How To Hire a Personal Trainer

So, you’ve been thinking about hiring a personal trainer but hesitate to take the next step, because you’re certainly not an athlete preparing for the 2014 Sochi Olympic games nor a Hollywood actor who just landed a role as the next “Wolverine”? You may be surprised to know that today, people of all fitness, age and economic levels are hiring personal trainers to help them make important fitness and lifestyle changes that they couldn’t achieve by themselves. For the average Joe, a personal trainer can provide valuable expertise, accountability and motivation that you could not achieve alone! Let’s look at criteria for what makes a great personal trainer from educational background and current certifications to that certain “right fit” that works to get you motivated and off the coach!

Elisabeth Parsons, pro trainer for the Canfitpro Personal Trainer Specialist Certification says, “You would never try to repair a car if you’re not a mechanic, so why would you not hire a trainer who is an expert in fitness.” Elisabeth, who is also owner of FIT4YOU and is a Fitness, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, believes that everyone should hire a trainer at the outset, especially a newcomer to fitness. “Based on financial and health needs, you can decide whether to continue with a trainer or get a program that you can learn to do on your own,” says Parsons.

The benefits of hiring a personal trainer are numerous. In fact, a well-documented study at Ball State University in Indiana found that the use of a personal trainer for a group of men doing a 12-week strength-training program resulted in a 32% greater gain in upper body strength and a 47% greater gain in lower body strength versus the group not using a personal trainer.

Lori Ferren, Fitness Director at Club Markham believes that there are many benefits to hiring a personal trainer. “Hiring a trainer is great for first timers to the health club scene, because it helps give them confidence,” says Ferren.  She also says a trainer can help give newcomers motivation, structure and safety in a setting that is notoriously intimidating for coach potatoes!

Ferren also extols the benefits of hiring a trainer for her club’s longer-term members who tend to get in a rut, because they have been doing the same things over time and have stopped achieving results. “If members are just paying for a membership; they are just renting space,” she says. To really maximize their time and achieve their goals, Ferren believes a personal trainer can help existing members achieve so much more!

Are you still not sure if hiring a trainer is right for you? Here are five great reasons to hire a trainer:

1.    Accountability: Hiring a trainer provides discipline and routine by having a regularly scheduled appointment. If your workout is scheduled in your agenda or calendar, and you are accountable to someone, you are more likely to keep it.

2.    Safe and Effective: Working with a trainer ensures that you are going through your routine safely and using the equipment correctly, maximizing the effectiveness of your program.

3.    Goal Achievement: Research supports that you are 80% more likely to reach your goals if you are working with a personal trainer. A personal trainer can help you define specific and realistic goals and work closely with you towards achieving them.

4.    Personalized Workout: You will work closely with your trainer to develop a plan based upon your unique goals and they will tailor your program to your needs. If you represent a special population-senior, pre or postnatal, recovering from an injury or training for an event, even more reason to hire a trainer who specializes in one of these areas and who knows how to help meet your specific needs.

5.    Motivation: Your trainer is there to make you feel jazzed about getting fit, celebrate your successes and can make your workout fun!

When looking for a trainer, it’s important that you ensure that he or she has the right credentials. In Canada, the two most recognized personal training certifications are Canfitpro Personal Trainer Specialist (PFS) and Canadian Personal Trainers Network (CPTN). Alternatively, your trainer may have completed a two-year fitness leadership program through Seneca College or George Brown College, a more thorough and intensive training program. Your trainer should also maintain a current CPR, first aid and insurance. Don’t be afraid to ask to see their current credentials!

Elisabeth Parsons encourages clients to ask their prospective trainer to show their certificates and ask for references. “One of the things I would stress to people when hiring a personal trainer is to ask if they are certified and to see their certificate and their insurance,” suggests Parsons. She also cautions that if you fall into a special population, such as high blood pressure, pregnant or senior, you should seek out a personal trainer who has additional knowledge and training in this area of expertise. “Look for a trainer who has pursued additional training,” says Parsons. “The weekend Canfitpro certification course is a good starting base, but additional training is important and shows professionalism on the part of the trainer,” she says.

Club Markham has a personal trainer “wall” that features a photo and bio of each trainer, highlighting their certifications, area of specialty, and their training philosophy, which is helpful for members who are looking for the right trainer to help them achieve their goals.

Finding the “right fit” with your trainer is important, because you’ll be spending a lot of time with them! One of my clients quipped, “I am spending more time with you than my husband!” Since this isn’t too far from the truth, you want to be sure that you are well matched. Your first meeting with your prospective trainer should be like an interview. Lori Ferren suggests going to your first meeting with a clear idea of your fitness goals. “Your trainer should always ask about your goals-make sure they ask this!” she says. In return, you will want to ask how your trainer will help you attain your goals.

Lori suggests you ask your trainer how they are going to motivate you and how they are going to keep you accountable to your goals? “You need to believe that your trainer cares,” says Ferren.  You should also ask your prospective trainer what kind of motivational techniques they would use with you; what kind of workout plan they would design for your; how often they would change your workout; what kind of experience and credentials they have and if they have any current clients you can call for references?

It’s important to “weigh in” on your reasons for hiring a specific trainer. Parsons emphasizes clients ask themselves if they can imagine working with their prospective trainer or did they just hire them because they have a great physique? More importantly, your trainer should be patient, flexible, have good listening skills and be a role model of health and fitness. “Your trainer should get you excited about your program,” says Parsons. “The personality fit is really important,” she adds. “You need to feel that you can connect with them and feel safe working with this person,” she insists.

To find personal trainers in your area, consider asking at your local fitness facility. There are web sites that offer a search in your area for local trainers, such as: www.ineedatrainer.com. You can also look in your local paper, online or in the yellow pages, but word of mouth is probably the most reliable method. If you are interested in having a trainer come to your home to train you, contact Elisabeth Parsons at elisabeth@fit4you.ca.

Your initial consultation, which should be free, should be about establishing needs and setting goals. Don’t forget to use this opportunity to ask questions such as available times for training, rates, refund policy and cancellation policy. Rates vary among trainers from an average of $50-$90 per session, with discounts offered for purchasing multiple sessions up-front. Training with a friend may also help share the cost.

This first meeting is a fact-finding meeting and does not establish commitment until both parties are in agreement. Know that you can still walk away. If your trainer is not certified, has no experience with your special needs (such as pre and postnatal or injury), is not on-time, not professional or if you’re simply not connecting with them, it’s not too late to continue your search!

Your investment in your personal trainer is an important investment in your health and wellness.  If your goal is to have more energy to play with your grandkids, to loose weight, or to live a more healthy life, it’s difficult to put a price tag on the value of that! 

Laughter is Good for Your Health

Laughter is Good For Your Health

“Knock, knock” What’s good for your health and costs only a smile? No joke, the answer is laughter!

“We know that exercising, not smoking and eating foods low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease. Perhaps, regular hearty laughter should be added to the list.”

Michael Miller, M.D.

From your heart to your immune system, the health benefits of laughter extend far beyond a good mood. Researchers have found that laughter can reduce tension, depression and anger. Amazing things can happen when you laugh. In addition to releasing mood-elevating chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, a good belly laugh can trigger an immediate physiological response: your heart rate increases, your blood vessels expand and you take in more oxygen. Laughter also has many social benefits; it is a great icebreaker and plays an important role in intimate relationships. Undeniably, laughter is a universal language that connects people together and it can be contagious! Want to put a little mirth in your mood? Read on to learn how to bring more laughter into your life and reap the amazing health benefits of a good giggle!

Since research supports that there are many health benefits of laughter, it makes a lot of sense to lighten up! According to the Mayo Clinic, an undisputed authority on health and wellness, laughter has both short-term and long-term health benefits. Laughter has the power to do more than just lighten your mood.  Since a good belly laugh enhances the intake of oxygen-rich air, it stimulates your organs, including your heart, lungs and muscles. Endorphins released by the brain after a good chuckle can act as the body’s natural painkiller. Laughter reduces levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine and dopamine and increases health-enhancing hormones and infection-fighting antibodies.

Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, all of which do wonders to reduce physical symptoms of stress and increase resistance to disease, not to mention an improved mood and positive outlook!

The American Cancer Society has a webpage dedicated to humor therapy for patients interested in a more modern and unconventional approach to dealing with illness. Although the organization admits there is no scientific evidence to support that laughter can cure cancer or any other diseases, it can play an important role in helping patients cope with their physical pain and emotional stress.  Although more studies are needed to clarify whether laughter may make its way into the mainstream as an effective treatment for disease, we know that it has many benefits for patients undergoing treatment, including influencing positive physiological changes, reducing stress and increasing sense of well being.

One doctor, who believes that laughter is the best medicine, is Dr. Madan Kataria, a medical doctor from Mumbai. Dr. Kataria is the founder of the Laughter Yoga Clubs movement that has grown from one meeting in a park in India in 1995 to over 6000 Laughter Yoga Clubs in 60 countries today. A cardiologist, Dr.Kataria, who in researching the benefits of laughter, found several studies to support profound physiological and psychological advantages of a good giggle! Laughter Yoga Club became a way he could deliver these benefits to his patients and others.

Marjorie Moulin, a certified Laughter Yoga Leader and co-founder of the Richmond Hill Laughter Yoga Club, trained with Dr.Kataria and offers laughter workshops to corporations and to the public in York Region. The Laughter Yoga Club has been in operation for six and a half years and now has five hundred joyful members! Instead of waiting for a condition to laugh such a joke, a funny movie or stand up comedy routine, Laughter Yoga uses exercises, tools and silly scenarios to promote laughter! “The body doesn’t know if laughter is fake or real. It’s so silly, but it becomes contagious!” says Marjorie. After regularly attending class an average of four to five times, laughter yoga practitioners begin to discover the inner spirit of laughter and what at first may feel forced or fake becomes a natural response. 

Our instructor, Marjorie, begins our class with everyone seated in a circle. We are instructed to introduce ourselves, tell the group what we like about summer (it can be benign as “I don’t have to shovel snow”), and laugh wholeheartedly at each other’s reply! My left brain is saying all the while, “this is weird,” and, “I feel uncomfortable” but I play along. Next we clear the chairs away and stand up to act out various scenarios such as we just got our Visa bill and mime to our classmates the devastating amount with finger pointing and belly aching laughter as though it is funny news! Still some discomfort, but I’m starting to play along. Between each mimed skit, we breathe “ho, ho, ha, ha, ha,” together to oxygenate our lungs. By the time, she turns on Gangham Style and we are instructed to pull out our best dance grooves, I am in my element. Now warmed up, together we take turns doing a dance move that everyone has to mimic. We finish back seated in our circle and now take turns shaking a maraca with our chosen rhythm that the group has to copy. By this point, our giggle reflect is well oiled and the contagious effect of the group laughter has set in. We get silly and completely giddy and can’t stop laughing. It’s like hanging out and recounting old stories and good times with the best of friends, except that we are all strangers. Amazed at how laughing together can create a connection and a bond, I leave feeling sad to say goodbye to my new giggle buddies, but smile the whole way home!

There are numerous benefits to Laughter Yoga according to Marjorie. “Laughter Yoga teaches people to be playful,” she says. “Also, stress causes 70-80% of our diseases. Normally, we only use one quarter of our lung capacity, but in Laughter Yoga the idea is to breathe deeply which oxygenates our lungs. In turn, we exhale carbon dioxide, reduce cortisol levels, resulting in a reduction in stress,” says Marjorie.

“Another benefit of Laughter Yoga is that it brings people together,” she says. Yoga means “to connect” and when you combine laughter and yoga you have a magically unifying practice. Laughter is especially important in intimate relationships. “The body uses different hormones for happiness than for anger, so what happens is that laughter diffuses anger,” says Marjorie. “It’s great for couples,” she adds.

Laughter is great for bringing people together, because it is a language shared by all humans. A study led by Professor Sophie Scott at The University College London, comparing British test subjects and people living in an isolated part of Namibia in south west Africa, supports that basic human emotions such as happiness, anger, fear, sadness, disgust and surprise and the sounds associated with the expression of these emotions are universal. One positive sound that was particularly well recognized by both groups was laughter. Subjects from both cultures agreed that laughter signified amusement, exemplified by the feeling of being tickled. Laughter may be a universal language shared not only by humans but also chimpanzees and other mammals, which also laugh when they are tickled. Interestingly, this suggests that laughter has deep evolutionary roots, possibly originating as part of playful communication between young infants and mothers.

So if you want to reap the many benefits of laughter, including reducing stress, connecting with others, becoming more joyful and playful and improving your overall health, perhaps making a commitment to Laughter Yoga is the right thing for you. The best advice Marjorie says she can give to others is, “don’t wait for a condition to make you laugh,” she says. “Children laugh on average 300 times per day and are naturally joyful. In contrast, adults only laugh on average four times per day. Laughter Yoga is a commitment to make laughter happen,” says Marjorie.

If you are looking for other ways to improve your underdeveloped funny bone, take heart because humor can be learned and practiced in many other ways. Try posting photos or comic strips at home or at the office or keep funny movies or comedy tracks on hand for a quick chuckle.” Try to find a way to laugh about your own situations and watch as others share a laugh at your ability to be self-deprecating. As the old saying goes, “laugh and the world laughs with you!”

Neuroscientist Sophie Scott decided to prove this adage, so in another study on laughter, her findings supported that laughter is in fact contagious. “We’ve known for some time that when we are talking to someone, we often mirror their behavior, copying the words they use and mimicking their gestures. Now we’ve shown that the same appears to apply to laughter, too, at least at the level of the brain,” says Scott. As with Laughter Yoga, learning to laugh may feel forced at first, but if you continue to practice laughing, it not only becomes more natural, but it becomes contagious and soon you’ll find others around you responding with a smile or a chuckle, too!

Beauty and The Beast

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”

― Marilyn Monroe

In today’s world of peer pressure and hyper-messaging from television commercials, magazines and music videos, self-criticism and an obsessive concern with one’s outward appearance are becoming epidemic among young girls. The Canadian Women’s Health Network reports that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way and that 49% of girls ages 8-10 and 59% of girls ages 11-12 are concerned about being fat or overweight! In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 per cent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 per cent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Young girls are continually being exposed to images of women that represent an unnatural standard of beauty that is airbrushed and altered to perfection. By the time a girl reaches 17 years old, she will have received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media, playing heavily on her sense of self-esteem. How do we cultivate self-confidence in girls with this “beast” of a movement that is slowly eroding their self-esteem and causing them to feel like they don’t measure up?

In a culture that esteems appearance over character and that makes girls feel that they aren’t good enough, pretty enough or rich enough, arming girls with a healthy dose of self-esteem is more important than ever before. Girls who have a strong sense of self are more likely to try new things and have confidence in their abilities. They are apt to risk making a mistake in order to learn and grow; they are comfortable with the way they look and know they are not perfect but like themselves anyways. Girls with high self-esteem have healthy friendships and expect their friends to treat them with respect. They like and know themselves and know that they are unique and special.

One conscious-raising campaign, Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, has made a significant impact on beauty stereotypes and offers women and girls an alternative definition of beauty that is confident, healthy and strong…strong enough to slay the vanity beast! In a two-hour workshop for girls and their female mentors the objective of the Dove Self-Esteem program is to get girls to open up about the way they feel about themselves, how they can take steps to see their beauty and to celebrate their own uniqueness. In a format that mixes group discussion, videos and activities, girls learn how to celebrate their own uniqueness. One exercise, called My Community Garden Activity, has the girls write about the special ingredients that make them beautiful from looking at what foods they like, to values they believe in to what countries they are from and languages they speak. Another activity called the Self-Esteem Bubble has girls draw a bubble and inside the bubble write down things that make them feel good about themselves from physical attributes to character traits, such as, “I like my blue eyes,” or “I am good at soccer,” or “My friends say I am a good listener.” On the outside of the bubble, girls are instructed to write down negative influences like teasing, name-calling, beauty pressures or peer pressure to be or do something they don’t want.  The idea is the more they put into the self-esteem bubble, the stronger it will be and easier it will be to keep out negative influences or anything else that makes them feel bad about themselves. 

In addition to addressing peer influences, the Dove Self-Esteem campaign shares media secrets and tricks that transform models into looking camera-perfect. Girls learn that most of the images they are seeing in the media are airbrushed and computer-enhanced and are truly not reflections of what real life people look like. In one video called “Evolution”, we see a young woman transformed for a make up commercial. Computer enhancement changes the shape of her face by elongating her neck, raising her eyebrows, erasing any blemishes and making her eyes bigger. Magically the computer creates a completely different person, the take-home message being that instead of trying to look like the models you see on TV and in magazines, who are not real anyways, be happy in your own skin and be happy being you!

In Ontario, schools and communities are discovering another confidence building program called Girls on the Run. Designed to build self-respect and healthy lifestyles in girls ages 8-13 years old, Girls on The Run combines training for a non-competitive 5km run with an interactive curriculum that addresses their physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. The 10 week program which runs from April to June arms girls with tools to manage life’s challenges, including gossip, bullying and establishing healthy friendships. A registered charity in Ontario, Girls on The Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through a fun, experience-based curriculum, which creatively integrates running. This two-tiered program, one for girls in grades 3-5 called Girls on The Run and one for girls in grades 6-8 called Girls on The Track, addresses age-related issues unique to the struggles and challenges faced by girls at each of these life stages.

Rina DeDonato, Executive Director and CEO of Girls on The Run in Ontario, which has been in operation since 2004, shares why she feels the program is so successful. “Running on it’s own is extremely empowering; when combined with a curriculum that addresses key issues for young girls, you have a recipe for success,” says DeDonato. “There’s a lot to deal with in a short period of time for young girls, like peer influences and following pop stars and at their age there is so much messaging from shows, commercials and magazines. It is a pivotal age where girls are very influenced by the messaging around them,” says DeDonato. “Unfortunately, girls try to change who they are because the messaging is saying they don’t have the right clothes or they aren’t smart enough or pretty enough,” she says. “What we do is try to get them to connect with their internal beauty and be able to say ‘I am OK with who I am,’ and to stay true to themselves,” says DeDonato. Girls on the Run offers a spring program that runs from April to June and due to the high demand for programming on empowerment issues, DeDonato says they are launching a fall program this year and expanding the organization to two other provinces.

Despite the heavy influences that media messaging has on young girls, when asked who has had the most powerful influence on their self-esteem and ideas of beauty, Dove researchers discovered that girls don’t say sports figures or celebrities. The majority of girls world-wide say that their adult female mentors- mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and teachers- have the biggest influence on their ideas of beauty. As a female role model, how can you encourage young girls and young women to cultivate a greater sense of self-esteem? At a time when our daughters are heavily influenced by messaging and peer influence, we need to remind them to connect with their internal beauty, to stay true to themselves and not to change to try to be something they are not. Helping them redefine beauty on their own terms is a great first step towards cultivating self-esteem. As mothers, aunts, grandmothers and teachers, we need to remind ourselves, too, that our own messaging is being heard loud and clear. Complaining that you hate your hair, or that you are too fat or that you need to go on a diet are all corrosive comments that are being internalized by our daughters. So, as female mentors, changing our own messaging will dramatically influence girls who are looking to us for cues on how to treat themselves!

York Region schools are also to be credited with teaching children the importance of positive character traits in relation to their peers and teachers. Educators are learning that school is a lot more than learning the A,B,C’s; it’s about learning to be fair, take initiative and show empathy among other things. Children in elementary school are learning and being recognized among their peers for showing respect, being courageous, and for being optimistic. Student recognition is shifting from focusing solely on grade performance to including character evaluations, resulting in more positive peer relations. In focusing on character, schools build awareness among children about the importance of relationships and being accepted among peers for having good character instead of being accepted for their looks or fashion sense.

Kate Richardson, Grade 6 teacher at Harry Bowes Public School in Stouffville, believes that the focus on character traits in the school environment helps kids identify what their gifting is and realize what their strengths are. “Why character traits are so important is because they focus on the internal person not the external person,” says Richardson. “It makes kids think about how their gifts and talents can be aligned with their school and how they can bring them together to make a difference in the world, “ she says. Richardson encourages her class to show respect for each other by using positive talk and by learning to work together. “Kids need to respect and care for one another. They don’t have to be best friends, but they have to care. This makes the classroom a positive place and positive experience,” says Richardson. It is also a great way to prepare children for the real world.

In supporting our young girls at an age when media messaging and peer issues are at their peak, as female role models and parents, we need open up dialogue about issues of self-esteem. We need to celebrate the internal person, for their gifts and talents and character in order to pave the road towards positive self-esteem. Help slay the media beast and peer pressures that espouse being accepted for what clothes you wear or how pretty or smart you are and in turn help girls redefine what beauty means to them!

To learn more about Girls on The Run in your community, or to become a coach to help inspire young girls, go to www.girlsontherun.ca to find a link to more details and to an application to bring the program to your school or community center. To learn more about the Dove Self-Esteem Campaign, visit www.dove.ca.

Make it Stick!

Healthy Living Magazine

“Make it Stick”

At the beginning of 2012, 51% of Canadians pledged to exercise more and 35% planned to lose weight. Some resolved to do both. Similarly, this year, more than half of Canadians will resolve to start an exercise program and countless others will be looking for a quick solution to rid themselves of unwanted pounds. January 1^st marks the beginning of a new year, which inevitably spawns new lofty resolutions to make significant life changes. Unfortunately, only one week into the New Year, one third of resolutions are forgotten and by Valentine’s Day half of all our good intentions will have melted away like chocolate!

At the top of your 2013 resolution list may be to start a new exercise program and to try to stick to it…this time! You know developing a regular exercise routine is one the most important things that you can do to improve your health. You have repeatedly read undisputed research that confirms exercise can help prevent Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases like cancer; it can give you energy, decrease stress and promote maintaining a healthy weight. You know all this, but you can’t seem to get your body moving.

If you haven’t been able to adhere to a regular exercise routine until now, let us help you get on the right track and make your exercise routine stick!  Learn tips from the experts on how to get active and stay motivated. This one change to your daily routine guarantees to give you unprecedented energy and promises to add years to your life!

One predictor of success in sustaining goals is willpower. Like a muscle, willpower can be strengthened with training, but also like a muscle it can be fatigued with overuse. Social psychologist and author of the book Willpower, Roy Baumeister, argues that willpower is a limited resource. The more you exercise your self-control on one task, the less you have for the next. This is why crash dieting and all or nothing exercise regimes don’t work. Apparently, we use the same muscle for self-control for many of our daily tasks, such as avoiding brownies, battling rush-hour traffic, being nice to our boss and spending an extra five minutes doing crunches. So, in order to be successful with our goals, making small changes is recommended. Your new year’s resolutions should not be a laundry list of all the things you want to accomplish in 2013, but instead one or two well thought out goals that are SMART: specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time oriented.

Certified Personal Trainer, Erich Baumhard agrees that setting SMART goals is very important. Erich, who works at The Stouffville Leisure Centre as a fitness counselor, conducts fitness appraisals and develops fitness programs for members, knows a few things about exercise adherence. Erich recently won the “HOT” (Helping Others Too) award from York Region in partnership with The Heart and Stroke Foundation for being an excellent role model of fitness and for inspiring others to get active. “I counsel people to be specific, not vague,” he says. “It’s important to break bigger goals into smaller, achievable goals,” says Baumhard. “Pick one thing, reach that goal and then take the next step”, he says. Baumhard says he sets goals every day or any time of year, not just at New Year’s. This keeps him personally motivated. See our sidebar on “Smart Goals” to get started in the right direction!

Experts on human behavior generally agree it takes 30 repetitions of a behavior before it starts to become a habit. If you are starting an exercise program and doing a fitness class or workout at the gym two to three times per week, that equates to about three months before your new behavior becomes habit. It also takes about three months to start to see real changes as a result of your new healthy lifestyle, such as improvements in cardiovascular fitness, strength or weight loss. Sadly, at three months, 25% of new gym members will drop out, the pivotal point when change is really starting to occur!

The Mayo Clinic, renowned experts on health and wellness, advocate that including exercise as part of your daily routine is a key predictor of success. To stay motivated with your exercise program, they advise, “If it's hard to find time for exercise, don't fall back on excuses. Schedule workouts as you would any other important activity”. Try using your smartphone to set reminders to exercise or schedule exercise in your weekly calendar just like any other important meeting. See our suggestions below for phone app’s that can help keep you organized and motivated!

On again, off again exerciser Carol McKay, a Stouffville resident, mother of three and full-time career woman, says that her daily agenda planner has been the key to getting her off the coach! In the past, McKay professes she has been notorious for training hard for an event, such as a marathon, and then as soon as the event was over, she’d stop exercising completely for two to three months. “I’m an all or nothing, black or white person, so for me it was about finding the gray,” McKay recites invaluable advice that she got from her trainer. Two things have made all the difference with her exercise consistency: structure and a buddy system.

McKay lives by her agenda and she says that scheduling time to exercise in her day timer is “the path of least resistance!” So, every Tuesday night at 7pm, she has a standing date to attend a fitness class. “I’ve had gym memberships before that I never used. The scheduled class works better for McKay, because as she says, “ I have to be there at a scheduled time, as opposed to an open-ended gym membership that means you can drop in anytime,” she says. For her “anytime” translated to “no time.”

Every Saturday morning McKay also meets with a friend to go for a run. This works consistently for her because it employs “the buddy system,” which uses a like-minded friend to share a workout with. Your “buddy” acts as your conscience when you don’t have the energy to train and adds a social element to your exercise, taking the “work” out of “workout”! “Funny I chose running as my main sport, as it tends to be a “lone wolf” activity and I’m very social,” says McKay. But McKay has made running social by joining running groups and by running with a friend.

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, makes a case for consistently exercising on Mondays because it sets the psychological pattern for the week. She also recommends exercising first thing in the morning. “As the day wears on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising, she writes in her blog, www.happiness-project.com. “Get it checked off your list, first thing. It’s also a very nice way to start the day; even if nothing else goes right, you’ve accomplished that,” Rubin insists.

Still doubting that your willpower or calendar will suffice to get you off the coach? Consider Erich Baumhard’s suggestion. He believes the key to sticking to your exercise program begins with defining what you are passionate about. “Everyone is passionate about something,” says Baumhard. Erich, who in addition to being a personal trainer, is on the Board of Directors for the Durham Mountain Biking Association and is both a recreational and competitive cyclist. “I’m passionate about cycling. Trying to define what that is for you is key,” he says. It may not even be something related to fitness directly, explains Baumhard, but may be something that extends to other areas of your life that becoming healthier would impact. “As a parent, you’re setting an example all the time. If you’re a parent and you’re passionate about your family, you would be a better parent and role model if you are exercising and eating right,” Erich explains. Maintaining your health gives you energy that extends to countless other areas of your life, including your family, job and personal hobbies.

On a final note, “surround yourself with people who are like-minded,” says Baumhard. “Tell the people closest to you about your goal and be really passionate about what you are doing,” he says. Eric is a true believer that if you’re really committed and passionate about your goal, your closest friends and family members will act as your cheerleaders!

For those of you with busy family lives, McKay’s advice to you is that it’s important to carve out time for yourself. Carol works full-time, has three kids and hockey practices and games almost every night and still finds time to exercise. “It’s like the Wealthy Barber, you have to ‘pay yourself first”, or there will be no time for yourself,” she says.

So, if you’re either just starting an exercise routine, are a yo-yo dieter or an on-again off-again exerciser, try setting SMART goals, wielding a little willpower and making exercise and healthy eating part of your daily routine by locking it into your agenda, and hopefully this will be your year to “make it stick”!

Setting SMART goals will more likely guarantee success

Specific: Define your goal by saying you want to experience more energy and create a scale from 1-10 that is a daily measure of your energy level. Maybe currently you would rate your energy level as a 5 or 6, and your goal is to consistently be closer to an 8. Do this instead of stating vague goals such as you want to be healthier.

Measurable: If your goal is to improve muscle strength and endurance, meet with a fitness consultant or personal trainer to give you a baseline measure of your current fitness level so you can measure improvement.

Action Oriented: How are you going to achieve your goal? Will you join a gym, hire a personal trainer, join a Zumba class?

Realistic: Making sure your goal is realistic is so important. Looking for a quick fix to loose weight? Beware that crash dieting in which you loose weight drastically can wreak havoc on your metabolism and doesn’t create lifestyle changes. You should be skeptical of any weight loss program that recommends weight loss of anything more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Time Oriented: Set a realistic time goal. Don’t make the mistake of trying to fit in a size 6 dress for a wedding that is a month away if you are a size 10 today! In our culture of immediate gratification, we forget that some things require time and commitment. This explains the U.S. annual 20 billion dollar weight loss industry (diet books, diet drugs and weight-loss surgeries)!