France? To some this might sound shallow and absurd, but to those of you who enjoy preserving your health and staying active, I’m sure you can relate.

Unlike the United States, health clubs are very expensive in France and all over Western Europe for that matter. If you’re a gym rat and plan to vacation or move to France or Western Europe anytime soon, I advise you to start getting excited about working out in the great outdoors. Living in the South of France will push you to enjoy your workouts in nature for many reasons, being economic is one of them!

While I enjoyed, hiking, biking and jogging in the open air in the Unites States, I always had the constant pull to just, “go to the gym” out of convenience. Think about it? How many times do you opt to go run on the treadmill after work instead of running outside? I bet ninety percent of you chose the inside workout version. In France, I don’t have this luxury, or crutch rather, and I have been forced to get outdoors and take in the nutritious vitamins of the sun while sweating to a new hill and grassy park each day.

Sometimes, exercising outside on your own can feel like a burden, especially when the weather get’s lousy.  After living in France for five months however, having no other choice but to burn calories outside, I can assure you that exercising under the open sky has just as many benefits as the gym and in some cases more! Below are three excellent examples of workouts you can do on your own outdoors, or in a group for free, or at least for very inexpensive. Lose your attachment to the gym from time to time and let the international workout of the outdoors help you climb to the top of the mountain in reaching your fitness goals!

Running with ambiance

In France, everyone runs because the gyms are pricey and running outdoors is free.  The popular and celebrated Paris Marathon is another incentive for both serious and casual runners alike to get out there and move. I found a “beau,” (beautiful) park in Aix-en-provence that is perfect for doing running circuits. One lap around the park is a little over one mile. On days when I want to get strict cardio in, I will run four laps around the park keeping a steady pace, staying within my  heart rate zone that burns fat, (aerobic workout).

When I want to change things up a bit and get a more intense, (anaerobic) workout that challenges my strength and endurance, I will jog half way around the park at a light pace and then when I get to the hill, I will sprint to the top. I do this 5 to ten times depending on how intense I want my workout to be for the day.  There is a grassy patch in the park that stretches about the length of a football field. When I want to work on increasing my speed, I will sprint to one end and rest initially for 60 seconds.  I will sprint ten times back and forth and each time I get to the end of one side of the field, my rest time will decrease 5 seconds so that by the last sprint you only have ten seconds to rest. This is an excellent way to work on your (anaerobic threshold), the threshold your body utilizes when burning energy, (without oxygen), it helps increase speed, agility and explosive movements used in sports such as boxing, the long jump, and sprints performed in track and field, for example.

If you don’t like running on your own and need a group to motivate you, there are plenty of running clubs you can join both in France and the USA that are very cheap for the year. This is an excellent way to get inspiration from a running coach and other runners. The running groups range in level from those just starting out to those who run semi professionally, you can always find a running group to suit your particular running needs.

Take a class in the park

Are you sick of taking overcrowded classes in your local gym? Is it packed, sweaty and smelly? How about trying a motivating or tranquil group exercise class in the park!! In Aix-en-Provence you can choose from a variety of classes to take in the park ranging from boot camp, to yoga, to Thai chi! Because the classes are taught outdoors and the teachers don’t have the overhead of a gym to pay for, most of the classes are very cheap and some you can even find for free.

I was teaching a Pilates class once a week at ten Euros per class, 5 Euros for students which is a steal if you’re used to paying for classes that normally range from 15 to 35 dollars per class. Not only will your wallet thank you for choosing a class in the park, but your body and mind will too. The invigorating scents of the fresh air, the warmth of the sun, and the stillness of nature will push your mind and body to new heights, forcing you to be focused, calm and energized, depending on what class you choose to take.

Stretching under the trees

As everyone knows, or should know, stretching is one of the most important exercises anyone can do before and after a workout. It’s important to get your muscles warmed up and stretched out before you begin your workout, and of course, afterwards, it’s imperative to stretch out all those muscles you tightened up.

I like to think of the muscles as a hose. The more kinked up and twisted a hose gets, the less likely it is to work efficiently, and eventually the hose will break if you don’t untangle it and you will have to buy a new one. Much like muscles, it’s important to stretch for at least 15 minutes after working out, stretching all of the major muscles used, and holding the stretches for at least 30 seconds without bouncing, but instead,  holding a static stretch so the muscles get time to elongate. If a person goes too long without stretching, eventually they will tear or strain a muscle or tendon.

Many of the people I personal train despise stretching and don’t have the patience for it. Stretching is meant to be done in a tranquil and quiet setting that feels safe and exudes peaceful energy. What better place to find all of this than the outdoors! Find a nearby park, a grassy knoll, even your backyard under a tree to stretch. When you stretch outside in the calming ease of nature, your mind is able to turn off from the stresses of the day. You can use the outdoors as your stretching sanctuary to not only open up your tight muscles and joints, but also, to slow down and take moment to breath and meditate in a place that’s not over crowded like a gym or gym classes. Stretching is a time to unwind and let go of stress, what better way to do this than heading outside to your favorite peaceful spot.

Enjoy!

To conclude, I hope this article helped some of you gym crazed individuals expand your workouts to the great outdoors. Remember, working out outside is not only better for your peace of mind, but it’s more of a challenge on your body too. When we work out outside, we use many more muscles than when simply going to the gym and hopping on the treadmill or spin bike. The outdoors have grades, inclines and surfaces our body’s muscles are not used to, thus the workouts become more intense, we burn more calories and tone up quicker.

When your body get’s used to the same old routine at the gym you plateau, the outdoors forces us to push past this plateau  by getting creative with our workouts and often it inspires us to work out harder because of the fresh air and sun. Now that the winter is upon us, don’t let that stop you from working out outdoors. Running in the cold is a great way to raise your cardiovascular stamina, just remember to stretch, stretch, stretch, especially when it’s chilly. So, next time you think about heading to the gym for that familiar workout you have done hundreds of times before, think about the benefits of the international workout  and toss the cardio machines aside for a run in the park, or the suggestions I listed above, and enjoy!

 WORKOUT AT HOME: The weather is miserable and you have no time or money to work out at a gym–no worries. There are plenty of workouts you can do in the comfort and warmth of your own home. I suggest buying a sticky mat, (most often called a yoga mat) and doing some basics; squats, lunges, core work (aka abs) and push ups. No weights for your biceps and triceps? Try arm circles—throw on some of your favorite tunes while holding your arms up for one minute as you circle them forward and back in small rotations.  This not only strengthens your arms, it also lengthens the muscles giving you a flexible lean look. Another home alternative is buying DVD’s; mat pilates, yoga, and dance DVD’s are an excellent way to strengthen your core and back as well as your cardiovascular system. You can find beginner DVD’s at Amazon.com for as little as $7.00, or, check out a local exercise channel where you will find fun and effective workouts you can implement into a regular routine.  Yoga DVD’s are high on my recommendation list.  Yoga works not only the body, it also harnesses the mind and is an excellent way to alleviate stress. You can also pop in your favorite Latin Rhythms, Belly Dancing, or African Dance DVD and shake away the winter doldrums while staying fit.  So there you have it—home workouts to meet your unique needs.

Tis the season for mistletoe and holly, good cheer, family and friends, unescapably you’re stressed out! Parties to attend, presents to shop for, holiday cookies to bake and resist eating…maybe not all the time! You have enough to worry about in the months of November and December, let’s not even get into New Year’s resolutions! With all the festivities knocking on your door this Holiday season, inevitably, getting on a scale to see the damage done becomes a murky task we avoid like the plague. We pray that our jeans are simply getting tight because we just did wash; wait, that was two weeks ago and you wore those jeans four times already…yikes! Work; family, holiday shopping, parties, baking, wrapping, cleaning, the list of stresses goes on; must we have to worry about our figure too? Not to worry, my clients number one reason for not working out is, “I don’t have time.” Weather you work in Corporate America, Education, Health care, The Art’s, you name it, you don’t have time, especially now! I would like to ease your worries this year with a few quick and easy suggestions you should try implementing into your life to reduce the stress of over eating and being sedentary during this Holiday season. Over the next week,I am going to give you four suggestions that will send you into the New Year feeling calm and at ease.

PACK YOUR LUNCH: While it might seem time-consuming at first, packing your lunch before bed is a good way to lower your calorie intake and get the nutrients your body needs. When we eat out, we don’t realize how much extra butter, fat, oil and salt, (to name a few) we are putting in our body. Many times people skip lunch altogether which eventually done too much slows down the metabolism causing weight gain. If you don’t have TIME to leave your desk to go out and get food, your packed lunch is going to save you. Packing a lunch will ensure you get the essential nutrients, remember; protein and fiber packed foods are a great source of energy to help sustain yours throughout the day and keep your blood sugar levels normal. If you have holiday lunches and dinner parties this week and next, packing a lunch will allow you to cheat and eat a little bit of healthy food before splurging on overly fatty foods and possibly–alcoholic beverages! When everyone asks, “how do you resist?” Happily reply, “I pack my lunch!” It’s all about routine, start packing your lunches tonight and see how much better you feel the rest of the week.

Stay tuned for the rest of this weeks Holiday health tip’s and managing stress!!

In Heatlh,

Kacie Devaney

When I think of holiday standards at the bare minimum, there are a few thing’s that come to the forefront of my mind. Sending holiday cards to friends and family is a must, attending holiday parties where you might bring a small gift, usually food or wine, and depending on ones beliefs and and how you celebrate the holiday’s, splurging on your children and grandchildren for a few minor gifts is essential, if the wallet allows. It was tradition in my family to get a Christmas tree every year. A real tree that my family and I would cut down and decorate with popcorn and cranberries! Besides these minor holiday standards that in and of themselves can sound daunting, especially with Americas current economic crisis, remember, the bare minimum is better than having a nervous breakdown this holiday season, and perhaps breaking your bank too!

The important thing to remember during the holiday’s is that it’s  not just about gifts, parties, buying and more gifts. Most people spend outside of their means during the holiday’s and go into huge debt because of it. There are simple solutions to this and ways to enjoy the spirit of Christmas or whatever it is you may celebrate without putting your emphasis on only material goods.

The core of the holiday’s are about being with the one’s you love. The gifts, parties, wine, and I will emphasize again, GIFTS, are all the exterior fluff  lying outside the true essence of what the holiday’s truly represent. When you start to fear that you don’t have enough to give, remember to put the holiday’s into perspective. Dropping a line to an old friend this year to wish them a Happy New Year is painless, buying a stack of holiday cards and sending them out to family and friends that just want to know your thinking about them during the season of warmth and love can take but a few hours, it’s inexpensive as well! Take a moment to relax and quiet your mind before the New Year. When you feel the pangs of holiday stress and fear nagging at your heart, take a deep breath and focus on what matter’s most. It’s the unspoken gestures of gratitude and love that make the holiday seasons special. Remember this holiday season that you are not superman or woman, you can’t do everything at once and be everywhere at one time. Take a minute to breath and focus on what’s really important. At the end of the day, a smile and hug from a friend and being with the one’s you love will keep you feeling whole. Material things don’t last, memories spent with friends and family do.

So, don’t fear this holiday season as an insurmountable task of buying and going into debt, instead;take a walk in the park with the kids, go watch your local Christmas tree lighting, its FREE, sing carols, dance with your friends and family in the living room to the joy of what the New Year will bring, laugh with your siblings, bake cookies, smile and breath! Live outside the holiday box marked fear and stress, and step into the true beauty this holiday season should bring, which is love and laughter. Allow that love and warmth from friends and family to be enough. Allow yourself to feel the cheer and peace of mind your body and soul crave.