When it comes to being healthy, we all know that we need to eat well and exercise. It’s time to change our attitudes on why we are spending the time and effort to be healthy. It’s a free, powerful tool to help us be successful. Eating well does work and can make our bodies feel better, minds sharper, and enhances almost all aspects of life. Let’s enjoy these benefits!

Often, we get on the wagon, grit our teeth through our daily workout and choke down that kale salad. Depending on how deep your reserve of fortitude is, this situation will end in dropout sooner or later. A negative outlook is one of the most powerful indicators that a person will not be successful with their eating habits and exercise. Try not to get bogged down thinking of everything you’re missing out on eating. Instead, connect your attitude to your intention. Tell yourself: “It’s not that I can’t, it’s that I don’t.” Allow yourself to take control of and enjoy your decision to be healthy.

We’ve all been there, standing in the break room as our co-workers dig in to the Monday morning doughnuts before the meeting. Rather than leaning over shoulders, longingly dripping saliva on others, stand tall and proclaim: “No, I’m good. I don’t eat that stuff.” This allows you to take the power back. The power of the doughnut will fade. It helps to lessen the internal struggle by removing contradictions. You will align your decision to eat right with your attitude towards food. Further, you can take pride in your hard work, creating a feedback loop which boosts your ability to make good decisions.

Last, have faith! Healthy eating habits will work! I’m not implying that it’s easy to eat well, and you have to make it a lifestyle rather than a five-day-per-week inconvenience. What works for each person is slightly different, but if you commit to making a change, you will see change. The benefits of eating well are numerous: improved digestion, enhanced mood, lower stress levels, weight control/loss, the list goes on. I always love to hear about all of the unexpected benefits my clients experience when their diet improves. However, be careful of the most common pitfall American dieters have: The Cheat Day. This is a topic for another day but believe me, Cheat Days will severely impede your progress. All the hard work you’ve done to change your lifestyle will be wiped out and you’ll be starting at square one each week.

If you have a specific question, or would like to continue this discussion in more detail, please contact me directly by visiting my website: www.MagmaCoreFitness.com.

Well, the New Year is here, and with it, the annual migration back to health and fitness. We’re all squeezing into our work clothes, wishing we hadn’t gone back for that third helping of green bean casserole. This is the time of year we are inundated with ads and promotions for various fitness super-routines promising we can look just like Joe Manganiello or Sophia Vergara in six weeks or less. They promise that people of any age, gender or fitness level can come right in and join. In six weeks of hard work and sweat (and probably blood and tears), you’ll be ahead of the curve in the run for bikini season. Is it true? Can any person be successful with fitness and lose weight?

The answer is yes… BUT. That all-out, super high-intensity program may not be the right place for you to start. Fitness is just like any other activity, in that there exists a learning curve coinciding with your ability level. Think of it this way, if you’re going to start skiing, you don’t strap on a pair of racing skis and hit the double black diamond runs. You get fitted in the ski shop with beginner gear and ask for directions to the bunny hill. Your brain begins to learn the concepts of how the equipment works, and your body develops the coordination and strength to perform the actions. Essentially, you begin at the beginning. It’s no different when it comes to fitness.

Modern exercise science teaches us that all people can be classified into fitness categories based on their individual situation. When a person begins movement and resistance training (meaning load-bearing training and gym workouts), the first step is to learn how to stabilize and protect their body properly. There is a whole set of muscles in the body designed to create strength and stability in the spine and joints, allowing for proper, healthy motion. If an exerciser lacks the proper stability, improper movements will most likely occur. This results in aches and pains, or worse, acute injury like pulled muscles or joint damage. For example, take someone who is new to exercise or hasn’t exercised since last February. Due to natural body processes, the muscles which stabilize the knees and the spine are only able to support low-intensity activities like walking up stairs and sitting down. If this person goes to a boot camp workout and on day one, starts doing jump-squats, most likely they will end up with a knee injury like a torn meniscus and low back pain. Now the exerciser must cease the program, causing frustration, and is left to figure out how to deal with the pain. Needless to say, this does not encourage future fitness participation.

The problem is that most of these programs don’t take into account a person’s unique category. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about the sweat-drenched, calorie burning, and spiritual experience of a professionally administered workout. It just needs to be right for you. Learning how to activate your muscles to protect your body and move in a healthy way sets a foundation for success. Exercisers of any ability level can and should burn calories, look and feel better, and make great progress. The trick is to be your own advocate. Find a program or trainer who will take the time to help you feel comfortable. Ask questions about exercises you don’t understand or are apprehensive about. If at any time you feel pain, make sure to bring it up (we’re talking about sharp, bad pain, not the glorious “burn” you feel when working your booty off). When exercise is healthy and appropriate, you’ll be amazed by how quickly your body will respond and improve. You’ll move through the fitness categories in an organic way, and the sky will be the limit for what you can accomplish in 2015!