Morning traffic is back to its staggering flow, as opposed to a somewhat-interval flow. Spaghetti piles of holiday lights and deflated Olaf snowmen have officially clocked out as they sit in hibernation for another 300 or so days. Brick and mortar stores are back on their usual courses and gyms are getting that annual rush of fitness hopefuls.
How are those resolutions coming along, so far? I get it. It’s tough, especially when you just see the incentive rather than visualizing it. Whatever personal and financial goals you have–stay focused. Get an agenda, post notes on the fridge, get an organizer app, do whatever you can.
In my nine years as a fitness professional, I’ve learned the most critical part in any lifestyle change is having the right mind. If your head isn’t in it then you have a little more of a challenge to overcome, and that’s okay.
Whether contemporary or supplementary, here are a few ideas to revitalize your schedule and get you in the correct mentality.
Move more. Taking the stairs may not be as comfortable in heels, but at any point where you have a choice – go for the stairs. Who has time to wait for an elevator anyways? Parking your car further also helps. Why sit there waiting with your signal light for the family to settle in their car and re-gift their spot to you? The additional steps will burn extra calories, save time, prevent possible stress and even reduce the chances of some careless individual door-checking your paintjob.
Drink water. Always. A little less than your weight in ounces or even the old “8 glasses a day” recommendations may seem like a lot to chug, but start off by drinking a cup of water before every meal. You’ll get full quicker, take in less calories and ease your digestion as your body has enough water to absorb the proper vitamins into your bloodstream. You’ll also feel less fatigued.
Drink oil. Not guzzling down some good ol’ synthetic 10w30 – but olive oil, flax seed oil and coconut oil are packed with monounsaturated fatty acids that help raise the good (HDL) cholesterol and may even help lower the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Laugh. Laughter is the cheapest and best medicine out there. It’s an excellent mood booster and healthy kind of contagious, especially when you’re simply laughing with someone else’s canny belly laughter. LOL.
Meditate. This goes hand-in-hand with the 15+ Yoga classes offered at the Alper JCC. Train your mind to be able to just have 10-15 minutes with your body, sitting still in a quite area. In the insanely busy pace of life, taking the time to be still with your thoughts is essential.
Bonus tip: Join the J in January – you’ll be rewarded. For January, the Alper JCC Fitness Center will be rewarding you for hitting those fitness goals. Upon signing up for a new membership, you’ll have three months to visit the gym 20 times. The reward? The following two months are on us! On top of that, you’ll also get two initial sessions with a certified personal trainer, at no cost to you.
Also in January, both new and existing members can take part in the Center’s fitness challenge, where you’ll be given a list with a series of fitness-tasks to complete by the end of the month. In scavenger-hunt-fashion, members will receive a souvenir upon completion.
On a last note, don’t forget to check out the Keshet Chaim American-Israeli Dance Ensemble coming to the J’s Russell Theater Sunday, January 24. Tickets for this culturally acrobatic display of art are on sale now.
For information on this and other programming at the J, call 305-271-9000 or email pr@alperjcc.org. Cheers to a healthy, successful and blessed 2016!
