Ahh, those long warm days of summer! Some of us can’t wait while the rest of us, are like . . .ah . . .well . . .ah . . .not ready! You know who we are… that well intentioned group who never came through on our New Year’s resolutions to lose some weight and get in shape. For us it’s those “dreaded” days of summer. But they don’t have to be. It’s not too late to get started! But it begins right here, right now. Here’s how!
Make a Plan. No more dilly dallying! There is still time to get into shape for and during summer and take control of your life at EPH&F. Losing weight and getting fit is a simple math problem of calories in versus calories out. It’s not rocket science. You have to burn more calories than you consume. It’s that simple. So make a plan. Write it down and keep a fitness journal. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
Be Realistic. Face it. If you haven’t worked on your fitness goals since New Year’s you’re not going to reach them in a week. Make your goals realistic. If you lose weight too fast, for instance by starving yourself, percentages say you’re going to gain it back. Slow and steady wins the race.
Find the Time, No Excuses. Stop whining about not having time to work out! If you want to be successful in losing weight and getting fit you need to make the commitment and make it a priority. There is no way around it. You need to make exercise a regular part of your lifestyle. For real results, incorporate two to three days a week of strength training and three to five days a week of cardiovascular training. Talk to our trainers. They can help. Before you know it, this exercise stuff will start to grow on you.
Do it with a Friend or Friends
People succeed with an exercise plan more often if they can find (or talk them into it) a partner, friend or group to do it with. It works for a lot of reasons. You don’t want to let that person down so you tend to not skip workouts. You support each other. You compete with each other. You’re in it together. Signing up with a trainer and training partner at EPH&F or taking one or two of our over 40 group classes is a good way to start.
Sign up for a Fall Event
It’s easy to get sidetracked during the summer with all the fun outdoor eating (ribs, burgers, potato salad, etc.!) and drinking (beer, sangria, margaritas, etc.) activities taking place. But if you sign up for a walk, run, bike race, triathlon or any fall event (it doesn’t have to by the Olympics!), it will give your workouts more meaning and keep you committed. The main thing is to find something that will help get and keep you physically active and focused. Why not try EPH&F’s Real Results program?
Go ahead. You can do it. Get out the summer swim wear. Try it on. Look in the mirror. Decide what plan of action to take. Then make it happen. You can make this the best summer ever, but it all depends on you. You’re worth it.
