5 TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE HABIT CHANGE
Changing a habit, whether forming a new one or breaking an old one, can feel overwhelming, intimidating, and slow. With the right strategies, it is possible to make sustainable changes. Habit is about creating systems and setting yourself up for success. Here are five tips backed by psychology and behavior science to help you make positive changes in your habits.
MEASURING PROGRESS: BEYOND THE SCALE
Tracking your progress in the gym is an important thing to do so you can get stronger, feel healthier, and feel a sense of accomplishment in what you’re doing. But what does that look like? The truth is that there are so many ways to measure your progress, and this goes far beyond aesthetics or a number on the scale. I’m going to explain the many ways you can do this so you can ensure you’re getting the most out of your training physically and mentally.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR TRAINING CYCLES BE?
When it comes to training, there's a certain point where your body will need some sort of change or variation from what you are currently doing. Why does this happen? Well, our bodies are very adaptable. This means that while something may seem difficult at first if you continue to do that same movement or training, your body will adjust, and it will become easier. This sounds great initially, although, as you have probably noticed, you reach plateaus in your training. Either you stop running that mile faster, or you can't lift that one more pound on the bar. So, what do we need to do to get the results we want? We have to slightly modify our training and add a new stimulus so our body can improve.
MASTERS TRACK & FIELD
Every four years, the Olympics bring excitement as some of the world’s greatest track and field athletes compete for gold. The Paris Olympics did not disappoint! Check out this recap of the Masters of Track and Field!
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ACHIEVING YOUR FIRST PULL-UP
Whether you're new to fitness or have been working out for some time, the pull-up is one of the most challenging exercises and is often seen as a milestone. Achieving your first pull-up requires time, technique, and repetition. If you're aiming to conquer your first pull-up, this guide will take you through the steps to get there.
MASTERS SWIMMING
The Olympics have wrapped up after two weeks of great competition. As happens every four years, sports that usually are not on the main stage get loads of viewers and positive attention. One of these sports was swimming! The drama around swimming coming into the Olympics was unrivaled. Australia and the USA were exchanging fierce words about who would come out with more GOLD medals, Leon Marchand of France was attempting to take down Micahel Phelps’s last Olympic Record, and multiple world records were shaking at the prospect of being shattered.
EXERCISING AS YOU AGE
We’ll all feel the effects of aging as we get older. The aging process affects all aspects of our wellbeing, including our ability to exercise. So how do we counter these effects? Let’s look at how you should exercise as you age and what changes you may need to make as you grow older.
WHAT IS PHYSICAL FITNESS?
Physical fitness is a result of exercise or physical activity. It is the efficiency and capacity of your cardiovascular health, muscular strength, flexibility, as well as your overall body composition. Each of these components prove to provide different function for your body and often have separate training focuses, but they ultimately come together to provide total body function.
WHAT IS EXERCISE?
Physical Activity is not exercise, but exercise is physical activity. It is a narrower scope focused on a more regimented and planned routine of physical activity. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read my previous blog on physical activity and what defines it. I consider exercise to be a step up from being physically active when it comes to working towards more concrete or specific goals.
WHAT IS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?
Being active does not have to be exercise. It does not have to look like a strict routine and does not require lifting “scary weights.” To be physically active, all you have to do is move. Any type of movement beyond rolling over in bed is adequate. Getting out of bed to start your day is being active. Bending over to tie your shoe? Also considered a form of being active.
RUNNING YOUR FIRST 5K: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
Running a 5K is a great goal for new runners or those simply looking to add a fun cardio-based goal to their fitness routine. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you prepare for your first 5K safely while having some fun along the way.
BUILDING FLEXIBILITY IS LIKE BUILDING MUSCLE
One of the more common reasons people go to a gym or start exercising is to build flexibility or Range of Motion (ROM). This is the total range of rotation that a joint like your hip or shoulder can move through both passively and actively. When this range is limited it can cause pain, discomfort, and even restrict actions you do in your everyday life. The reason why exercise can help this is because many exercises move a joint through a large ROM causing you to build strength and stability in previously untrained positions for that joint. Although, strength training isn’t the only way to build this ROM. You can use similar concepts that build muscle and use them to increase your ROM.
TIPS FOR FEELING HAPPIER THIS WINTER
As the winter months roll in and the daylight becomes shorter, we are all searching for the best ways to feel happy and content in a season known for more darkness. Winter brings both challenges and opportunities, and this blog will guide you to embrace a winter of well-being and understand the keys to finding joy during these colder months using positive psychology research findings.
YOUR HEALTH ROUTINE CHECK-IN
If you are like the rest of us, you probably have a schedule teeming to the brim with work, friends, personal time, exercise, family, and tons of other hobbies. On top of your full schedule, you most likely have self-directed goals (exercise, eat healthy, read, etc.). With a full schedule and expectations of achieving your goals, you may also find yourself using routines to stay on top of things throughout the week. For example, you may be someone who works 9-5 Monday to Friday and is too busy after work to go to the store and fully prepare dinner. In addition, let's say you have a goal of eating cleaner and minimizing processed foods. Going to the store on Sunday and getting food to prepare for the week is a routine directed at eating cleaner amongst a busy schedule.